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US 3,971,533 AGranted
Convertible airship
OwnerSaul I. Slaterinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flexible lighter-than-air gas-containing envelope carries at least one rigid structural member which provides a track for pivotal and slidable mounting of a gondola. The track extends along the underside of the airship from the nose section to a point aft of the midsection so that the gondola can be positioned from a point directly under the belly to one at the nose, causing the longitudinal axis of the envelope to rotate through 90.degree.. Remote controls actuate the rudders, ailerons and elevators as well as fully rotatable horizontal stabilizers and wings.
Claims21
A lighter-than-air airship which comprises:
- an elongated gas-containing envelope filled with lighter-than-air gas;
- stabilizer means mounted to said envelope for stabilizing the orientation of said airship;
- a gondola;
- remote control means in said gondola for operating said stabilizer means;
- propulsion means mounted to said gondola for providing propulsion capability to said airship to propel said airship during flight and stabilize said airship during maneuvering;
- and
- means for slidably and pivotally mounting said gondola to said envelope and for variably positioning said gondola with respect to said envelope to cause rotation of the longitudinal axis of said envelope from a generally horizontal orientation when said gondola is positioned generally at the midsection of said envelope to a generally vertical orientation when said gondola is positioned generally at the nose of said envelope, while said gondola retains a generally horizontal orientation, such that said airship assumes convenient landing characteristics when said longitudinal axis is generally vertical and said airship is capable of substantial flight when said longitudinal axis is generally horizontal.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.