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AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorsPaul J.H. HARRIS, Frank A. Hewitt, Martin C. Johnson, Christopher Wright
Estimating the term…
An aircraft having a lift/propulsion unit which includes a power unit such as a turboshaft engine which drives a fan through a transmission mechanism. The fan discharges to vectoring nozzles which can be independently swivelled to provide lift or propulsion thrust. An output shaft of the transmission mechanism serves as the main shaft of a motor/generator of modular form. The motor/generator can act as a generator to charge an electrical storage device such as a battery, or as a motor to drive the fan, either alone or to supplement the output of engine. Reaction control nozzles are provided at extremities of the aircraft to provide stabilising thrust. The aircraft is capable of vertical take off and hovering, with the vectoring nozzles swivelled to a lift position, and forward thrust with the vectoring nozzles swivelled to a propulsion position.
An aircraft having a fuselage provided with a lift/propulsion unit comprising a power unit and a fan which is driveably connected to the power unit by a transmission mechanism, the fan having a rotary axis which extends upwardly in the attitude of the aircraft corresponding to level flight, and being provided with vectoring means for adjusting the direction of thrust generated by the fan, wherein the vectoring means comprises at least one vectoring nozzle which is mounted for swivelling movement with respect to the fan.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.