Ornithopter with flexible fuselage
OwnerRichard Charroninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ornithopter has the capability of slow speed flight as a result of vertical movement of its wings. Two sets of wings are provided with vertical movement of each set of wings 180 degrees out of phase for counterbalancing vertical forces on the fuselage. The direction of the flight path is changed by deflecting the fuselage.
Claims18
An ornithopter for controlled flight by flapping wings comprising a forward fuselage with diametrically opposed movable wings, each of said wings having a spar, a root and a tip, said spar extending from said root to said tip, said spar pivotally attached to said forward fuselage, and an elongated aft fuselage connected at one end to said forward fuselage between said wings, a power source mounted on said forward fuselage and connected to said movable wings, said power source including a power beam pivotably connected to said forward fuselage intermediate its ends, said ends of said power beam reciprocating as said power beam pivots, at least one end of said beam linked to said spar of each of said wings whereby reciprocation of said ends of said power beam results in flapping of said wings.
An ornithopter for controlled flight by flapping wings comprising a forward fuselage with diametrically opposed movable wings, said wings each having a root and a tip, a power source mounted on said forward fuselage and connected to said movable wings, and an elongated aft fuselage connected at one end to said forward fuselage between said wings, said power source including a power beam pivotably connected to said forward fuselage intermediate its ends, said ends of said power beam reciprocating as said power beam pivots, at least one end of said beam linked to said root of each of said wings whereby reciprocation of said ends of said power beam results in flapping of said wings, each of said wings having a spar extending from said root to said tip, a batten attached to said spar near said root, and a wing panel, said wing panel having a leading edge attached to said spar, a foot attached to said batten and a trailing edge extending from said foot to said tip, said wing panel having an angle of attack relative to said location of said batten about the circumference of said spar and a twist relative to the disposition of said wing panel and said spar, said wing panel constructed of a flexible material, a down haul attached to said foot of said wing panel and said spar near said root, said down haul adapted to add tension to said flexible material thereby adjusting said twist relative to said spar, further comprising a vang attached to said spar near said root and to said boom, said boom vang adapted to change the angle between said boom and said spar thereby adjusting the twist of said wing panel.
An ornithopter for controlled flight by flapping wings comprising a fuselage having a longitudinal axis with a rigid portion and a flexible portion, diametrically opposed wings pivotally mounted on said rigid portion of said fuselage for reciprocation normal to said longitudinal axis, a flight control system connected to said rigid portion of said fuselage and said flexible portion of said fuselage having control elements extending along the longitudinal axis of said flexible portion of said fuselage whereby operation of said flight control system deflects said flexible fuselage portion laterally to change heading.
An ornithopter for controlled flight by flapping wings comprising a fuselage having a longitudinal axis, diametrically opposed wings pivotally mounted on said fuselage for reciprocation normal to said longitudinal axis, said wings having a wing surface with a leading edge movably connected to a spar and a trailing edge, an adjustable down haul connected to said leading edge and said spar whereby adjusting said down haul changes said wing surface angle of attack and twist.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.