Vertical take-off and landing aircraft

An aircraft comprising:

• a body having a central portion and a pair of cargo portions which are coupled to said central portion on opposing sides;
• an engine having an output shaft, wherein said engine is disposed within said central portion and said output shaft is directed up from the top of said body along a centerline;
• an impeller which is coupled to said output shaft, wherein rotation of said output shaft is effective to cause said impeller to pull air toward said impeller thereby creating a first lifting force and to force air outward from said centerline;
• a ring wing having a interior edge which is in the shape of a circle and defines an aperture and a exterior edge which defines an outer periphery of said ring wing, said airfoil being coupled to said body wherein said impeller is disposed within said aperture and said outwardly forced air is directed above and below said ring wing to create a second lifting force;
• a plurality of equally spaced Coanda slots which are disposed within said ring wing along said exterior edge, wherein each of said plurality of Coanda slots is coupled to a manifold through a separate valve assembly;
• and
• a controller which is disposed within said central portion of said body and which is operatively coupled to said engine and said valve assembly, wherein said controller selectively opens said valve assemblies to emit an amount of gas from said plurality of Coanda slots and divert said outwardly forced air downward to create a third lifting force.

A method for making an aircraft capable of vertical flight, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a body with an engine having an output shaft which is directed upwardly;
• rotatably couplings an impeller to said output shaft upon the top of said body, wherein said impeller may be rotated to create a wash of air;
• providing a ring wing having interior edges which define a central aperture and exterior edges which define an outer edge;
• forming segmented Coanda slots along said outer edge of a ring wing, wherein each of said Coanda slots has a valve assembly which may be selectively opened and closed;
• coupling said ring wing to said body wherein said impeller is located within said central aperture, thereby causing said ring wing to be disposed within said wash of air;
• causing said impeller to rapidly rotate and create said wash of air which passes as a laminar flow having a certain boundary layer above and below said ring wing to create lift;
• and
• causing said Coanda slots to discharge jets of gas at a certain velocity to redirect said laminar flowing air passing said ring wing to create additional lift.