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The invention is a flight vehicle, and methods of operation thereof, having wings and movable propeller assemblies which can be rotated to provide vertical and/or horizontal thrust. The propeller assemblies are configured to maximize available engine/propeller thrust and to prevent propwash from str

The invention is a flight vehicle, and methods of operation thereof, having wings and movable propeller assemblies which can be rotated to provide vertical and/or horizontal thrust. The propeller assemblies are configured to maximize available engine/propeller thrust and to prevent propwash from striking the wings of the aircraft.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A flight vehicle, comprising: a flight vehicle central portion having a top, bottom, and left and right sides, wherein the left side is opposite to the right side;a left wing portion extending from the left side of the flight vehicle central portion, and a right wing portion extending from the ri

1. A flight vehicle, comprising: a flight vehicle central portion having a top, bottom, and left and right sides, wherein the left side is opposite to the right side;a left wing portion extending from the left side of the flight vehicle central portion, and a right wing portion extending from the right side of the flight vehicle central portion, wherein the left wing portion defines a left wing chord line and the right wing portion defines a right wing chord line;a left propeller assembly comprising: a front left propeller secured to a front left engine extending on a front left propeller support from the left wing, the front left propeller havinga front left propeller rotational axis, wherein the front left propeller comprises at least one propeller blade having a front left propeller blade radius extending from the front left propeller rotational axis to a front left propeller distal blade tip, wherein the front left propeller when rotated about its rotational axis defines a front left propeller rotational disk defined by the rotation of the front left propeller distal blade tip; and a rear left propeller secured to a rear left engine extending on a rear left propeller support from the left wing, the rear left propeller having a rear left propeller rotational axis, wherein the rear left propeller comprises at least one propeller blade having a rear left propeller blade radius extending from the rear left propeller rotational axis to a rear left propeller distal blade tip, wherein the rear left propeller when rotated about its rotational axis defines a rear left propeller rotational disk defined by the rotation of the rear left propeller distal blade tip;wherein the left propeller assembly has a left propeller assembly first configuration wherein the front left engine is positioned forward of the left wing with the front left propeller rotational disk substantially parallel to the left wing chord line and the rear left engine is positioned rearward of the left wing with the rear left propeller rotational disk substantially parallel to the left wing chord line, and a left propeller assembly second configuration wherein the front left engine and front left propeller rotational disk are positioned below the left wing chord line with the front left propeller rotational disk at an angle of about 90 degrees from the left wing chord line and the rear left engine and rear left propeller rotational disk are positioned above the left wing chord line with the rear left propeller rotational disk at an angle of about 90 degrees from the left wing chord line;a right propeller assembly comprising: a front right propeller secured to a front right engine extending on a front right propeller support from the right wing, the front right propeller having a front right propeller rotational axis, wherein the front right propeller comprises at least one propeller blade having a front right propeller blade radius extending from the front right propeller rotational axis to a front right propeller distal blade tip, wherein the front right propeller when rotated about its rotational axis defines a front right propeller rotational disk defined by the rotation of the front right propeller distal blade tip; anda rear right propeller secured to a rear right engine extending on a rear right propeller support from the right wing, the rear right propeller having a rear right propeller rotational axis, wherein the rear right propeller comprises at least one propeller blade having a rear right propeller blade radius extending from the rear right propeller rotational axis to a rear right propeller distal blade tip, wherein the rear right propeller when rotated about its rotational axis defines a rear right propeller rotational disk defined by the rotation of the rear right propeller distal blade tip;wherein the right propeller assembly has a right propeller assembly first configuration wherein the front right engine is positioned forward of the right wing with the front right propeller rotational disk substantially parallel to the right wing chord line and the rear right engine is positioned rearward of the right wing with the rear right propeller rotational disk substantially parallel to the right wing chord line, and a right propeller assembly second configuration wherein the front right engine and front right propeller rotational disk are positioned below the right wing chord line with the front right propeller rotational disk at an angle of about 90 degrees from the right wing chord line and the rear right engine and rear right propeller rotational disk are positioned above the right wing chord line with the rear right propeller rotational disk at an angle of about 90 degrees from the right wing chord line;a left propeller assembly rotational mechanism comprising a front left pivot point about which the front left propeller support can rotate up and down with respect to the left wing chord line and further comprising a rear left pivot point about which the rear left propeller support can rotate up and down with respect to the left wing chord line, wherein the rear left pivot point is displaced from the front left pivot point, wherein the left propeller assembly rotational mechanism is configured to selectively move the left propeller assembly from the left propeller assembly first configuration to the left propeller assembly second configuration and back to the left propeller assembly first configuration by rotating the front left propeller support about the front left pivot point and by rotating the rear left propeller support about the rear left pivot point;a right propeller assembly rotational mechanism comprising a front right pivot point about which the front right propeller support can rotate UP and down with respect to the right wing chord line and further comprising a rear right pivot point about which the rear right propeller support can rotate up and down with respect to the right wing chord line, wherein the rear right pivot point is displaced from the front right pivot point, wherein the right propeller assembly rotational mechanism is configured to selectively move the right propeller assembly from the right propeller assembly first configuration to the right propeller assembly second configuration and back to the right propeller assembly first configuration by rotating the front right propeller support about the front right pivot point and by rotating the rear right propeller support about the rear right pivot point. 2. The flight vehicle of claim 1, wherein the left propeller assembly rotational mechanism and the right propeller assembly rotational mechanism each comprise a rigid linkage arm. 3. The flight vehicle of claim 1, wherein the left propeller assembly rotational mechanism and the right propeller assembly rotational mechanism each comprise a cable assembly. 4. The flight vehicle of claim 1, wherein the front left propeller blade radius is at least 70% of the length of the front left propeller support, the rear left propeller blade radius is at least 70% of the length of the rear left propeller support, the front right propeller blade radius is at least 70% of the length of the front right propeller support, and the rear right propeller blade radius is at least 70% of the length of the rear right propeller support. 5. A flight vehicle, comprising: a flight vehicle central portion having a top, bottom, and left and right sides, wherein the left side is opposite to the right side;a left wing portion extending from the left side of the flight vehicle central portion, and a right wing portion extending from the right side of the flight vehicle central portion, wherein the left wing portion defines a left wing chord line and the right wing portion defines a right wing chord line;a left propeller assembly comprising: a front left propeller secured to a front left engine extending on a front left propeller support from the left wing, the front left propeller having a front left propeller rotational axis, wherein the front left propeller comprises at least one propeller blade having a front left propeller blade radius extending from the front left propeller rotational axis to a front left propeller distal blade tip, wherein the front left propeller when rotated about its rotational axis defines a front left propeller rotational disk defined by the rotation of the front left propeller distal blade tip; anda rear left propeller secured to a rear left engine extending on a rear left propeller support from the left wing, the rear left propeller having a rear left propeller rotational axis, wherein the rear left propeller comprises at least one propeller blade having a rear left propeller blade radius extending from the rear left propeller rotational axis to a rear left propeller distal blade tip, wherein the rear left propeller when rotated about its rotational axis defines a rear left propeller rotational disk defined by the rotation of the rear left propeller distal blade tip:wherein the left propeller assembly has a left propeller assembly first configuration wherein the front left engine is positioned forward of the left wing with the front left propeller rotational disk substantially parallel to the left wing chord line and the rear left engine is positioned rearward of the left wing with the rear left propeller rotational disk substantially parallel to the left wing chord line, and a left propeller assembly second configuration wherein the front left engine and front left propeller rotational disk are positioned below the left wing chord line with the front left propeller rotational disk at an angle of about 90 degrees from the left wing chord line and the rear left engine and rear left propeller rotational disk are positioned above the left wing chord line with the rear left propeller rotational disk at an angle of about 90 degrees from the left wing chord line;a right propeller assembly comprising: a front right propeller secured to a front right engine extending on a front right propeller support from the right wing, the front right propeller having a front right propeller rotational axis, wherein the front right propeller comprises at least one propeller blade having a front right propeller blade radius extending from the front right propeller rotational axis to a front right propeller distal blade tip, wherein the front right propeller when rotated about its rotational axis defines a front right propeller rotational disk defined by the rotation of the front right propeller distal blade tip; anda rear right propeller secured to a rear right engine extending on a rear right propeller support from the right wing, the rear right propeller having a rear right propeller rotational axis, wherein the rear right propeller comprises at least one propeller blade having a rear right propeller blade radius extending from the rear right propeller rotational axis to a rear right propeller distal blade tip, wherein the rear right propeller when rotated about its rotational axis defines a rear right propeller rotational disk defined by the rotation of the rear right propeller distal blade tip;wherein the right propeller assembly has a right propeller assembly first configuration wherein the front right engine is positioned forward of the right wing with the front right propeller rotational disk substantially parallel to the right wing chord line and the rear right engine is positioned rearward of the right wing with the rear right propeller rotational disk substantially parallel to the right wing chord line, and a right propeller assembly second configuration wherein the front right engine and front right propeller rotational disk are positioned below the right wing chord line with the front right propeller rotational disk at an angle of about 90 degrees from the right wing chord line and the rear right engine and rear right propeller rotational disk are positioned above the right wing chord line with the rear right propeller rotational disk at an angle of about 90 degrees from the right wing chord line;a left propeller assembly rotational mechanism configured to selectively move the left propeller assembly from the left propeller assembly first configuration to the left propeller assembly second configuration and back to the left propeller assembly first configuration;a right propeller assembly rotational mechanism configured to selectively move the right propeller assembly from the right propeller assembly first configuration to the right propeller assembly second configuration and back to the right propeller assembly first configuration;wherein the front left propeller support and rear left propeller support comprise forward and rearward portions of a single continuous left propeller support arm, and the front right propeller support and rear right propeller support comprise forward and rearward portions of a single continuous right propeller support arm. 6. The flight vehicle of claim 5, wherein the single continuous left propeller support arm is a left lifting body having at least one movable vane extending from a trailing edge thereof, and the single continuous right propeller support arm is a right lifting body having at least one movable vane extending from a trailing edge thereof. 7. The flight vehicle of claim 6, wherein the left lifting body has at least one fm extending from at least one side thereof, and the right lifting body has at least one fin extending from at least one side thereof. 8. The flight vehicle of claim 1, wherein the left wing and right wing are fixed wings. 9. The flight vehicle of claim 1, wherein in the left propeller assembly is secured to the left wing at a left wing distal end, and the right propeller assembly is secured to the right wing at a right wing distal end.