Combination turbojet and ramjet engine

Claim 1

A POWERPLANT OF GENERALLY CIRCULAR CROSS SECTION AND CONCENTRIC ABOUT AN AXIS AND HAVING A FORWARD UPSTREAM END AND AN AFTER DOWNSTREAM END AND COMPRISING A TURBOJET ENGINE HAVING A COMPRESSOR, BURNER AND TURBINE IN FORWARD-END TO AFTER-END AXIAL ALIGNMENT, AN AFTERBURNER ATTACHED TO THE DOWNSTREAM END OF SAID TURBOJET ENGINE, A VARIABLE AREA CONVERGENT-DIVERGENT EXHAUST NOZZLE ATTACHED TO AND FORMING AN OUTLET FOR SAID AFTERBURNER, AIR INTAKE MEANS SURROUNDING SAID ENGINE AND INCLUDING A FORWARDLY DIRECTED INLET OPENING JOINED TO CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID AFTERBURNER, MEANS TO BLOCK FLOW THRU SAID INLET MEANS SUCH THAT SAID POWERPLANT CAN BE OPERATED AS A TURBOJET ENGINE AT LOW FLIGHT SPEEDS, MEANS TO BLOCK FLOW THRU SAID TURBOJET ENGINE SUCH THAT SAID POWERPLANT CAN BE OPERATED AS A RAMJET ENGINE AT HIGH FLIGHT SPEEDS, MEANS TO SUPPLY FUEL TO SAID AFTERBURNER DURING BOTH TURBOJET ENGINE AND RAMJET OPERATIONS, HEAT EXCHANGER MEANS FORMING PART OF SAID FUEL SUPPLY MEANS INCLUDING DUCTING SUPPLYING COOLING AIR TO SAID EXHAUST NOZZLE, SAID CONVERGENT-DIVERGENT EXHAUST NOZZLE COMPRISING A CONVERGENT STATIONARY DUCT AT ITS FORWARD-END AND A DIVERGENT STATIONARY DUCT IN AXIALLY SPACED RELATION TO SAID CONVERGENT DUCT AT ITS AFTER-END, SAID DIVERGENT DUCT HAVING SPACED WALLS FORMING AN ANNULAR CAVITY AT ITS FORWARD-END AND INCLUDING APERTURES IN THE INNER OF SAID WALLS AT ITS AFTER-END, A FIRST PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY POSITIONED FLAPS PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO THE AFTER-END OF SAID CONVERGENT DUCT, A SECOND PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY POSITIONED FLAPS PIVOTALLY ATTACHED AT THEIR FORWARD-ENDS TO THE AFTER-END OF THE FLAPS OF SAID FIRST PLURALITY AND SLIDEABLY RECEIVED IN SAID DIVERGENT DUCT ANNULAR CAVITY AT THEIR AFTER-ENDS, ACTUATING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID FLAPS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND FLAP PLURALITIES TO CAUSE SAID FLAPS TO PIVOT IN UNISON TO FORM A VARIABLE AREA THROAT FOR SAID EXHAUST NOZZLE, AND SAID COOLING AIR DUCTING POSITIONED AND CONTOURED TO GUIDE COOLING AIR OVER AT LEAST ONE SURFACE OF EACH OF SAID FLAPS AND BETWEEN THE WALLS OF SAID DIVERGENT DUCT FOR PASSAGE THEREFROM THROUGH SAID APERTURES INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID DIVERGENT DUCT.