Back to results
US 5,372,337 AGranted
Unmanned aerial aircraft having a single engine with dual jet exhausts
OwnerRobert W. Kress, Joseph W. Stumpinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An unmanned aerial vehicle incorporates a single engine with bifurcated exhausts which are coupled to side mounted rotating nozzles through a swivel joint. Jet deflection means are mounted to the end of the rotating nozzles to achieve additional degrees of freedom for the aircraft.
Claims6
In an aircraft, an improved thrust system comprising:
- a single engine located forwardly of the aircraft's center of gravity, at a forwardly, upwardly acute angle to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft, and enclosed within a fuselage and having bifurcated exhausts;
- first conduit means for directing respective exhaust flows in a first direction transverse of the engine, the flows equaling an entire exhaust output of the engine;
- first and second nozzles rotatably mounted to ends of corresponding first conduit means for movement in mutually parallel planes separated by a center line of the aircraft, and which redirect exhaust flows in directions perpendicular to the first conduit means, at individually adjusted angles;
- wherein thrust from the engine can be individually vectored by the nozzles to achieve several degrees of freedom primarily during take off and landing.
1 more element
In an unmanned aircraft, an improved thrust system comprising:
- a single engine located forwardly of the aircraft's center of gravity, at a forwardly, upwardly acute angle to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft, and enclosed within a fuselage and having bifurcated exhausts;
- first conduit means for directing respective exhaust flows in a first direction transverse of the engine, the flows equaling an entire exhaust output of the engine;
- first and second nozzles rotatably mounted to ends of corresponding first conduit means for movement in mutually parallel planes separated by a center line of the aircraft, and which redirect exhaust flows in directions perpendicular to the first conduit means, at individually adjusted angles;
- and means connected to the ends of the first and second nozzles for deflecting exhaust flowing therethrough and individually vectoring engine thrust to achieve several degrees of freedom primarily during take off and landing.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.