US 6,745,979 B1Granted

Spacecraft and aerospace plane having scissors wings

OwnerZhuo Cheninventor

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Abstract

A spacecraft such as a fly back booster or a reusable launch vehicle, or an aerospace plane has a fuselage and a set of scissors wings consisting of two main wings. Both of the main wings are rotatably mounted on the fuselage and can be yawed at opposite directions. If the spacecraft is launched vertically, both of its main wings can be yawed to be generally parallel with its fuselage so that it can connect with other vehicle or vehicles to form different launch configurations. When the spacecraft or aerospace plane is flying in the air, landing, or taking off horizontally, it can yaw both of its main wings in opposite directions to maximize its lift-to-drag ratio by optimizing the yaw angle of the main wings according to flying conditions. It can also produce desired aerodynamic characteristics such as forming a high drag configuration by adjusting the yaw angle of its main wings. The scissors wings can be used on a spacecraft that is launched vertically on the ground, or a spacecraft that is carried to the air and launched in the mid-air, or a spacecraft that takes off horizontally like an aircraft or glider. The scissors wings can also be used on an aerospace plane.

Claims1

Dependent claims

An aerospace apparatus for providing thrust to power a transportation system to fly in an air environment toward orbit, or for flying from an air environment to orbit, said aerospace apparatus comprising:

(a) a fuselage, and
(b) two wing means for generating aerodynamic lift, and
(c) each of said two wing means having a left-side wing and a right-side wing, and
(d) at least one pivot means for rotatable installing said two wing means on said fuselage, and
(e) at least one yawing means for yawing said two wing means about said pivot means in opposite directions, and
(f). within the yawing range of said two wing means, said yawing means being able to yaw and set said two wing means to their most stretched position where the wingtips of said two wing means having a first distance away from said fuselage, and
(g). within the yawing range of said two wing means, said yawing means also being able to yaw and set said two wing means to their closed position where the wingtips of said two wing means having a second distance away from said fuselage, and
(h). within the yawing range of said two wing means, said yawing means also being able to yaw and set said two wing means to positions where the distance from the wingtips of said two wing means to said fuselage being larger than said second distance and smaller than said first distance.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.