초록 ▼

A tilt-rotor aircraft capable of vertical/short take-off and landing. The aircraft utilizes a co-axial counter rotating rotor system to provide vertical and horizontal thrust. The fuselage is positioned over the forward half of the rotor in the vertical take-off configuration and the rotors rotate n

A tilt-rotor aircraft capable of vertical/short take-off and landing. The aircraft utilizes a co-axial counter rotating rotor system to provide vertical and horizontal thrust. The fuselage is positioned over the forward half of the rotor in the vertical take-off configuration and the rotors rotate ninety degrees to provide horizontal thrust in the forward flight mode. The aircraft uses conventional flight control surfaces during forward flight and uses cyclic rotor pitch control or a series of control surfaces located in the rotor wash to control the aircraft during vertical flight. One or more engines powering the rotor system provide thrust for the aircraft. The engine(s) can be located in the fuselage or in the wings. The aircraft uses lifting airfoils during forward flight which can include a wing/tail or a canard/wing configuration and uses a conventional tail for directional stability and control. The rotor transmission allows one rotor to be braked thus increasing the rotation speed of the other rotor during forward flight.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A vertical/short take-off and landing air vehicle capable of producing high speed horizontal flight comprising:a) a fuselage; b) a lifting surface comprising at least one wing, said wing with a substantially U shape opening forming substantially two laterally disposed wing halves, where an open e

1. A vertical/short take-off and landing air vehicle capable of producing high speed horizontal flight comprising:a) a fuselage; b) a lifting surface comprising at least one wing, said wing with a substantially U shape opening forming substantially two laterally disposed wing halves, where an open end of said U shape opening is positioned at a trailing edge of said wing; c) an articulated rotor system attached between said laterally disposed wing halves in said U shape opening comprising: a set of coaxial counter-rotating rotors; interconnected by a transmission; d) a power source operably connected to said rotor system through said transmission; wherein said rotor system is positional in a substantially vertical position to provide sufficient direct vertical thrust for vertical take-off and landing and is directable to other positions to provide a varying spectrum of take-off and landing configurations as well as a substantially horizontal position for high speed horizontal flight; said fuselage being substantially disposed over a front half of said rotor system when said rotor system is in said vertical position, and disposed in front of said rotor system when said rotor system is in said horizontal position.