Amphibious aircraft with aerodynamic/hydrodynamic sponsons
OwnerG. Leonard Gioiainventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hydrodynamic/aerodynamic amphibious aircraft (1) has a fuselage (10) with sponsons (100) extending outwardly and downwardly on either side of the underbelly (5) to define an inverted channel (15) having a substantially constant cross section. Each sponson has a forward portion (110) fixed to the fuselage and a movable aft portion (120). The aft portion tapers smoothly to a trailing edge (122). When the aft portion is in the flight position the forward and aft portions form a smooth low-drag symmetrical airfoil aerodynamic shape. When the aft portion is raised a hydrodynamic step (112) is left on a lower surface of the forward portion, which turns each of the forward portions into a planing hull.
Claims22
A sponson (100) for an aircraft fuselage (10), the sponson comprising:
- a forward portion (110) of the sponson fixed relative to the fuselage, said forward portion having a fixed shape;
- and
- an aft portion (120) of the sponson, said aft portion having a fixed shape and being movable between
- a flight position, wherein the forward portion and the aft portion form a single aerodynamic shape and the aft portion tapers smoothly to a sponson trailing edge (122), and
- a planing position, wherein the aft portion is raised to leave a hydrodynamic step (112) on a lower surface of the forward portion;
- whereby the sponson is selectively aerodynamically efficient for flight and hydrodynamically efficient for planing.
A hydrodynamic/aerodynamic convertible aircraft fuselage (10) of the type including a fuselage underbelly (5) and sponsons (100) extending outwardly and downwardly on either side of the underbelly to define an inverted channel (15) having a substantially constant cross section;
- the improvement wherein:
- a forward portion (110) of each sponson is fixed relative to the fuselage;
- and
- an aft portion (120) of each sponson is movable between
- a flight position, wherein the forward portion and the aft portion form a single aerodynamic shape and the aft portion tapers smoothly to a sponson trailing edge (122), and
- a planing position, wherein the aft portion is raised to leave a hydrodynamic step (112) on a lower surface of the forward portion;
- whereby the fuselage is selectively aerodynamically efficient for flight and hydrodynamically efficient for planing.
A sponson (100) for an aircraft fuselage (10), the sponson comprising:
- a forward portion (110) of the sponson fixed relative to the fuselage;
- an aft portion (120) of the sponson;
- and
- a mechanism coupled to said aft portion for moving said aft portion vertically as a unit between
- a flight position, wherein the forward portion and the aft portion form a single aerodynamic shape and the aft portion tapers smoothly to a sponson trailing edge (122), and
- a planing position, wherein the aft portion is raised to leave a hydrodynamic step (112) on a lower surface of the forward portion;
- whereby the sponson is selectively aerodynamically efficient for flight and hydrodynamically efficient for planing.
A hydrodynamic/aerodynamic convertible aircraft fuselage (10) of the type including a fuselage underbelly (5) and sponsons (100) extending outwardly and downwardly on either side of the underbelly to define an inverted channel (15) having a substantially constant cross section;
- the improvement wherein:
- a forward portion (110) of each sponson is fixed relative to the fuselage;
- and
- an aft portion (120) of each sponson is movable vertically as a unit between
- a flight position, wherein the forward portion and the aft portion form a single aerodynamic shape and the aft portion tapers smoothly to a sponson trailing edge (122), and
- a planing position, wherein the aft portion is raised to leave a hydrodynamic step (112) on a lower surface of the forward portion;
- whereby the fuselage is selectively aerodynamically efficient for flight and hydrodynamically efficient for planing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.