Aeronautics and astronautics – Aircraft – heavier-than-air – Fluid sustained
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-06
2002-05-07
Carone, Michael J. (Department: 3643)
Aeronautics and astronautics
Aircraft, heavier-than-air
Fluid sustained
C244S012500, C244S012200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06382560
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to aircraft; and more particularly, to an aircraft with improved features for enhanced vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities and high speed (HS) horizontal flight.
Conventional relatively high speed, winged aircraft require long runways for take-offs and landings. In the civil aviation world, this is a significant disadvantage since the pressure for land conservation becomes more and more intense as the population, especially in city and suburban areas, continues to grow. It is also a disadvantage in the military world, since as is well known it is a very distinct advantage to be able to take-off and land without a runway as close to the combat zone as possible, and to deliver as much of a payload as possible. Also, by removing the need to maintain air bases with runways frees up scarce funds for other projects and military personnel for other duties.
Furthermore in the civil/commercial world, there is a significant disadvantage for runway takeoffs and landings in that the aircraft must line up and wait for longer and longerperiods. As the air traffic increases this wait will become more intolerable. Thus, significant advantages in both the domestic and military air travel can be realized by development and successful deployment of HSVTOL aircraft.
Because of these basic long standing shortcomings of fixed wing aircraft and others, VTOL aircraft are establishing more of a presence in the world market, along with more and more helicopter usage. However, none of these newest entries into the field offer the high speed, range and increased payload capability that is needed to fill both the domestic, as well as the military air needs. The closest conceptual approach to providing the answer to these needs is set forth in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,618, issued Sep. 27, 1988, and which is the predecessor to the present invention.
As set forth in the '618 patent, there have been numerous attempts in the past to provide a VTOL capable aircraft with relatively high speed horizontal flight capability, as well as acceptable payload and range. Such approaches run the gamet from aircraft that take-off and land in a vertical attitude and then switch to a horizontal attitude for flight, to an aircraft with separate engines for vertical and horizontal flight. These have not met with success, primarily because of the complexity and high cost. One reasonably successful military aircraft is the British Harrier AV-8A & B. This fixed wing aircraft provides limited length runway take-off and landing capability by direct downward vectoring of the hot exhaust gases of the jet engines. Except for the standard helicopters, the only other production aircraft with some vertical take-off and landing capabilities is the U.S. V-22 tilt-rotor fixed wing aircraft, jointly produced by Bell/Textron and Boeing. The first aircraft has far too limited payload and range and the second aircraft has far too limited speed and range.
A recurring problem that continues to plague the development of a truly successful VTOL, including the two described above, is that, compared to conventional aircraft, more than twice the thrust is required for vertical take-off and landing. This requirement alone prevents the aircraft of this type from being successful since the jet engines have to be substantially twice as large. This factor alone makes the aircraft in a particular payload class prohibitively expensive in terms of initial cost, as well as for everyday operation and maintenance.
As far as is known today, my own HSVTOL design of the '618 patent basically fills these needs. It also solves the problem of efficient attitude control of the aircraft, during both vertical and horizontal flight. The attitude control does not depend on exhaust jet reaction, but instead utilizes in part modulated control of the fan blades of the annular fan assembly that extends around the periphery of the air craft. This design provides greater stability through gyroscopic control, as well as increased maneuverability, and generally more efficient operation. Also, it has the inherent capability of increasing the speed in horizontal flight, and enlarging the payload. The increased efficiency of operation in either mode of operation is proven. With this basic design, the problem of the concentrated, very high temperature, vertical blast of jet exhaust gases being expelled directly from the jet engines against the ground that tend to cause damage to the aircraft and surrounding personnel, as well as to the landing pad, is eliminated.
From the foregoing background review, it is apparent that the next step to advance this technology should be to build on the HSVTOL design of the '618 patent. Such a redesign of the aircraft would provide for more efficient utilization of jet engine thrust leading to even better performance, increased payload and extended range. Such improvements would focus on structural changes that would allow use of lighter weight materials, particularly in the area of the fan assembly. Such an advance would be provided in part by a unique system for incorporating highly efficient fan jet engines for propulsion, and handling the hot core gases and the surrounding fan air in a novel manner. The new approach would also lead to less expensive materials to be used in the ducting to deliver the high energy gases to the fan assembly. Other components and structural changes would also add to a better performing and reliable aircraft, such as a redesign of the interface hub between the fuselage and the fan assembly. This need includes a better performing bearing and seal arrangement. Another area of primary advance over my prior design would be in improving aircraft attitude control and maneuverability, while at the same time greatly simplifying the system needed for this purpose.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide an improvement over my prior vertical take-off and landing aircraft for improved performance, allowing substantially increased payload and extending range, along with additional improvement in the control capabilities, especially during vertical flight, and further improving the high speed horizontal flight operation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement that allows use of the lighter weight materials that are important for increasing the performance, most notably in the fan assembly and in the plenum.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide the unique system for incorporating highly efficient fan jet engines coupled with handling the hot core gases and the surrounding fan air so as to give maximum thrust, both vertically and horizontally, and at the same time protecting critical components of the aircraft during operation.
It is still object of the present invention to provide improved aircraft attitude control and maneuverability by incorporation of aero flaps with control surfaces positioned in the down wash of the fan assembly.
Additional objects, advantages, and other novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned with the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
In order to achieve these objectives and to do so in accordance with the purposes of the present invention, a redesigned aircraft of the HSVTOL category is provided, and particularly the aircraft has features that are an advance over the aircraft of my previous '618 patent. The advances feature the use of fan jet engine to provide separate hot core gas and fan air to drive the annular fan assembly, and aero flaps with surfaces for attitude control. The new aircraft incorporating these and other features provides more efficient vertical take-off and la
Carone Michael J.
Collins Timothy D
GO Aircraft Ltd.
King & Schickli PLLC
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