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US 4,928,907 AGranted
Compound helicopter with no tail rotor
AssigneeY & B Investment Corporation
InventorDaniel R. Zuck
Life of this patent
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AssigneeY & B Investment Corporation
InventorDaniel R. Zuck
Estimating the term…
This helicopter invention uniquely has no anti-torque tail rotor. The tail propeller is used only for forward thrust during the airplane mode of flight and during the transition from vertical helicopter flight to forward airplane mode of flight, when the helicopter rotor may be feathered in a no-lift attitude. The anti-torque balancing forces during the hovering mode are developed by the differentially controlled aileron forces when the wings are aligned vertically with the vertically downward airflow from the helicopter rotor. There is also a vertically moveable horizontal airfoil on the tail cone, or tail boom, with controllable means which can provide anti-torque reaction forces during the helicopter hovering mode from the lifting rotor down flow air. An angular moveable tail fin assembly and rudder are provided to improve transition from VTOL hovering flight to horizontal airplane flight. Means are provided to electronically schedule transition from the VTOL to horizontal cruise flight sensed by the wing attitude which can control the angular attitude of the fin and rudder in a completely computerized automatic transition to and from VTOL and airplane flight mode.
In combination a compound helicopter with lifting rotor for flight comprising horizontally supported wings, left and right, on a horizontal axle means free to rotate with the direction of airflow, the said left and right wings fixedly secured to the said axle, a fuselage between the said wings to support the wings, bearing means associated with the fuselage and wing axle means for free rotation of the wings with respect to the said fuselage, the wings having counter balancing weight means to statically balance the wings about the axle axis of rotation, moveable aerodynamic control tab means on the trailing edges of the wings to vary and to control the wing angle attitude relative to the airflow direction over the wings, outboard ailerons on said wings to vary differentially the lift forces of the outer wing tips.
In combination a compound helicopter with lifting rotor for flight comprising horizontally spanwise supported wings, left and right, hingedly supported on a horizontal pivot for free rotation with the direction of airflow over the wings, a fuselage to support the said wings, the said wings fixedly interconnected by direct mechanical means one to the other so that an angular direction of rotation on the said horizontal pivot of the one wing instantly and fixedly transfers to the other wing a similar angular direction of rotation, the wings having a counter weight means to statically balance the said wings about the said horizontal pivot, moveable aerodynamic control tab means to provide aerodynamic pitching moments to control the wings with respect to the direction of the airflow, outboard ailerons on the said wings to vary the lift forces of the outer wing tips differentially.
In combination a compound helicopter for vertical and hovering flight and high speed horizontal flight as an airplane said combination comprising a helicopter lifting rotor, a fuselage body, horizontal wings in the airflow over the wings on a horizontal axle, for free rotation with the direction of airflow, bearings associated with the fuselage and said wing's axle supporting the wings, the wings having hingedly supported aerodynamic tab means to provide pitching moments within the airflow over the wings, for lifting control, the wings secured fixedly to each other to respond instantly to each other in angular rotation, ailerons attached to the outboard wing tips to provide differential lift forces for the wings to control the direction of flight and rotor lifting torque during hovering and for roll control during airplane horizontal flight, pilot's rudder controls to control the ailerons in hovering mode for directional control, and pilot's aileron roll controls for horizontal airplane flight, sensing means comprising the wing and an associated switch to transition the pilot's control of the wing ailerons from rudder control to aileron roll control, the pilot's control transitioning means comprising motor actuated linkages shifting the ailerons in hovering mode from pilot's rudder pedal control to pilot's aileron roll control when the wings are horizontal in airplane flight, tail boom support means, horizontal and vertical tail surfaces, a pusher propeller for thrust means, means in the said lifting rotor hub comprising rotor blades hingedly supported in the hub with motor actuated means to rotate the rotor blades into feathered airfoil vertical position for stipped rotor during airplane flight.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.