# US 4,398,687 A · Thrust deflector and force augmentor

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- Number: US 4,398,687 A
- Document ID: US4398687A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/238,264
- Filed: 1981-02-25
- Granted: 1983-08-16
- Earliest claimed: 1981-02-25
- Assignees: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
- Inventors: James H. Nichols, Jr.; Roger J. Furey; Robert J. Englar; David G. Lee
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4398687A

## CPC

- B64C 9/24: by single flap
- B64C 9/38: Jet flaps
- B64C 2230/04: by actively generating fluid flow
- B64C 2230/06: by explicitly adjusting fluid flow, e.g. by using valves, variable aperture or slot areas, variable pump action or variable fluid pressure
- B64C 2230/16: by blowing other fluids over the surface than air, e.g. He, H, O2 or exhaust gases
- Y02T 50/10: Drag reduction
- Y02T 50/30: Wing lift efficiency
- B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A non-moving fluid thrust deflector and force augmentor is disclosed for aerodynamic and hydrodynamic vehicles and devices. When the deflector is utilized in an aerodynamic application and in conjunction with a thrust producer and a plenum, upon pressure initiation within the plenum, a jet sheet issues and remains attached to a specially designed wing having a rounded trailing edge by balancing reduced static pressure with centrifugal force, and thus provides a controlled resultant force or thrust in some direction other than that corresponding to the original flow. Upon application to hydrodynamic vehicles, the deflector is placed in the propulsor stream and provides turning or pitching forces to the vehicle without any deflection of itself. These applications require no mechanical moving components to deflect or augment the thrust or force, and thus yield considerable reductions in weight and complexity.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A thrust deflection, thrust reversal, and force augmentation device for an aircraft capable of short takeoff and landing and vertical takeoff and landing, comprising:
an aircraft wing;
a thrust engine mounted on said wing with the exhaust from said engine traveling over the upper surface of said wing;
a plenum inside said wing having an inlet connected to a source of gas pressure and an outlet in the trailing edge of said wing;
said outlet being formed as a slot means between an upper portion and a lower portion:
said upper portion being a part of the upper surface of said wing and having a reduced thickness near the rear edge;
said lower portion forming the rear wall of the plenum, the lower edge of the slot and the rear edge of said wing, said lower portion being circular in cross section and having a constant radius of between 0.5% and 20% of the chord length of said wing;
said slot means having a smoothly converging nozzle with the portion of said nozzle having the minimum height being at the rear edge of said upper portion, said slot means having a height of between 0.8% and 10% of said radius;
wherein gas from said source of gas pressure is controlled to travel through said plenum, escape through said converging nozzle and slot means and travel along the rear edge of said wing so as to cause said exhaust to be selectively deflected at an angle between 90.degree. and 165.degree. with the deflected exhaust retaining a substantial portion of the original thrust at angles of between 90.degree. and 165.degree., so that the deflected exhaust acts substantially to slow down and lift the aircraft, allowing a short takeoff and landing capability for deflections near 90.degree. and a vertical takeoff and landing capability for deflections greater than 90.degree..

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The thrust deflector and force augmentor in claim 1 further comprising an internal valve to control the flow rate through said slot means and thus control the exhaust deflection angle.