US 4,301,981 AGranted

Aircraft with rotary wing

OwnerJoseph Harttinventor

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Abstract

An aircraft is provided with a wing in the form of an annulus having an airfoil shape in radial section, the wing being concentrically mounted on a vertical axle shaft which in turn is rotatably carried by a mounting on the fuselage. Rotation of the wing drives air centrifugally across the upper and lower surfaces to energize the boundary layer, enhance laminar flow, and produce lift. Vanes may be mounted on the inner portion of the surface to increase the flow and thus produce greater life. The vanes may be attached to a stabilizer ring which is eccentrically adjustable by a controlling mechanism to vary the extension of the vanes into and out of the wing at various points in the cource of rotation and thus vary the degree of lift produced. The wing may also be provided within its inner perimeter with airfoil lifting blades which produce additional lift, and the blades may be swung by a stabilizer ring to positions producing a desired thrust in a desired direction as the wing rotates.

Claims11

Dependent claims

An aircraft provided with means for achieving flight in various modes including generally vertical ascent and descent, hovering, and lateral travel, comprising:

a fuselage provided with a power plant, a pilot's compartment having pilot operable control means, and directional control surfaces;
a vertically extending axle shaft rotatably mounted at its lower end on the fuselage;
and an annular wing coaxially mounted at the upper end of the shaft, said wing having upper and lower surfaces and being rotatable about the axis of the shaft;
the rotation of the wing applying centrifugal force to the air adjacent to the upper and lower surfaces to cause radial air flow across the surfaces from the inner periphery of the wing to the outer peripheral edge to energize the boundary layer and enhance laminar flow and produce a lifting force, the wing being free of any obstruction to the flow of air at any point around its outer periphery;
a plurality of upstanding vanes are mounted on the radially inner portion of the wing and are spaced substantially equally around the inner periphery and extend substantially vertically;
the power plant is drivingly connected to the axle shaft and thence to the wing to cause its rotation, the vanes rotating with the wing, driving the air adjacent to the inner portion of the wing centrifugally across the wing to enhance the lifting force;
and
said vanes being retractable at least partially into the contour of the annular wing to reduce their effect.

5 more elements

A wing for use on a rotary-winged aircraft comprising:

an annulus having upper and lower surfaces forming an airfoil shape in radial section at all points around its circumference;
an axle shaft having a first, upper, end connected to the annulus by a plurality of radially extending struts and a second, lower, end formed for rotatable engagement by mounting means on an aircraft fuselage and for driven connection to a power plant;
the wing being rotatable in its plane to drive air adjacent to the wing centrifugally across its upper and lower surfaces from an inner periphery to an outer edge to energize the boundary layer, enhance laminar flow, and produce lifting force;
the wing being free of any obstruction to the flow of air at any point around its outer periphery;
a plurality of upstanding vanes mounted on the radially inner portion of the wing and spaced substantially equally around the inner periphery;
the vanes extending vertically to engage the air adjacent to the wing and increase the rate of flow over the wing to enhance the lifting force;
and
the vanes being extendable and retractable into and out of the wing to vary the amount of lift produced on various portions of the wing during its rotation.

5 more elements

A wing for use on a rotary-winged aircraft comprising:

an annulus having upper and lower surfaces forming an airfoil shape in radial section at all points around its circumference;
an axle shaft having a first, upper, end connected to the annulus by a plurality of radially extending struts and a second, lower, end formed for rotatable engagement by mounting means on an aircraft fuselage and for driven connection to a power plant;
the wing being rotatable in its plane to drive air adjacent to the wing centrifugally across its upper and lower surfaces from an inner periphery to an outer edge to energize the boundary layer, enhance laminar flow, and produce lifting force;
the wing being free of any obstructions to the flow of air at any point around its outer periphery;
a plurality of upstanding vanes mounted on the radially inner portion of the wing and spaced substantially equally around the inner periphery;
the vanes extending vertically to engage the air adjacent to the wing and increase the rate of flow over the wing to enhance the lifting force;
and
an airfoil blade attached to the inner end of each vane radially inward of the inner periphery of the wing and set at a positive angle of attack in the direction of rotation of the wing to produce direct lift.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.