VTOL aerial vehicle

• US 8,220,737 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2009
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Frontline Aerospace, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Frontline Aerospace, Inc.
• Inventors: Wood, Ryan S., Cummings, Darold B., Hall, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Tien
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sanderson, Joseph W
• Application Number:
  US12/480,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20100224721A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 244/12.1, 244/12.3, 244/23.R, 244/23.B, 244/36, 244/45.R, 244/199.4, 244/55, 244/87
• US Class Current: 244/12.3
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0025 the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/068 having multiple wings joined at the tips
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/65 Composite materials
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/10 Wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/24 Coaxial rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/26 Ducted or shrouded rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/12 using turbine engines, e.g. turbojets or turbofans
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/14 ducted or shrouded
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/20 Transmission of mechanical power to rotors or propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 60/40 foldable or retractable
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/80 Vertical take-off or landing, e.g. using rockets rotorcrafts B64U10/10; VTOL aircraft B64U10/20

Abstract

An aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing is provided. The aircraft includes a fuselage having a forward portion and an aft portion. A lift fan extends though a duct, which extends through the fuselage. The aircraft further includes a pair of wing sets where each set of wings include first and second wings. Each set of wings has a first wing with a first wing root interconnected to the fuselage forward of a central axis of the lift fan and a second wing having a second wing root interconnected to the fuselage aft of the central axis of the lift fan. The tips of each set of wings are connected. The aircraft further includes a pusher fan.

Claims

1. An aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing, stationary flight and forward flight, comprising:

a fuselage having a forward portion, an aft portion, a top surface and a bottom surface;

a duct extending vertically through said fuselage, said duct including an inlet on said top surface of the fuselage and an outlet on the bottom surface of said fuselage;

a lift fan having first and second counter rotating rotors disposed within said duct, the rotational axis of said rotors defining a vertical reference axis, wherein said first and second counter rotors define a toroidal fan, wherein a diameter of a hub of said toroidal fan is larger than a blade length of said first and second rotors and wherein an area below said hub of said toroidal fan forms a payload bay for said aircraft;

at least one engine operative to rotate said rotors; and

a pair of wing sets, wherein each wing set includes;

a first wing having a wing root connected to said fuselage forward of said vertical reference axis; and

a second wing having a wing root connected to said fuselage aft of said vertical reference axis, wherein a distal portion of said first and second wings are connected.

2. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein a center of gravity of said aircraft is disposed along a centerline axis of said aircraft between forward and aft connection points of said wing sets.

3. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein a center of gravity of said aircraft is located substantially through said rotational axis of said first and second counter rotating rotors of said lift fan.

4. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising:

a pusher fan connected to said aft portion of said fuselage, wherein said at least one engine is operative to rotate said pusher fan.

5. The aircraft of claim 4, wherein said pusher fan further comprises:

first and second counter rotating rotors.

6. The aircraft of claim 4, wherein said pusher fan further comprises:

a shroud enclosing the outward edges of said pusher fan.

7. The aircraft of claim 4, further comprising:

at least one control vane disposed aft of said pusher fan in an outlet stream of said pusher fan.

8. The aircraft of claim 4, further comprising:

at least one transmission system attached to said at least one engine, wherein said at least one transmission system allows for selectively rotating rotors of at least one of said lift fan and said pusher fan.

9. The aircraft of claim 8, wherein said at least one transmission system comprises first and second gear boxes, wherein one of said gear boxes controls transmission of power to said lift fan and the other gear box control transmission of power to said pusher fan.

10. The aircraft of claim 4, wherein said top surface of said fuselage is convex between a leading edge of the fuselage and a location where the pusher fan is connected to the aft portion of the fuselage.

11. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein said at least one engine comprises:

first and second engines, wherein said first engine is disposed at least partially within said fuselage at a location forward of said duct and said second engine is disposed at least partially within said fuselage aft of said duct.

12. The aircraft of claim 11, wherein said first and second engines are disposed along a centerline axis of said aircraft.

13. The aircraft of claim 11, wherein said first and second engines are turbo-shaft engines.

14. The aircraft of claim 11, wherein said first and second engines are operably linked to rotate said lift fan.

15. The aircraft of claim 14, wherein one of said first and second engines may be selectively disengaged.

16. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising:

louvers connected to said bottom surface of said fuselage, wherein said louvers are movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein said louvers substantially close said outlet of said duct in the closed position.

17. The aircraft of claim 16, wherein said louvers are oriented substantially perpendicular to a centerline axis of said aircraft.

18. The aircraft of claim 16, wherein said louvers may be controllably positioned between said open and closed positions to control a direction of airflow exiting said bottom surface of said fuselage from said duct.

19. The aircraft of claim 16, further comprising:

louvers connected to said top surface of said fuselage, wherein said louvers are movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein said louvers substantially close said inlet of said duct in the closed position.

20. The aircraft of claim 19, wherein said louvers are oriented substantially parallel with a centerline axis of said aircraft.

21. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein at least one of said wing sets includes a control surface.

22. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein each of said wing sets further comprises:

a plate connecting distal tips of said first and second wings.

23. The aircraft of claim 22, wherein each said plate defines a mounting surface for mounting objects to said aircraft.

24. The aircraft of claim 22, wherein each said plate further comprising:

at least one deployable airfoil, wherein said deployable airfoil is operative to move between a stowed position and an extended position.

25. The aircraft of claim 22, wherein each said plate further comprising:

first and second deployable airfoils, wherein one or both of said first and second deployable airfoils may be selectively moved between a stowed position and an extended position.

26. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising at least one pair of puffer jets, wherein said puffer jets are connected to said lift fan via ducting.

27. An aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing, stationary flight and forward flight, comprising:

a fuselage having a forward portion, an aft portion, a top surface and a bottom surface;

a duct extending vertically through said fuselage, said duct including an inlet on said top surface of the fuselage and an outlet on the bottom surface of said fuselage;

a lift fan having first and second counter rotating rotors disposed within said duct, the rotational axis of said rotors defining a vertical reference axis;

at least one pair of puffer jets, wherein said puffer jets are connected to said lift fan via ducting;

at least one engine operative to rotate said rotors; and

a pair of wing sets, wherein each wing set includes;

a first wing having a wing root connected to said fuselage forward of said vertical reference axis; and

a second wing having a wing root connected to said fuselage aft of said vertical reference axis, wherein a distal portion of said first and second wings are connected.