대표
청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A wing in ground effect vehicle having a fuselage, a wing structure with opposing wing tip portions and a pair of supercavitating endplates, each of said supercavitating endplates extending downwardly from a respective one of said wing tip portions below said fuselage and said wing structure for immersion in water during overwater flight of the vehicle, each said endplate comprising: a proximal root; a distal tip; a forward portion including a nose defining a leading edge of said endplate and terminating in a nose lateral edge on ...
What is claimed is: 1. A wing in ground effect vehicle having a fuselage, a wing structure with opposing wing tip portions and a pair of supercavitating endplates, each of said supercavitating endplates extending downwardly from a respective one of said wing tip portions below said fuselage and said wing structure for immersion in water during overwater flight of the vehicle, each said endplate comprising: a proximal root; a distal tip; a forward portion including a nose defining a leading edge of said endplate and terminating in a nose lateral edge on each lateral side of said endplate, said nose being adapted to generate a cavity extending rearwardly from each said nose lateral edge between a respective one of said lateral sides of said endplate and water passing over said endplate, in use, at a zero yaw condition at speeds up to and including a design cruise speed with said endplate immersed in water to a design immersion depth, said cavities forming a supercavity at said design cruise speed; an aft portion terminating in a trailing edge; and means supporting at least part of said forward portion of each said endplate laterally fixed with respect to a respective one of said wing tip portions and supporting said trailing edge of each said endplate laterally displaceable, with respect to a respective one of said wing tip portions, in response to water flowing over said endplate in use. 2. A wing in ground effect vehicle having a fuselage, a wing structure with opposing wing tip portions and a pair of supercavitating endplates, each of said supercavitating endplates extending downwardly from a respective one of said wing tip portions to below said fuselage and said wing structure for immersion in water during overwater flight of the vehicle, each said endplate comprising: a proximal root; a distal tip; a forward portion including a nose defining a leading edge of said endplate and terminating in a nose lateral edge on each lateral side of said endplate, said nose being adapted to generate a cavity extending rearwardly from each said nose lateral edge between a respective one of said lateral sides of said endplate and water passing over said endplate, in use, at a zero yaw condition at speeds up to and including a design cruise speed with said endplate immersed in water to a design immersion depth, said cavities forming a supercavity at said design cruise speed; and an aft portion terminating in a trailing edge, said nose of each said endplate being substantially flat and lying in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to a chord-wise direction of each said end plate. 3. The wing in ground effect vehicle according to claims 1 or 2 wherein each said endplate is pivotably mounted about a pivot axis, each said pivot axis extending in a span-wise direction of each said endplate, said forward portion of each said end plate being laterally fixed at said pivot axis. 4. The wing in ground effect vehicle of claim 3 further comprising means for actively controlling rotation of each said endplates about a respective one of said pivot axes. 5. The wing in ground effect vehicle according to claims 1 or 2 wherein said forward portion of each said endplate is fixed, and said aft portion of each said endplate is pivotally mounted about a pivot axis, each said pivot axis extending in a span-wise direction of said endplate. 6. The wing in ground effect vehicle of claim 3 wherein said pivot axis of each said endplate is located forward of a hydrodynamic center of pressure of said endplate at said design cruise speed with said endplate immersed in water to said design immersion depth. 7. The wing in ground effect vehicle of claim 5, wherein said pivot axis of each said endplate is located forward of a hydrodynamic center of pressure of said endplate at said design cruise speed with said endplate immersed in water to said design immersion depth. 8. The wing in ground effect vehicle of claim 3, wherein said pivot axis of each said endplate is located less than 0.25 times the chord length of said endplate aft of said leading edge at a span-wise position midway between said endplate root and tip. 9. The wing in ground effect vehicle of claim 5, wherein said pivot axis of each said endplate is located less than 0.25 times the chord length of said endplate aft of said leading edge at a span-wise position midway between said endplate root and tip. 10. The wing in ground effect vehicle according to claims 1 or 42 wherein said forward portion of each said endplate is fixed, and said aft portion of each said endplate is laterally flexible and is mounted to said forward portion. 11. The wing in ground effect vehicle of claim 10, wherein said aft portion of each said endplate extends forward of a hydrodynamic center of pressure of said endplate at said design cruise speed with said endplate immersed in water to said design immersion depth. 12. The wing in ground effect vehicle of claim 10, wherein said aft portion of each said endplate has a chord length of at least 0. 75 times the chord length of said end plate at a span-wise position midway between said end plate root and tip. 13. A wing in ground effect vehicle having a fuselage, a wing structure with opposing wing tip portions and a pair of supercavitating endplates, each of said supercavitating endplates extending downwardly from a respective one of said wing tip portions below said fuselage and said wing structure for immersion in water during overwater flight of the vehicle, each said endplate comprising: a proximal root; a distal tip; a forward portion including a nose defining a leading edge and adapted to generate a supercavity between each lateral side of said endplate and water passing over said endplate, in use, at a zero yaw condition at a design cruise speed with said endplate immersed in water to a design immersion depth; an aft portion terminating in a trailing edge; and a protrusion on each opposing side of said front portion, at a lower region thereof and aft of said nose, for engaging water passing outside of said supercavity, on the upstream side of said endplate when said endplate is yawed with respect to the water passing over said endplate and/or on both sides of said endplate when said endplate is immersed beyond said design immersion depth, each said protrusion extending in a span-wise direction and having a face configured to create a stabilizing moment upon engaging the water, said lower region having a length in said span-wise direction at least equal to said design immersion depth of said endplate. 14. A wing in ground effect vehicle having a wing structure with opposing wing tip portions and a pair of supercavitating endplates each extending downwardly from a respective one of said wing tip portions below said wing structure for immersion in water during overwater flight of the vehicle, each said endplate comprising: a proximal root; a distal tip; a forward portion including a nose defining a leading edge and adapted to generate a supercavity between each lateral side of said endplate and water passing over said endplate, in use, at a zero yaw condition at a design cruise speed with said endplate immersed in water to a design immersion depth; and an aft portion terminating in a trailing edge, said nose having an average width, over a lowermost 1200 mm of said nose, not greater than 0.006 times a chord length of said endplate from said nose to said tip, and an average depth, measured in a chordwise direction, of not greater than 0.83 times said nose average width. 15. The wing in ground effect vehicle of claim 14 wherein said nose of each said endplate is in the general form of a triangular prism extending in a spanwise direction. 16. The wing in ground effect vehicle as in any one of claims 1, 2, 13 and 14, wherein said forward portion of each said endplate tapers towards said nose. 17. The wing in ground effect vehicle as in any one of claims 1, 13 and 14, wherein said nose of each said endplate is substantially flat and lies in a plane substantially perpendicular to the chord-wise direction of said endplate. 18. The wing in ground effect vehicle of claim 2, wherein the width of said nose of each said endplate satisfies the following equation: wherein h=nose width, g=acceleration due to gravity, H=design immersion depth of said endplate, L=chord length of endplate, V=vehicle design speed. 19. The wing in ground effect vehicle of claim 17, wherein the width of said nose of each said endplate satisfies the following equation: wherein h=nose width, g=acceleration due to gravity, H=design immersion depth of said endplate, L=chord length of endplate, V=vehicle design speed. 20. The wing in ground effect vehicle as in any one of claims 1, 2, 13 and 14, wherein each said supercavity has a length less than 5 times said chord length at substantially all span-wise locations within 50% of said design immersion depth from said endplate tip. 21. The wing in ground effect vehicle as in any one of claims 1, 2 and 13 wherein over the lowermost 1200 mm of said nose, said nose has an average width not greater than 0.006 times said chord length and an average depth, measured in a chordwise direction, of not greater than 0.83 times said nose average width. 22. The wing in ground effect vehicle according to claims 1 or 2 wherein each said endplate is provided with at least one protrusion on each opposing side of said front portion of said endplate and at a lower region thereof, and aft of said nose, said at least one protrusion engaging water passing outside of said supercavity on the upstream side of said endplate when said endplate is yawed with respect to said water passing over said endplate and/or on both sides of said endplate when said endplate is immersed beyond said design immersion depth, each of said protrusions extending in a span-wise direction and having a face configured to create a stabilizing moment upon engaging said water, said lower region having a length in said span-wise direction at least equal to said design immersion depth of said endplate. 23. The wing in ground effect vehicle of claim 13 wherein each said protrusion is in the form of a flap configurable between a retraced position within said endplate and an extended position protruding beyond said endplate for engaging water passing outside of said cavity. 24. The wing in ground effect vehicle of claim 22 wherein each said protrusion is in the form of a flap configurable between a retracted position within said endplate and an extended position protruding beyond said endplate for engaging water passing outside of said cavity. 25. The wing in ground effect vehicle of claim 13 wherein each said protrusion is fixed. 26. The wing in ground effect vehicle of claim 22 wherein each said protrusion is fixed. 27. The wing in ground effect vehicle of claim 13, wherein each of said protrusions has a concave front surface facing said leading edge. 28. The wing in ground effect vehicle of claim 22, wherein each of said protrusions has a concave front surface facing said leading edge. 29. The wing in ground effect vehicle as in any one of claims 1, 2, 13 and 14, wherein each said endplate is provided with a retractable leading edge device of greater width than said nose, said leading edge device being extendable along and over said leading edge. 30. The wing in ground effect vehicle of claims 29 wherein said leading edge device of each said endplate has a substantially flat front surface lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to said chord-wise direction of said end plate. 31. The wing in ground effect vehicle as in any one of claims 1, 2, 13 and 14, wherein each said endplate is curved inwards towards the center of said vehicle at said leading and trailing edges and at said tip. 32. The wing in ground effect as in any one of claims 1, 2, 13 and 14, wherein each said endplate is tapered in thickness from said root to said tip. 33. The wing in ground effect vehicle as in any one of claims 1, 2, 13 and 14, wherein said trailing edge of each said end plate is tapered. 34. The wing in ground effect vehicle as in any one of claims 1, 2, 13 and 14, wherein each said endplate is provided with a plurality of wedge-shaped members secured to a lower region of said aft portion thereof, said lower region having a length in said span-wise direction at least equal to a design immersion depth of said endplate. 35. The wing in ground effect vehicle as in any one of claims 1, 2, 13 and 14, wherein said distal tip of each said endplate is lower at said trailing edge than at said leading edge when viewed in a chord-wise direction. 36. The wing in ground effect vehicle as in any one of claims 1, 2, 13 and 14, wherein each said endplate forward portion is provided with a pair of support struts on opposing sides of said endplate, each of said support struts having a first end secured to said wing and a second end secured to said endplate toward said tip. 37. The wing in ground effect vehicle of claim 36 wherein each said support strut first end is displaceable with respect to said wing towards said endplate root. 38. The wing in ground effect vehicle of claim 13, wherein said forward portion of each said endplate is provided with apertures, forward of said protrusions, said apertures extending through the thickness of said endplate. 39. The wing in ground effect vehicle of claim 23, wherein said forward portion of each said endplate is provided with apertures, forward of said protrusions, said apertures extending through the thickness of said endplate. 40. The wing in ground effect vehicle of claim 24, wherein said forward portion of each said endplate is provided with apertures, forward of said protrusions, said apertures extending through the thickness of said endplate. 41. The wing in ground effect vehicle as in any one of claims 1, 2, 13 and 14, wherein said leading edge of each said endplate is raked aft. 42. The wing in ground effect vehicle as in any one of claims 1, 2, 13 and 14, wherein said leading edge of each said endplate is located forward of a leading edge of said wing at said endplate proximal root. 43. The wing in ground effect vehicle as in any one of claims 1, 2, 13 and 14, wherein each said endplate is retractably mounted with respect to said wing tip portion to thereby enable raising of said endplate. 44. The wing in ground effect vehicle as in any one of claims 1, 2, 13 and 14, wherein each said endplate is mounted on said wing tip portion by fastening means adapted to detach at a predetermined load. 45. The wing in ground effect vehicle as in any one of claims 1, 2, 13 and 14, wherein each said endplate is mounted on said wing tip portion by explosive bolts. 46. The wing in ground effect vehicle as in any one of claims 1, 2, 13 and 14 wherein a lower portion of each said endplate is configured to detach from an upper portion of said endplate upon impact of a predetermined load on said lower portion. 47. The wing in ground effect vehicle as in any one of claims 1, 2, 13 and 14, wherein said fuselage and said wing structure form a flying wing structure. 48. The wing in ground effect vehicle as in any one of claims 1, 2, 13 and 14, wherein said proximal root of each said endplate is located outboard of and adjacent to said respective wingtip portion with a gap therebetween, and further including a seal spanning a gap between said endplate proximal root and said wingtip portion towards an upper surface of said wingtip portion.
