Roadable airplane drive through an automotive transaxle

Details Roadable airplane drive through an automotive transaxle Roadable airplane drive through an automotive transaxle

1998-09-25

2000-10-17

Eldred, J. Woodrow

Aeronautics and astronautics

Composite aircraft

244 50, 244 51, 244 60, B64C 3702

Patent

active

061318485

ABSTRACT:
A roadable airplane consists of a single-seat three-wheeled vehicle with wing panels hung longitudinally on the sides of the chassis for road use and attached transversely to a spar box for flight. A power train is used that enables the simultaneous powering of two rear wheels and an overhead pusher propeller for transition from road to air travel. A transaxle for a four-wheel automotive vehicle was found to be advantageously suitable for this purpose. Multiple gears and differential outputs drive the wheels, providing a normal automotive performance on the road. Multiple gears are also available to drive the propeller, thereby providing the function of variable-pitch performance using a fixed-pitch propeller. The vehicle includes a standard automotive gear shift and pedal controls for clutch, brake and accelerator operation; a novel joystick assembly is used to steer the front wheel and to control wing flaps, an elevator and a rudder.

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Chiles, J.R., "Flying Cars were a Dream that Never Got Off the Ground", Smithsonian, vol. 19, No. 11, pp. 144-162, Feb.1989.
Grossmann, John, "Auto Pilots", Air & Space, vol. 10, No. 5, Jan. 1996.
Stiles, P., Roadable Aircraft, from Wheels to Wings, Second Edition, Custom Creativity, Inc., Melbourne, Florida, Aug. 1994 (copy not available).

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