초록 ▼

An aircraft having vertical takeoff and landing capability having at least first and second laterally extending paddle wheels rotatable on a central axis generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and between its nose and tail. Each of the paddle wheels has a plurality of blade

An aircraft having vertical takeoff and landing capability having at least first and second laterally extending paddle wheels rotatable on a central axis generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and between its nose and tail. Each of the paddle wheels has a plurality of blades pivoted by a system of linear actuators to a determined optimum blade pitch angle. One paddle wheel is positioned adjacent the port side of the aircraft and the other paddle wheel is positioned adjacent the starboard side. The pilot is able to operate the aircraft in all regimes of flight by differentially adjusting the pivot angle of each of the blades. In one embodiment utilizing only a pair of paddle wheels, differential operation of the blades provides lift, thrust, roll, and yaw control of the aircraft, while an aircraft pitch control rotor rotatable about a vertical axis distant from the paddle wheels is provided for controlling pitch of the aircraft. In another embodiment of the invention, the aircraft is provided with both forward and aft pairs of paddle wheels such that differential operation of the blades of the forward and aft paddle wheels provides pitch control of the aircraft without need of a separate pitch control rotor, while also providing lift, thrust, roll, and yaw control.

대표청구항 ▼

An aircraft having vertical takeoff and landing capabilities, comprising: a fuselage having a nose and a tail, a longitudinal axis extending therebetween, and port and starboard sides; first and second paddle wheels rotatably coupled to the fuselage for rotation about a first common axis perpendicul

An aircraft having vertical takeoff and landing capabilities, comprising: a fuselage having a nose and a tail, a longitudinal axis extending therebetween, and port and starboard sides; first and second paddle wheels rotatably coupled to the fuselage for rotation about a first common axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis between the nose and the tail, the first paddle wheel extending laterally away from the port side, the second paddle wheel extending laterally away from the starboard side, each paddle wheel having an axle aligned with a central axis of the paddle wheel and rotatably coupled to the fuselage, first and second laterally spaced hubs fixed to the axle for rotation therewith, a plurality of spokes integral with each hub for rotation therewith, each spoke extending radially away from the axle to a tip end, a plurality of airfoil-shaped blades pivotably attached to the spoke tip ends, each blade being pivotably attached to an associated spoke integral with the first hub and to an associated spoke integral with the second hub for rotation about a lateral axis of the blade, the associated spokes having similar equi-distant radial positions in the plane of the hub, and, a plurality of variable-stroke piston and cylinder actuators integral to each hub for rotation therewith, each actuator having a pitch control rod extending between and pivotably connecting the actuator and an associated on of the plurality of blades, a variable stroke of the actuator pivoting the associated blade in response to a cyclic steering command; and, control means coupled to each actuator for determining an aerodynamically optimum airfoil pitch angle for each blade at each peripheral position of the blade relative to the central axis for a selected flight condition, and for providing the cyclic steering command to each variable-stroke piston and cylinder actuator to pivot the associated blade to the determined airfoil pitch angle, the control means being responsive to an input command from a pilot and to an input signal from an airspeed sensor, the pivoted blades providing a cyclic pitch of each paddle wheel required for the selected flight condition.