VTOL Aircraft

#Various forms of aircraft capable of both horizontal and vertical movement heretofore have been provided and some of these aircraft also include the capacity to hover. However, most of these previously known forms of aircraft utilize design concepts and flight and maneuvering controls which are highly complex, expensive and require considerable maintenance. Accordingly, a need exists for an aircraft which is capable of both horizontal and vertical flight and also hovering and yet which will be of simple design and include easily controllable and non-complex flight controlling structures.

#Examples of various previously known forms of aircraft including some of the general structural and operational features of the instant invention are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,868,476, 2,952,422, 2,961,189, 3,049,320, 3,350,035, 3,356,315 and 3,456,902.

#The aircraft of the instant invention includes a central fuselage having opposite side and front and rear portions with the opposite side portions supporting horizontally elongated support structures therefrom. The front and rear ends of the support structures extend forward and rearward of the fuselage and mount a pair of front and rear tubular wings therebetween for oscillation about axes extending between corresponding ends of the support structures and disposed generally on diametric planes of the tubular wings. Control structure is connected between the tubular wings and the support structures for simultaneously and equally angularly adjusting the tubular wings relative to the support structures between upright positions with the inlet ends of the tubular wings opening upwardly and horizontal positions with the inlet ends of the tubular wings opening forwardly. Motor driven propellers are journalled within the wings for intaking air through the inlet ends thereof and discharging air from the discharge ends thereof. Either the fuselage, support structures or outlet ends of the tubular wings may include landing gear structures for support of the aircraft from the ground and the propellers mounted in the tubular wings may be of the adjustable pitch type. In addition, when the tubular wings are in their upright positions the propellers are disposed in planes spaced appreciably above the center of gravity of the aircraft for stability of flight when the aircraft is rising vertically or hovering.

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the instant invention;

#FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating the aircraft in several different positions and the manner in which substantially vertical landings and take-offs may be accomplished subsequent and prior to horizontal flight;

#FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the aircraft in its horizontal flight mode;

#Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the aircraft of the instant invention. The aircraft 10 includes a central fuselage referred to in general by the reference numeral 12 and the fuselage includes front-to-rear extending horizontal opposite side support structures 14 and 16 supported therefrom. The front and rear ends of the support structures 14 and 16 project forwardly and rearwardly of the fuselage 12 and front and rear tubular wings 18 and 20 are oscillatably supported between the front and rear ends of the support structures 14 and 16 for angular displacement about axes extending generally along diametric planes of the tubular wings.

#The tubular wings 18 and 20 each include inlet and outlet ends 22 and 24 and the outlet ends of the tubular wings include opposite side axially outwardly projecting landing gear struts 26 having landing wheels 28 journalled from their free ends. In addition, a motor housing 30 is centrally supported in each tubular wing 18 and 20 through the utilization of three substantially equally angularly displaced struts 32, 34 and 36. The struts 32 and 34 include movable combined elevators and ailerons 38 and 40 and each strut 36 includes a movable rudder 42. In addition, each motor housing 30 encloses a suitable motor equipped with a rotary output shaft on which a propeller assembly 43 is mounted forward of the respective struts 32, 34 and 36.

#Diametrically opposite portions of each of the tubular wings 18 and 20 include diametrically opposite outwardly projecting stub axle portions 44 journalled from the corresponding ends of the support structures 14 and 16 and each of the stub axle portions 44 includes an outer worm wheel 46 formed thereon. Each of the support structures 14 and 16 rotatably journals a pair of front and rear aligned control shafts 48 and 50 and the remote ends of the control shafts 48 and 50 have worm gears 52 and 54 mounted thereon and meshed with the corresponding worm wheels 46. The adjacent ends of the control shafts 48 and 50 include bevel gears 56 mounted thereon meshed with a reversible motor driven gear wheel 58. In addition, those stub axle portions 44 journalled from the opposite ends of the support structure 14 include inwardly extending tubular portions 60 which extend between the stub axle portions 44 and the associated motor housings 30. Suitable engine operating controls and propeller blade feathering controls may extend from the interior of the support structure 14 through the tubular portions 60 and into the motor housings 30. Of course, the left side of the fuselage 12 is in communication with the interior of the central portion of the support structure 14 and the various controls for operation of the motors and controlling the pitch of the blades of the propeller assemblies 43 may pass from the fuselage 12 into the interior of the support structure 14. Further, the reversible motors for driving the gears 58 may be controlled from the fuselage 12.