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US 2011/0031345 A1Published application
Human interface rotor system helicopter (HIR)
AssigneeMr. David Allen Hickman
InventorDavid Allen Hickman
Life of this patent
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AssigneeMr. David Allen Hickman
InventorDavid Allen Hickman
Estimating the term…
A single place helicopter comprising a lower airframe and an upper airframe, having a rotor shaft attached thereto, rotor blades, and a hub on said rotor shaft with means to change blade pitch for vertical flight. The upper airframe comprising a rotor system, engine, tail boom and tail rotor tilt as one unit with the pilot forward, rearward and in a lateral attitude for directional flight control by means of a hinged gimbal joint or block fastened between the vertical tubes on the lower airframe that connect the upper and lower airframes. By allowing the pilot to move with the rotor system, this configuration combines weight and CG manipulation in a tilt rotor design that eliminates the angular differences between advancing and retreating rotor blades during lateral flight and allows for a simplified human interface flight control system in a single-main-tilt rotor helicopter.
A light helicopter that utilizes a gimbaled airframe in conjunction with weight and CG manipulation for directional flight control.
A single-main-tilt rotor helicopter wherein the complete rotor system, upper airframe, power plant, pilot's seat, tail boom and tail rotor tilt as one unit resulting in manipulation of the rotor disc in like manner for directional flight control by means of human interface or allowing the pilot to move with the rotor system.
A single-main-tilt-rotor helicopter wherein the differences between the angles of attack of the advancing and retreating blades are eliminated as the swash plate has been replaced with a thrust bearing assembly. The amount of flight control input when maneuvering the aircraft from a hover into lateral flight is reduced as the complete rotor system and upper airframe tilt in unison in a lateral manner with out the use of a swash plate.
A single-main-tilt rotor helicopter that utilizes fewer parts for rotor control and thereby allowing for a decrease in the rate of ware on parts that are utilized and by so doing extending the duration of operational hours for required parts which in turn lowers maintenance costs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.