Inflatable wing flight vehicle

• US 20090108135A1
• Filed: 06/11/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donald Orval Shaw
• Original Assignee: Donald Orval Shaw
• Inventors: Shaw, Donald Orval
• Granted Patent: US 8,104,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/158.300
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 2201/00 Hybrid airships, i.e. airships where lift is generated aerodynamically and statically
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/30 comprising inflatable structural components
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 31/036 having parachute-type wing
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/24 using steam or spring force jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/1071 Planetary landers intended for the exploration of the surface of planets, moons or comets
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

The invention is an aircraft having an inflatable wing connected to a base unit, with the inflatable wing inflated with a lifting gas such as helium. The inflatable wing has a series of cell structures, and may be configured with ballonets to selectively introduce and expel outside air within the inflatable wing to vary the buoyancy and/or airfoil properties of the inflatable wing. The aircraft is particularly useful at low speeds and in thin atmospheres (such as at high Earth altitudes and on Mars), and can be used for interplanetary missions to explore planetary bodies, such as moons and planets, having atmospheres.

Claims

1. An aircraft comprising:

a flexible gas envelope comprising a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a plurality of inflatable cells, wherein the inflatable cells are generally elongated and extend lengthwise in a direction from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the flexible gas envelope, wherein the flexible gas envelope forms an airfoil shape when the cells are inflated, with the airfoil shape configured to provide lift when the flexible gas envelope is in forward flight;

a base unit secured to the flexible gas envelope; and

a lifting gas source configured to provide lighter-than-air gas to the cells.

2. The flight vehicle of claim 1, where the lifting gas source is a gas canister.

3. The flight vehicle of claim 1, wherein the lifting gas source is residual lifting gas within the flexible gas envelope.

4. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising:

a ballonet positioned within the flexible gas envelope, the ballonet configured to receive outside air.

5. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the airfoil shape has a length and a width, and the length is greater than the width.

6. The aircraft of claim 5, wherein the airfoil shape has a generally flat bottom section.

7. The flight vehicle of claim 1, wherein the lighter-than-air gas is helium.

8. The flight vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a propulsion system.

9. A method of preparing a device for delivery from Earth to a planetary body having an atmosphere, comprising:

providing a base unit;

providing an inflatable airfoil configured to form a lifting body when inflated;

flushing the inflatable airfoil with a lifting gas;

restraining the inflatable airfoil in a collapsed configuration; and

securing the inflatable airfoil to the base unit to thereby form an aircraft.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the lifting gas is helium.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the inflatable airfoil comprises a plurality of individual cells.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

providing one or more canisters containing lifting gas; and

connecting the one or more canisters containing lifting gas to the inflatable airfoil so as to selectively provide lifting gas to the inflatable airfoil.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising;

launching the aircraft from the Earth to the planetary body.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the base unit comprises one or more scientific sensors.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

providing a spacecraft; and

securing the spacecraft to the base unit.

16. An aircraft comprising:

a generally inflatable airfoil;

a base unit;

a lifting gas canister positioned on or in the base unit;

a lifting gas supply line passing from the lifting gas canister to the airfoil; and

a plurality of cords securing the base unit to the airfoil;

wherein the aircraft is configured to selectively transition from a stored configuration to a deployed configuration, wherein in the stored configuration the plurality of cords surround and engage against the lifting gas supply line.

17. The aircraft of claim 16, wherein the plurality of cords are configured to pull away from the lifting gas supply line when the aircraft transitions to the deployed configuration.