Rotary wing aircraft

Claim 2

In a rotary wing aircraft comprising a fuselage, selectively operable engine means mounted on said fuselage for forward driving flight of the aircraft in the autogyro mode for takeoff or landing in large areas or normal translational flight, a rotor having a mast mounted on said fuselage and a plurality of elongated blades extending outwardly and generally horizontally from said mast, pilot controlled means for controlling the pitch of said blades between a substantial positive pitch and a pitch substantially negative with respect thereto for flying the aircraft in the helicopter and autogyro modes respectively, selectively operable solid propellant rocket engines mounted on at least two of said blades for driving said rotor and flying said aircraft in the helicopter mode for takeoff or landing in small areas, and means for controlling the direction of the aircraft in forward flight.

Claim 3

In the rotary wing aircraft as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for controlling the pitch of said blades includes collective pitch means for simultaneously changing the pitch of said blades to control the altitude of the aircraft, said means for controlling the pitch of said blades further includes cyclic pitch means for changing the pitch of respective said blades to control the attitude of the aircraft.

Claim 4

In the rotary wing aircraft as defined in claim 1, further comprising selectively operable nonconstrictive means disposed aft of said rocket engines for controlling the speed of rotation of said blades during operation and nonoperation of said rocket engines and for controlling the effective rocket thrust of said rocket engines during operation of said rocket engines whereby rotor overspeed is prevented during rapid descents of the aircraft and primarily during landing of the aircraft in the helicopter mode.

Claim 5

In the rotary wing aircRaft as defined in claim 1 wherein said engine means is idling during flying of said aircraft in the helicopter mode to provide a slipstream, said means for controlling the direction of the aircraft including a rudder disposed in said slipstream, said rudder being effective to control the direction of the aircraft in vertical flight.

Claim 6

In the rotary wing aircraft as defined in claim 1 wherein said blades are warpable, said means for controlling the pitch effecting changes in the warping of said blades to vary the pitch thereof.

Claim 7

In the rotary wing aircraft as defined in claim 5 wherein said means for controlling the pitch includes collective pitch means for simultaneously changing the warping of said blades to vary the pitch thereof and cyclic pitch means for changing the warping of respective said blades to control the attitude of the aircraft.

Claim 8

In the rotary wing aircraft as defined in claim 5 wherein said means for controlling the pitch includes cyclic pitch means for controlling the pitch of respective said blades to effect change in the attitude of the aircraft, said cyclic pitch means further controlling the warping of respective said blades to vary the pitch thereof.

Claim 9

In the rotary wing aircraft as defined in claim 5 further comprising movable means connected to each said blade and operable by changes of said means for controlling the pitch, said movable means being effective to aerodynamically warp said blades to vary the pitch thereof during rotation of said blades.

Claim 10

In the rotary wing aircraft as defined in claim 8 wherein said means for controlling the pitch includes cyclic pitch means for controlling the pitch of respective said blades to effect change in the attitude of the aircraft, said movable means being movable upon control of said cyclic pitch means for varying the aerodynamic warping of said blades.

Claim 11

In a rotary wing aircraft comprising a fuselage, engine means mounted on said aircraft for forward driving flight of the aircraft in the autogyro mode for takeoff or landing in large areas or normal translational flight, a rotor including a mast mounted on said fuselage and a plurality of warpable blades attached to said mast and extending outwardly and generally horizontally from said mast, cyclic pitch means for cyclically controlling the pitch of respective said blades to effect change in the attitude of the aircraft, collective pitch means for simultaneously imparting pitch changes to said blades to effect change in the altitude of the aircraft, said collective pitch means being operable to change the pitch of said blades between positive pitch and negative pitch for flying the aircraft in the helicopter and autogyro modes respectively, movable means connected to each said blade and operable by control of said cyclic pitch means and collective pitch means for aerodynamically warping said blades to vary the pitch thereof during rotation of said blades, selectively operable solid propellant rocket engines mounted on at least two opposed said blades for driving said rotor and flying said aircraft in the helicopter mode for takeoff or landing in small areas, and means for controlling the direction of the aircraft in forward flight.

Claim 12

In a rotary wing aircraft comprising a fuselage, engine means mounted on said aircraft for forward driving flight of the aircraft in the autogyro mode for takeoff or landing in large areas or normal translational flight, a rotor including a mast mounted on said fuselage and a plurality of warpable blades attached to said mast and extending outwardly and generally horizontally from said mast, cyclic pitch means for cyclically controlling the pitch of respective said blades to effect change in the attitude of the aircraft, collective pitch means for simultaneously imparting pitch changes to said blades to effect change in the altitude of the aircraft, said collective pitch means being operable to change the pitch of said blades between positive pitch and negative pitch for flying the aircraft in the helicopter and autogyro modes respectively, movable means connected to each said blade and operable by control of said cyclic pitch means and collective pitch means for aerodynamically warping said blades to vary the pitch thereof during rotation of said blades, selectively operable solid propellant rocket engines mounted on at least two opposed said blades for driving said rotor and flying said aircraft in the helicopter mode for takeoff or landing in small areas, and means for controlling the direction of the aircraft in forward flight.

Claim 13

In the rotary wing aircraft as defined in claim 9, further comprising selectively operable nonconstrictive means disposed aft of said rocket engines for controlling the speed of rotation of said blades during operation of said rocket engines and for controlling the effective rocket thrust of said rocket engines during operation of said rocket engines whereby rotor overspeed is prevented during rapid descents of the aircraft and primarily during landing of the aircraft in the helicopter mode.

Claim 14

In the rotary wing aircraft as defined in claim 9 wherein said engine means is idling during flying of said aircraft in the helicopter mode to provide a slipstream, said means for controlling the direction of the aircraft including a rudder disposed in said slipstream, said rudder being effective to control The direction of the aircraft in vertical flight.

Claim 15

In the rotary wing aircraft as defined in claim 9 wherein said cyclic pitch means includes a swashplate having an inner portion rotatable with and slidable with respect to said mast and a nonrotatable outer portion, a first lever attached to said outer portion for tilting said swashplate thereby cyclically controlling the pitch of respective said blades, said collective pitch means includes a member having an inner portion rotatable with and slidable with respect to said mast and a nonrotatable outer portion, a second lever attached to said outer portion of said member for sliding said member upwardly and downwardly on said mast during rotation of said mast, said member inner portion being operatively associated with said swashplate inner member to move same upwardly and downwardly thereby collectively setting and controlling the pitch of said blades.

Claim 16

In the rotary wing aircraft as defined in claim 13 wherein said swashplate inner portion includes a flexible membrane universally bendable for universal cyclic control of the pitch of respective said blades upon appropriate manipulations of said first lever.

Claim 17

In a rotary wing aircraft comprising a fuselage, a rotor having a mast mounted on said fuselage and a plurality of elongated blades extending outwardly and generally horizontally from said mast, cyclic pitch means for cyclically controlling the pitch of respective said blades to effect change in the attitude of the aircraft, said means including a swashplate having rotatable and nonrotatable portions, a first lever attached to said nonrotatable portion for tilting said swashplate thereby cyclically controlling the pitch of respective said blades, said swashplate rotatable portion includes a flexible membrane responsive to tilting of said swashplate by said lever, a pair of rods spacedly attached to said flexible membrane, said rods being responsive to bending movements of said membrane caused by tilting of said swashplate, and means attached to said rods and responsive to movements thereof to effect changes in pitch of respective said blades.

Claim 18

In a rotary wing aircraft comprising a fuselage, a rotor having a mast mounted on said fuselage and a plurality of elongated blades extending outwardly and generally horizontally from said mast, cyclic pitch means for cyclically controlling the pitch of respective said blades to effect change in the attitude of the aircraft, said means including a swashplate having rotatable and nonrotatable portions, a first lever attached to said nonrotatable portion for tilting said swashplate thereby cyclically controlling the pitch of respective said blades, said swashplate rotatable portion includes a flexible membrane responsive to tilting of said swashplate by said lever, a pair of rods spacedly attached to said flexible membrane, said rods being responsive to bending movements of said membrane caused by tilting of said swashplate, and means attached to said rods and responsive to movements thereof to effect changes in pitch of respective said blades.

Claim 19

In the rotary wing aircraft as defined in claim 15 further comprising collective pitch means for simultaneously imparting pitch changes to said blades to effect change in the altitude of the aircraft, said collective pitch means includes a member having an inner portion rotatable with respect to said mast and a nonrotatable outer portion, said collective pitch means further including a second lever attached to said member outer portion for sliding said member upwardly and downwardly on and during rotation of said mast, said member inner portion being operatively associated with said flexible membrane to move same upwardly and downwardly thereby collectively setting and controlling the pitch of said blades.

Claim 20

In a rotary wing aircraft comprising a fuselage, selectively operable engine means mounted on said fuselage for forward driving flight of the aircraft in the autogyro mode for takeoff or landing in large areas or normal translational flight, a rotor having a mast mounted on said fuselage and a plurality of elongated blades extending outwardly and generally horizontally from said mast, pilot controlled means for controlling the pitch of said blades between a substantial positive pitch and a pitch substantially negative with respect thereto for flying the aircraft in the helicopter and autogyro modes respectively, selectively operable rocket engines having exhaust thrust outlets on at least two of said blades for driving said rotor and flying said aircraft in the helicopter mode for takeoff or landing in small areas, and means for controlling the direction of the aircraft in forward flight, selectively operable nonconstrictive means disposed aft of said rocket engines for controlling the speed of rotation of said blades during operation of said rocket engines and for controlling the effective rocket thrust of said rocket engines during operation of said rockeT engines whereby rotor overspeed is prevented during rapid descents of the aircraft and primarily during landing of the aircraft in the helicopter mode.

Claim 21

In a rotary wing aircraft comprising a fuselage, selectively operable engine means mounted on said fuselage for forward driving flight of the aircraft in the autogyro mode for takeoff or landing in large areas or normal translational flight, a rotor having a mast mounted on said fuselage and a plurality of elongated blades extending outwardly and generally horizontally from said mast, pilot controlled means for controlling the pitch of said blades between a substantial positive pitch and a pitch substantially negative with respect thereto for flying the aircraft in the helicopter and autogyro modes respectively, selectively operable rocket engines having exhaust thrust outlets on at least two of said blades for driving said rotor and flying said aircraft in the helicopter mode for takeoff or landing in small areas, and means for controlling the direction of the aircraft in forward flight, selectively operable nonconstrictive means disposed aft of said rocket engines for controlling the speed of rotation of said blades during operation of said rocket engines and for controlling the effective rocket thrust of said rocket engines during operation of said rockeT engines whereby rotor overspeed is prevented during rapid descents of the aircraft and primarily during landing of the aircraft in the helicopter mode.