Free flight maneuvering toy airplane

Claim 2

A toy airplane adapted to be launched into unpowered free flight, comprising: a rearward wing of elastic material adapted for flexure transversely to the direction of flight in response to aerodynamic forces thereon, and having a trailing edge and a leading edge both transverse to the direction of flight, and a trailing elevator portion continuous the full width of the trailing edge, being angled rearwardly upwardly therefrom, so that the resultant aerodynamic force on said wing is downwardly directed at all flight velocities; a forward wing extending downwardly and forwardly from the leading edge of the rearward wing and adapted to be substantially rigid during flight; stabilizer fin means; and a rigid elongate central backbone member; and wherein the forward rigid and the rearward flexible wing are integral, being of a single sheet of elastic material, the rigid wing comprising a forward portion of the sheet secured fixedly to the backbone, and the flexible wing comprising a rearward portion of the sheet being free to bend downwardly from the backbone.

Claim 3

The airplane of claim 1, wherein: the rigid forward and the flexible rearward wing are configured, sized and positioned upon the airplane so that; the resultant force on the forward wing is downwardly directed and imparts a downward pitching moment to the airplane at the velocities during the initial period of free flight following launch, and the resultant force on the flexible wing is downwardly directed and imparts an upward pitching moment at all velocities throughout the flight, said moment being smaller than said downward pitching moment during the velocities of said initial period of flight, the airplane executing a shallow dive during said initial period, the upward pitching moment from the rearward wing becoming greater than the downward pitching moment of the forward wing at the velocity at the end of the initial period, the plane then pitching upward until the resultant force on the forward wing is upwardly directed and imparts an upward pitching moment to the airplane following said initial period, the plane then executing an upward and backward rolling maneuver.

Claim 4

The airplane of claim 2, wherein: the direction of flight of the airplane changes at least approximately 270° during the rolling maneuver.

Claim 5

The airplane of claim 3, wherein: the airplane is adapted for nose up gliding flight to ground following said maneuver, when it is launched substantially upwardly from horizontal.

Claim 6

The airplane of claim 3, being adapted for a launch velocity of 50 to 60 miles per hour.

Claim 7

The airplane of claim 5, being adapted to execute the rolling maneuver approximately 40 to 50 feet from the point of launch.

Claim 8

The airplane of claim 1, wherein: the single sheet of elastic material is of calendered vinyl of 0.010" thickness, in the shape of a triangle having a height in the direction of the backbone of 61/4" and an elevator width of 1/2"; the back bone member comprises a rearmost portion 3" long and a foremost portion 31/4" long joined by a central curved portion so that the foremost portion is angled with respect to the rearmost portion approximately 10°; and the width of the flexible wing is 11/4" in width measured parallel to the backbone, and the elevator portion is angled upwardly 45° and is 1/2" in width.

Claim 9

The airplane of claim 1, wherein: the rigid forward and the flexible rearward wing are configured, sized and positioned upon the airplane so that the airplane, when released to fall nose down under the influence of gravity pitches into gliding flight before reaching its terminal falling velocity.