초록 ▼

A flight vehicle comprises a vehicle body with a duct having a longitudinal axis extending through the body, and a fan for inducing a flow of ambient air through the duct from an inlet end to an outlet end to provide a thrust acting along the axis of the duct. A system of control is provided for var

A flight vehicle comprises a vehicle body with a duct having a longitudinal axis extending through the body, and a fan for inducing a flow of ambient air through the duct from an inlet end to an outlet end to provide a thrust acting along the axis of the duct. A system of control is provided for varying the attitude of the vehicle without re-directing or substantially re-directing the thrust whereby the vehicle is capable of controlled flight from a take-off mode in which the axis of the duct is vertical or substantially vertical, to a forward flight mode in which the axis of the duct is inclined to the vertical. A pair of wings are provided on the outer surface of the body, the wings being on opposite sides of the body and having no or substantially no dihedral.

대표청구항 ▼

A flight vehicle comprising a duct of aerofoil cross-section which provides lift with the vehicle in a forward flight mode; flow induction means for inducing a flow of ambient air through the duct to provide a thrust greater than the weight of the vehicle, which thrust acts along the axis of the duc

A flight vehicle comprising a duct of aerofoil cross-section which provides lift with the vehicle in a forward flight mode; flow induction means for inducing a flow of ambient air through the duct to provide a thrust greater than the weight of the vehicle, which thrust acts along the axis of the duct to enable the vehicle to take-off with the axis of the duct vertical; and means for controlling the attitude of said vehicle, said control means including adjustable control surfaces located in the flow of ambient air induced by the flow induction means to counteract moments produced on the vehicle by forward flight without substantial re-direction of the thrust by the control surfaces, and wings mounted on opposite sides of the outer surface of the duct and having trailing ends extending beyond the outlet end of the duct, the wings extending into the air stream around the outer surface of the duct in at least one plane generally parallel to the duct axis to modify the air flow around the outer surface of the duct to reduce pitching moments on the vehicle at high angles of incidence of the vehicle whereby the counteracting moments required from the control surfaces to overcome said pitching moments is reduced and the vehicle remains stable at such high angles of incidence, said wings also providing lift at low angles of incidence.