VTOL propulsion for aircraft
OwnerD. Anthony Windischinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aircraft, such as a radio controlled aircraft, capable of vertical take-off and landing. The aircraft has a compressor in a fuselage that contains an interconnected first and second fans driven by a motor. An intake provides air to the first fan, while a bypass duct directs airflow to the second fan. Air flow from the first fan to the second fan is controlled by a valve, which is operated in tandem with doors in the bypass duct. Nozzles direct air flow out of the compressor in a selected one of a vertical or non-vertical direction for conventional flight or for hover. Hover tubes are provided to adjust the aircraft in pitch, yaw and roll. The hover tubes operate simultaneously with conventional flight controls.
Claims21
An aircraft comprising:
- a fuselage defining a first wing, a second wing, and a tail section;
- a compressor in said fuselage, said compressor defining an intake opening:
- a first fan and a second fan in said compressor;
- a drive shaft interconnecting said first fan and said second fan;
- a motor for rotating said drive shaft;
- a transmission in communication with said motor and said drive shaft for gearing up an output of said motor;
- a bypass duct for directing airflow to a location in front of said second fan;
- a plurality of nozzles for directing air flow out of said compressor in a selected one of a vertical or non-vertical direction;
- hover tubes extending from said compressor to adjust the aircraft in pitch, yaw and roll;
- wherein said compressor has a first chamber and a second chamber;
- said first fan is in said first chamber;
- said second fan in said second chamber;
- said first chamber and said second chamber interconnected via a selectively openable valve that remains open to regulate air flow from said first fan to said second fan;
- and
- said valve comprises an outer casing defining openings,
- an inner rotating member contained within said outer casing, said inner rotating member defining openings;
- wherein said inner rotating member may be selectively rotated to align said outer casing openings and said inner rotating member openings.
A method of flying an aircraft comprising:
- rotating a drive shaft connected to a first fan and a second fan with a motor;
- gearing up an output of said motor with a transmission in communication with said motor and said drive shaft;
- drawing air through an intake with the first fan:
- drawing air through a bypass duct with the second fan;
- delivering air into a plurality of nozzles;
- selectively rotating said nozzles for directing air flow in a selected one of a vertical or non-vertical direction;
- delivering air into hover tubes for adjusting an orientation of said aircraft;
- controlling airflow from said first fan to said second fan with a selectively openable valve that remains open to regulate air flow from said first fan to said second fan;
- and
- wherein said selectively openable valve is a cone valve.
An aircraft comprising:
- a fuselage defining a first wing, a second wing, and a tail section;
- a compressor in said fuselage, said compressor defining an intake opening;
- a first fan and a second fan in said compressor;
- a drive shaft interconnecting said first fan and said second fan;
- a motor for rotating said drive shaft;
- a transmission in communication with said motor and said drive shaft for gearing up an output of said motor;
- a bypass duct for directing airflow to a location in front of said second fan;
- a plurality of nozzles for directing air flow out of said compressor in a selected one of a vertical or non-vertical direction;
- hover tubes extending from said compressor to adjust the aircraft in pitch, yaw and roll;
- wherein
- said compressor has a first chamber and a second chamber;
- said first fan is in said first chamber;
- said second fan in said second chamber;
- said first chamber and said second chamber interconnected via a selectively openable valve that remains open to regulate air flow from said first fan to said second fan;
- and
- said second fan continuously receives said at least a portion of airflow through a cone valve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.