Wingless VTOL flying land vehicle

A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicle comprising:

• a main body including airfoil sections on either side of a central module, with a span to chord length ratio of less than 3:1,
• said central module being positioned laterally centrally in the main body, for holding a load;
• a pair of forward thrust systems mounted on respective nacelles extending forward of a leading edge of the main body;
• lateral members located on either side of the main body outboard of the airfoil sections and forming winglets;
• steerable wheels mounted substantially within respective recesses forming wheel wells in the lateral members, whereby the vehicle may be steered when operating as a land vehicle;
• a rear vertical-thrust system mounted within an aperture in the main body, laterally centered and located aft of the central module;
• said forward thrust systems being articulated so as to be able to transition between a vertical flight configuration and a horizontal flight configuration, such that, in the vertical flight configuration, thrust from the forward thrust systems and from the vertical-thrust system is directed primarily downward and that, in the horizontal flight configuration, the thrust from the forward thrust systems is directed primarily horizontally over and under the airfoil-shaped main body, backwash from the forward thrust systems being directed over substantially the entire width of the airfoil sections;
• and
• said lateral members extending longitudinally forward of the leading edge of the main body over the length of the airfoil sections and above and below the respective airfoil section, thereby and being configured as both vortex-damping members and also to channel backwash from the forward thrust systems over the airfoil formed by the main body;
• at least one rear elevon arrangement providing control surfaces for pitch and roll of the vehicle when the vehicle is flying forward;
• in which:
• the lateral members are sealed against water ingress, whereby the vehicle is able to land on, take off from, and maneuver in water;
• the forward thrust systems comprise propellers;
• and
• each lateral member extends vertically above an upper surface of the main body and vertically below the main body;
• and
• said airfoil sections having a substantially continuous, uninterrupted surface longitudinally from the leading edge to a trailing edge of the main body.

A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicle comprising:

• a main body including airfoil sections on either side of a central module, with a span to chord length ratio of less than 3:1,
• said central module being positioned laterally centrally in the main body, for holding a load;
• a pair of forward thrust systems mounted on respective nacelles extending forward of a leading edge of the main body such that thrust from the forward thrust systems is directed primarily horizontally over and under the airfoil-shaped main body, backwash from the forward thrust systems being directed over substantially the entire width of the airfoil sections;
• lateral members located on either side of the main body outboard of the airfoil sections and forming winglets,
• said lateral members extending longitudinally forward of the leading edge of the main body over the length of the airfoil sections and above and below the respective airfoil section, thereby and being configured as both vortex-damping members and also to channel backwash from the forward thrust systems over the airfoil formed by the main body;
• said lateral members further being sealed against water ingress, whereby the vehicle is able to land on, take off from, and maneuver in water;
• and
• steerable wheels mounted in the lateral members whereby the vehicle may be steered when operating as a land vehicle;
• and
• said airfoil sections having a substantially continuous, uninterrupted surface longitudinally from the leading edge to a trailing edge of the main body.

A dual-mode air-land vehicle comprising:

• a main body including airfoil sections on either side of a central module, with a span to chord length ratio of less than 3:1;
• said central module being positioned laterally centrally in the main body, for holding a load;
• a pair of forward thrust systems mounted on respective nacelles extending forward of a leading edge of the main body such that thrust from the forward thrust systems is directed primarily horizontally over and under the airfoil-shaped main body, backwash from the forward thrust systems being directed over substantially the entire width of the airfoil sections;
• lateral members located on either side of the main body outboard of the airfoil sections and forming winglets, said lateral members extending longitudinally forward of the leading edge of the main body over the length of the airfoil sections and above and below the respective airfoil section, thereby and being configured as both vortex-damping members and also to channel backwash from the forward thrust systems over the airfoil formed by the main body;
• and
• steerable wheels mounted substantially within respective recesses forming wheel wells in the lateral members, whereby the vehicle may be steered when operating as a land vehicle;
• and
• said airfoil sections having a substantially continuous, uninterrupted surface longitudinally from the leading edge to a trailing edge of the main body;
• in which the lateral members are sealed against water ingress, whereby the vehicle is able to land on, take off from, and maneuver in water.