Trifan powered VSTOL aircraft

Claim 2

In a trifan aircraft the combination of: a fuselage having a forward end and an aft empennage, a fixed wing mounted on said fuselage and having an upper surface on each side of and faired into the side of said fuselage, a pair of nacelles mounted on the upper surface of said wing, one nacelle at each side of said fuselage and extending rearwardly along said wing upper surface from air inlets spaced behind the aircraft center of gravity, a thrust fan operably mounted in each of said nacelles, gas turbine engines on said aircraft and provided with exhaust gas flow ducts, means in each nacelle forming a fan driving connection to said exhaust gas flow ducts to receive engine exhaust gas for driving said fans, a third fan operatively mounted in said forward end of said fuselage, manifold means at said third fan connected to said exhaust gas flow ducts to receive engine exhaust gas for driving said third fan, and fan exhaust flow directing means carried by said nacelles and by said manifold means in positions to direct the thrust of the fan exhaust flow selectively in directions to initiate positive lift of the aircraft in a generally vertical direction, and propulsion of the aircraft in a generally horizontal direction.

Claim 3

The aircraft of claim 1 wherein said flow directing means comprise nozzles movable on said nacelles between a generally vertically vectored position and a generally horizontally vectored position, and third fan vectoring means movable between a generally vertically vectored position and a generally rearwardly vectored position, whereby said wing mounted thrust fans and said fuselage mounted third fan are effective for aircraft propulsion in lift, control, transition between vertical and cruise, and cruise flight.

Claim 4

The aircraft of claim 2 wherein said nacelle nozzles are spaced aft of the aircraft center of gravity a distance substantially one-half the spacing of said third fan ahead of the center of gravity, whereby the vectored thrust from said fans substantially eliminates upsetting pitching moments during transition flight.

Claim 5

The aircraft of claim 1 wherein said nacelle mounted fans and said third fan have substantially the same high bypass characteristics.

Claim 6

The aircraft of claim 1 wherein said gas turbine engines on said aircraft are submerged in said fuselage, and said gas flow ducts extend outwardly into connection with said means in each nacelle forming the fan driving connection.

Claim 7

The aircraft of claim 1 wherein said gas turbine engines on said aircraft comprise a pair of such engines and said exhaust gas flow ducts include a cross-flow connection between said pair of engines, flow control valve means in said ducts, and engine exhaust isolation means operable to isolate a non-functioning engine, whereby said functioning engine supplies exhaust gas to drive all of said fans.

Claim 8

In an aircraft the combination of a fuselage, a fixed wing mounted on said fuselage and having a leading edge, upper and lower surfaces and a trailing edge, gas generator engines submerged in said fuselage, nacelles mounted on the upper surface of said wing at each side of said fuselage, a turbine tip fan operable in each nacelle, a turbine tip fan operably mounted in said fuselage ahead of said wing leading edge and delivering vertically downwardly directed thrust, gas flow ducts connecting said engines to said nacelles to deliver gas for driving said turbine tip fans and connected to said fuselage mounted turbine tip fan for driving said turbine tip fan, said nacelles having air inlets faired into said wing upper surface for producing high induced lift through supercirculation of ambient air over said wing upper surface, and flow vectoring means at each nacelle to direct the thrust of the fan flow selectively for vertical and horizontal flight.

Claim 9

In an aircraft the combination of a fuselage, a fixed wing mounted on said fuselage and having a leading edge, upper and lower surfaces and a trailing edge, gas generator engines submerged in said fuselage, nacelles mounted on the upper surface of said wing at each side of said fuselage, a turbine tip fan operable in each nacelle, a turbine tip fan operably mounted in said fuselage ahead of said wing leading edge and delivering vertically downwardly directed thrust, gas flow ducts connecting said engines to said nacelles to deliver gas for driving said turbine tip fans and connected to said fuselage mounted turbine tip fan for driving said turbine tip fan, said nacelles having air inlets faired into said wing upper surface for producing high induced lift through supercirculation of ambient air over said wing upper surface, and flow vectoring means at each nacelle to direct the thrust of the fan flow selectively for vertical and horizontal flight.

Claim 10

An aircraft according to claim 7, and further comprising other flow vectoring means for vectoring said downwardly directed thrust of the fan located in said fuselage both rearwardly and laterally.

Claim 11

An aircraft according to claim 7, wherein the fuselage mounted turbine tip fan discharges air ahead of the center of gravity for the aircraft and the vectoring means causes the air from the cruise fans to be discharged downwardly at locations behind the center of gravity, whereby the center of gravity is located within a triangle having its apexes at the downwardly directed airstreams created by the fans.

Claim 12

An aircraft according to claim 7, wherein valves are provided for controlling the flow of high energy gases into the fans, the valves for the fans being operable independently of one another.

Claim 13

An aircraft comprising a fuselage; a fixed wing on said fuselage; and means for discharging downwardly directed airstreams from three locations on the aircraft and with sufficient force to exceed the weight of the aircraft for vertical flight thereof, said airstream discharge means for one of said locations being a fan rotating about an upright axis and being in the fuselage ahead of the center of gravity and the other two airstream discharge means being fans rotating about generally horizontal axes and being disposed externally of and at the sides of the fuselage generally to the rear of the wing, the three locations forming the apexes of a triangle and the center of gravity for the aircraft being within the triangle, whereby a stable tripod is developed for supporting the aircraft, and a pair of gas generating turbine engines carried within said fuselage and connected to each of said airstream discharge means.

Claim 14

An aircraft comprising a fuselage; a fixed wing on said fuselage; and means for discharging downwardly directed airstreams from three locations on the aircraft and with sufficient force to exceed the weight of the aircraft for vertical flight thereof, said airstream discharge means for one of said locations being a fan rotating about an upright axis and being in the fuselage ahead of the center of gravity and the other two airstream discharge means being fans rotating about generally horizontal axes and being disposed externally of and at the sides of the fuselage generally to the rear of the wing, the three locations forming the apexes of a triangle and the center of gravity for the aircraft being within the triangle, whereby a stable tripod is developed for supporting the aircraft, and a pair of gas generating turbine engines carried within said fuselage and connected to each of said airstream discharge means.

Claim 15

In an aircraft having a fuselage and a fixed wing on said fuselage having leading and trailing edges and with an upper surface; the improvement of a nacelle structure on the wing at each side of said fuselage, each nacelle having an ambient air inlet, a portion of which is flush with said wing upper surface, powered fan means in each nacelle to induce air flow and generate high lift through the circulation of the ambient air over said wing upper surface, each of said wing nacelles being provided with an adjustable exhaust nozzle located adjacent said wing trailing edge, other powered fan means in said fuselage spaced ahead of said wing leading edge, adjustable flow directing means adjacent said other powered fan means, said adjustable exhaust nozzles and adjustable flow directing means being movable between positions for powering the aircraft in generally vertically directed flight and positions for generally horizontal flight, and pilot control means connected to said exhaust nozzles and said adjustable flow directing means to effect adjustments thereof, said pilot control means in said generally horizontal flight of the aircraft effecting closure of said ajustable flow direct-means at said other powered fan means and stoppage of said latter fan.

Claim 16

In an aircraft having a fuselage and a fixed wing on said fuselage having leading and trailing edges and with an upper surface; the improvement of a nacelle structure on the wing at each side of said fuselage, each nacelle having an ambient air inlet, a portion of which is flush with said wing upper surface, powered fan means in each nacelle to induce air flow and generate high lift through the circulation of the ambient air over said wing upper surface, each of said wing nacelles being provided with an adjustable exhaust nozzle located adjacent said wing trailing edge, other powered fan means in said fuselage spaced ahead of said wing leading edge, adjustable flow directing means adjacent said other powered fan means, said adjustable exhaust nozzles and adjustable flow directing means being movable between positions for powering the aircraft in generally vertically directed flight and positions for generally horizontal flight, and pilot control means connected to said exhaust nozzles and said adjustable flow directing means to effect adjustments thereof, said pilot control means in said generally horizontal flight of the aircraft effecting closure of said ajustable flow direct-means at said other powered fan means and stoppage of said latter fan.

Claim 17

In an aircraft the combination which comprises: a fuselage; a wing on said fuselage; a first fan operably mounted in said fuselage ahead of said wing to rotate on a generally vertical axis; a first gas flow manifold adjacent said first fan to deliver gas for driving the fan, flow vectoring means adjacent said first fan and selectively operable to direct first fan flow vertically down and aft; a nacelle mounted on said wing at each side of said fuselage; a pair of other fans mounted one in each of said nacelles to rotate on a generally horizontal axis; other gas flow manifolds adjacent said other fans to deliver gas for driving the fans; flow vectoring means on each nacelle and selectively operable to direct other fan flow generally aft and vertically down; a pair of gas turbine engines on said aircraft having exhaust gas outlets; duct means connecting one of said engines with a portion of said first manifold and with one of said other manifolds, and connecting the other of said engines with a different portion of said first manifold and with the other of said other manifolds; a cross-flow duct connecting said duct means to each engine; a plurality of valve means operably mounted in said duct means to direct engine exhaust gas to said first and other manifolds for driving said first and other fans to develop aircraft flight producing propulsion; and pilot control means connected to said valve means and to said flow vectoring means to select in a desired sequence vertical, transition and cruise flight modes for the aircraft, said valve means being operable by said pilot control means to continue flight of the aircraft with one engine inoperative.

Claim 18

In an aircraft the combination which comprises: a fuselage; a wing on said fuselage; a first fan operably mounted in said fuselage ahead of said wing to rotate on a generally vertical axis; a first gas flow manifold adjacent said first fan to deliver gas for driving the fan, flow vectoring means adjacent said first fan and selectively operable to direct first fan flow vertically down and aft; a nacelle mounted on said wing at each side of said fuselage; a pair of other fans mounted one in each of said nacelles to rotate on a generally horizontal axis; other gas flow manifolds adjacent said other fans to deliver gas for driving the fans; flow vectoring means on each nacelle and selectively operable to direct other fan flow generally aft and vertically down; a pair of gas turbine engines on said aircraft having exhaust gas outlets; duct means connecting one of said engines with a portion of said first manifold and with one of said other manifolds, and connecting the other of said engines with a different portion of said first manifold and with the other of said other manifolds; a cross-flow duct connecting said duct means to each engine; a plurality of valve means operably mounted in said duct means to direct engine exhaust gas to said first and other manifolds for driving said first and other fans to develop aircraft flight producing propulsion; and pilot control means connected to said valve means and to said flow vectoring means to select in a desired sequence vertical, transition and cruise flight modes for the aircraft, said valve means being operable by said pilot control means to continue flight of the aircraft with one engine inoperative.