US 4,730,795 A · Heliplane

Abstract

The basic characteristics of an airplane and of a helicopter are combined into one flying craft: a HELIPLANE. This aircraft can fly forward like an airplane and hover like a helicopter. In the hovering mode, the craft lifting force is generated by gyrating blades and the craft control forces and moments are provided by a tail end propeller. In the forward flying mode, the craft lifting forces are generated by two wings and the gyrating blades. The propeller alone provides the forward propulsive thrust. The operations of the gyrating blades, of the craft control surfaces and of the power plant are all integrated, monitored and controlled to coordinate such operations during hovering, forward flight and any transition phase between hovering and forward flight. The gyrating blades never generate any forward propulsive thrust. The cyclic pitch motion of the gyrating blades needed to accommodate the craft forward flight velocity is induced by this forward velocity. Opposite gyrating blades are free to rotate around their longitudinal axes of rotation, but are solidly and rigidly connected to each other, so that both blades in any pair are always forced to rotate together by the same amount and in the same direction. The collective pitch of the gyrating blades is adjustable to meet the requirements of altitiude, craft weight and rate of ascent changes which affect the upward lifting force needed. The complex dynamic behavioral response of helicopters to cyclic pitch variations, and the consequences thereof, are eliminated in the present invention. All control and actuating means of the gyrating blades are well protected and shielded from environmental hazards.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An aircraft comprising:

an elongate fuselage;
a pair of wings extending from either side of an intermediate portion of the fuselage;
a plurality of movable control surfaces extending from a rear portion of the fuselage;
a pair of rotors each having two opposite blades, the blades of each rotor mounted for limited rotation about a common substantially horizontal pitch axis to vary the pitch thereof;
means for mounting the rotors onto an upper portion of the fuselage for rotation and at a fixed angular position relative to and about a common substantially vertical axis;
a motor mounted in the fuselage for driving said rotors;
means mounted on the fuselage for providing a forward thrust;
pilot control means for selectively varying the collective pitch of the blades of the rotors for producing a lift force on the aircraft;
and
means for mounting and coupling oppositely mounted blades for maintaining axial alignment and for rotation together and for limited free rotation about the horizontal pitch axis in response to a set of aerodynamic torques applied thereon and for continuous balancing of said torques, resulting in self-adjusting cyclic pitch of said blades during rotation of the rotors about their vertical axis in response solely to airstream forces acting thereupon and resulting from the aircraft forward speed.

7 more elements

A method of propelling an aircraft including an elongate fuselage, a pair of wings extending from either side of an intermediate portion of the fuselage, a plurality of movable control surfaces extending from a rear portion of the fuselage, a pair of rotors each having two opposite blades each mounted for limited rotation about a common substantially horizontal pitch axis to vary the pitch thereof, means for mounting the rotors onto an upper portion of the fuselage for rotation and at a fixed angular position relative to and about a common substantially vertical axis, a motor mounted in the fuselage for driving said rotors, means mounted on the fuselage for providing a forward thrust, pilot control means for selectively varying the collective pitch of the blades of the rotors for producing a lift force on the aircraft, and means for mounting and coupling oppositely mounted blades for maintaining axial alignment and for rotation together and for limited free rotation about the horizontal pitch axis in response to a set of aerodynamic torques applied thereon and for continuous balancing of said torques, which results in a self-adjusting cyclic pitch of said blades during rotation of the rotors about their vertical axes in response solely to airstream forces acting thereupon and resulting from the aircraft forward speed, said method comprising the steps of:

adjusting the collective pitch of the rotor blades for producing a substantially vertical upwardly directed thrust for lifting the aircraft during hovering flight;
adjusting the forward directed thrust produced by the means mounted on the fuselage for providing a forward thrust for forward aircraft flight;
and
enabling the cyclic pitch of the rotor blades to adjust continuously and automatically in response solely to the aircraft forward speed without need of pilot's control action;
whereby the aircraft pilot controls the aircraft speed solely by adjusting the means mounted on the fuselage for providing a forward thrust and the collective pitch of the rotor blades.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Heliplane

Life of this patent

Heliplane

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20