Ferry system

Claim 1

An auxiliary lift system for a lifting entry vehicle to serve as a transportation aid for the vehicle at subsonic flight comprising in combination: a lifting entry vehicle having a compartment therein for a payload, a ferry package for said lifting vehicle and integrally attached to the payload compartment of said vehicle, said ferry package including: a fuel tank said fuel tank being adapted to be received by the payload compartment in said lifting vehicle, means within said payload compartment and connection means formed on said fuel tank serving to readily permit connection and disconnection of said ferry package to said vehicle, a pair of wings integral with and extending from said fuel tank at least one propulsion engine suspended from each of said wings, and wherein said ferry package may be removed as a unit from said vehicle after serving as a transportation aid therefor and reused as a unit as a transportation aid for the same or another vehicle.

Claim 3

A method of substantially doubling the lift/drag ratio of a basic vehicle to provide subsonic flying capability to a vehicle that due to its lift/drag ratio and limited fuel capacity render the vehicle impractical for conventional earth takeoff and landings, comprising the steps of (1) providing a basic flight vehicle that is adapted to be launched into a space mission by a rocket propulsion system and after the space mission is completed, adapted to reenter the earth''s atmosphere and be flown by its occupants to a selected landing site; (2) providing a ''''bolt-on'''' ferry package that is readily connectible to the basic flight vehicle at its landing site, said ferry package including (a) a body member including a fuel tank adapted to be received by and connected to the basic vehicle, (b) a pair of swept wings extending from the body member and (c) at least one propulsion engine attached to each wing, (3) connecting the ''''bolt-on'''' ferry package to the basic vehicle to thereby improve the subsonic flight characteristics of the basic vehicle and permit earth takeoff and landing thereof, and (4) removing the ferry package after transportation of the basic vehicle to its destination and wherein the ferry package may be subsequently reused as so desired to assist in transporting the same or another basic vehicle.

Claim 4

A method of substantially doubling the lift/drag ratio of a basic vehicle to provide subsonic flying capability to a vehicle that due to its lift/drag ratio and limited fuel capacity render the vehicle impractical for conventional earth takeoff and landings, comprising the steps of (1) providing a basic flight vehicle that is adapted to be launched into a space mission by a rocket propulsion system and after the space mission is completed, adapted to reenter the earth''s atmosphere and be flown by its occupants to a selected landing site; (2) providing a ''''bolt-on'''' ferry package that is readily connectible to the basic flight vehicle at its landing site, said ferry package including (a) a body member including a fuel tank adapted to be received by and connected to the basic vehicle, (b) a pair of swept wings extending from the body member and (c) at least one propulsion engine attached to each wing, (3) connecting the ''''bolt-on'''' ferry package to the basic vehicle to thereby improve the subsonic flight characteristics of the basic vehicle and permit earth takeoff and landing thereof, and (4) removing the ferry package after transportation of the basic vehicle to its destination and wherein the ferry package may be subsequently reused as so desired to assist in transporting the same or another basic vehicle.