초록 ▼

An aircraft is constructed of an airfoil shaped inflated involucrum of lightweight gas-impervious plastic film. The airfoil is maneuverable to attain forward self-propulsion upon ascent as well as descent. The gases contained in the involucrum are heated by solar radiation to reduce craft density wi

An aircraft is constructed of an airfoil shaped inflated involucrum of lightweight gas-impervious plastic film. The airfoil is maneuverable to attain forward self-propulsion upon ascent as well as descent. The gases contained in the involucrum are heated by solar radiation to reduce craft density with the upper surface of the airfoil being translucent and the lower surface of the airfoil interior mirrored for concentration of the radiant energy upon an interior cylindrical black spar. A honeycomb reradiation barrier is provided beneath the translucent surface. In one embodiment a large volume involucrum is changeable in camber to maximize forward propulsion. The craft may be utilized to suspend a large fog broom for the purpose of condensation of water vapor. In a further embodiment a manpowered inflatable craft is formed with a flexible longitudinal medial fold which separates the airfoil into wing segments. Each segment includes a passive trailing zone. When the wing segments are oscillated about the medial fold, the craft is propelled by ciliary thrust.

대표청구항 ▼

An inflated wing aircraft comprising an elongate airfoil shaped involucrum, the involucrum having a rounded leading edge, a substantially tapered tail, an upper surface and an undersurface extending between the leading edge and the tail, the upper surface including means for permitting solar radiati

An inflated wing aircraft comprising an elongate airfoil shaped involucrum, the involucrum having a rounded leading edge, a substantially tapered tail, an upper surface and an undersurface extending between the leading edge and the tail, the upper surface including means for permitting solar radiation to enter the involucrum, means within the involucrum for retarding heat loss through the upper surface, radiated solar energy entering the involucrum and heating gases contained therein, expanding such gases and thereby increasing the buoyancy of the craft, the involucrum further including an elongate cylindrical spar, means for concentrating the solar radiation on the spar, and means for maneuvering the craft to obtain forward propulsion upon both ascent and descent. A man powered inflated aircraft for propelling an operator in the absence of external motive power, the craft comprising an elongate involucrum, the involucrum including a pair of opposed wing segments, each of the wing segments having a rounded leading edge and a tapered tail, means providing a central longitudinal flex axis between the wing segments, means for carrying an operator adjacent the wing segments, control means interconnecting the operator with the wing segments for oscillating the wing segments about the flex axis at a period of oscillation, the control means comprising means interconnecting an upper body extremity of the operator with the wing segments adjacent the longitudinal flex axis and means interconnecting a lower body extremity of the operator with the wing segments spaced outwardly from the upper extremity interconnecting means, each of the wing segments including means forming a lateral flex zone, the tail of each wing segment flexing with respect to the remainder of each wing segment to provide ciliary forward thrust to the craft when the wing segments are oscillated.