High speed compound rotary wing aircraft
AssigneeSikorsky Aircraft Corporation
InventorsMark W. Scott, Stephen M. Gatto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rotary wing aircraft includes an airfame and an extending tail extending from the airframe. A main rotor assembly is operably connected to the airframe and includes a plurality of rotor blades operably connected to a rotor shaft, and one or more active adaptive devices located at one or more rotor blades of the plurality of rotor blades. The one or more active adaptive devices are operably connected to an aircraft flight control system such that, when activated, the one or more active adaptive devices change one or more operational characteristics of the rotor assembly. A tail rotor is operably connected to the extending tail. The tail rotor is rotatable about a tail rotor axis and the tail rotor axis movable from laterally-extending to rearward-extending.
Claims24
A rotary wing aircraft comprising:
- an airframe;
- an extending tail extending from the airframe;
- a main rotor assembly operably connected to the airframe including:
- a plurality of rotor blades operably connected to a rotor shaft;
- and
- a spar air duct extending along one or more rotor blades of the plurality of rotor blades, the spar air duct having at least one inlet and at least one outlet, the at least one inlet disposed at a trailing edge of the rotor blade such that airflow is urged into the spar duct through the at least one inlet via rotation of the rotor blade about the rotor shaft, the spar air duct operably connected to an aircraft flight control system, the spar air duct including a valve located within the rotor blade to regulate airflow through the spar air duct such that, when the valve is activated, the airflow through the spar air duct changes one or more operational characteristics of the rotor assembly;
- and
- a tail rotor operably connected to the extending tail, the tail rotor rotatable about a tail rotor axis, the tail rotor axis movable from laterally-extending to rearward-extending.
A method of operating a rotary wing aircraft comprising:
- rotating a plurality of rotor blades of a main rotor assembly about a rotor shaft;
- selectively urging an airflow into a spar air duct extending along one or more rotor blades of the plurality of rotor blades via rotation of the one or more rotor blades about the rotor shaft, the spar air duct having at least one inlet and at least one outlet, the at least one inlet disposed at an edge of the one or more rotor blades, the spar air duct including a valve located within the rotor blade, the valve operably connected to an aircraft flight control system to regulate the airflow through the spar air duct;
- changing one or more operational characteristics of the rotor assembly via the activation of the spar air duct;
- and
- rotating a plurality of tail rotor blades of a tail rotor about a tail rotor axis, the tail rotor disposed at an extending tail of the rotary wing aircraft;
- and
- moving the tail rotor such that the tail rotor axis changes from laterally-extending to rearward-extending.
A rotary wing aircraft comprising:
- an airframe;
- an extending tail extending from the airframe;
- a main rotor assembly operably connected to the airframe including:
- a plurality of rotor blades operably connected to a rotor shaft;
- a spar air duct extending along one or more rotor blades of the plurality of rotor blades, the spar air duct having at least one inlet and at least one outlet, the inlet located at a trailing edge of the rotor blade such that an airflow is urged into the spar air duct through the inlet via rotation of the rotor blade about the rotor shaft, the spar air duct including one or more valves located within the rotor blade, the one or more valves operably connected to the aircraft flight control system to control the airflow through the at least one outlet such that the airflow through the spar air duct changes one or more operational characteristics of the rotor assembly;
- and
- at least one flap disposed at a trailing edge of at least one rotor blade of the plurality of rotor blades;
- and
- a tail rotor operably connected to the extending tail, the tail rotor rotatable about a tail rotor axis, the tail rotor axis movable from laterally-extending to rearward-extending.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.