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US5405105A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Tilt wing VTOL aircraft

Assignee: HUDSON VALLEY V/STOL AIRCRAFT Inc
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Filing: 1993-05-28
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Granted: 1995-04-11
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Expires: 2013-05-28
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Abstract

Abstract A tilt wing VTOL aircraft has a fuselage with sides and an upper surface, an upper wing having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a chord, a lower surface and an upper surface. The wing is pivotally mounted on the fuselage for rotation from a cruise flight position in which the upper surface of the wing is flush with the upper surface of the fuselage to a hover position in which the wing is perpendicular to the upper surface of the fuselage. Aircraft engines are mounted on the wing. The aircraft has a pair of flaps at the trailing edge of the wing, each located between the fuselage and an engine and each spaced the same distance from the fuselage and each of the engines. The flaps are mounted for selective movement from colinearity with the chord of the wing to a first angle of about +30° with the chord and about 30° with the upper surface of the wing and to a second angle of about -30° with the chord and about 30° with the lower surface of the wing. When the flaps are between a small angle with the chord and the first angle with the chord, the aircraft moves in a forward horizontal direction while in hover and when the flaps are between a small angle with the chord and at the second angle with the chord, the aircraft moves in a reverse horizontal direction while in hover. The horizontal motion forces are produced by the propeller slipstream acting on the wing flaps and because the flap aerodynmnic center of gravity is at essentially the same height as the aircraft center of gravity.

Inventors

  • 👤 Robert W. Kress

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-05 08:50
CPC Classifications
B; B64; B64C; B64C29/00; B64C29/0008; B64C29/0016; B64C29/0033

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim 133 words
A tilt wing VTOL aircraft having a fuselage with sides and an upper surface, an upper wing having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a chord, a lower surface and an upper surface, said wing being pivotally mounted on said fuselage for rotation from a cruise flight position in which the upper surface of said wing is substantially flush with the upper surface of said fuselage to a hover position in which said wing is substantially perpendicular to said upper surface of said fuselage and aircraft engines mounted on said wing and extending forward of said leading edge of said wing, said aircraft comprising direct horizontal motion control means mounted inboard at the trailing edge of said wing for direct aircraft translation devoid of rotation when said wing is in the hover position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 133 words
A tilt wing VTOL aircraft having a fuselage with sides and an upper surface, an upper wing having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a chord, a lower surface and an upper surface, said wing being pivotally mounted on said fuselage for rotation from a cruise flight position in which the upper surface of said wing is substantially flush with the upper surface of said fuselage to a hover position in which said wing is substantially perpendicular to said upper surface of said fuselage and aircraft engines mounted on said wing and extending forward of said leading edge of said wing, said aircraft comprising direct horizontal motion control means mounted inboard at the trailing edge of said wing for direct aircraft translation devoid of rotation when said wing is in the hover position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 61 words
A tilt wing VTOL aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein said aircraft has a center of gravity at a determined height and wherein said direct horizontal motion control means comprises flaps at the trailing edge of said wing and said flaps have an aerodynamic center of pressure at essentially the same height as said center of gravity of said aircraft.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 35 words
A tilt wing VTOL aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein said direct horizontal motion control means comprises a pair of spaced flaps at the trailing edge of said wing equidistantly spaced from said fuselage.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 48 words
A tilt wing VTOL aircraft as claimed in claim 3, wherein said flaps are located between said fuselage and said aircraft engines and each of said flaps is positioned the same distance from the engine closest to it and the same distance from the engine farthest from it.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 64 words
A tilt wing VTOL aircraft as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of said flaps is mounted for selective movement from substantial colinearity with the chord of said wing to a first angle with said chord and said upper surface of said wing and to a second angle, substantially equal to said first angle, with said chord and said lower surface of said wing.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 50 words
A tilt wing VTOL aircraft as claimed in claim 5, wherein said first angle is substantially +30° with said chord and substantially 30° with said upper surface of said wing and said second angle is substantially -30° with said chord and substantially 30° with said lower surface of said wing.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 76 words
A tilt wing VTOL aircraft as claimed in claim 5, wherein when said flaps are positioned between a substantially small angle with said chord and the first angle with said chord, said aircraft moves in a forward substantially horizontal direction while in hover and when said flaps are positioned between a substantially small angle with said chord and the second angle with said chord, said aircraft moves in a reverse substantially horizontal direction while in hover.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 257 words
A tilt wing VTOL aircraft having a fuselage with sides and an upper surface, an upper wing having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a chord, a lower surface and an upper surface, said wing being pivotally mounted on said fuselage for rotation from a cruise flight position in which the upper surface of said wing is substantially flush with the upper surface of said fuselage to a hover position in which said wing is substantially perpendicular to said upper surface of said fuselage and aircraft engines mounted on said wing, said aircraft comprising a pair of flaps at the trailing edge of said wing each located between said fuselage and an engine and each spaced substantially the same distance from the fuselage and each of said engines, said flaps being mounted for selective movement from substantial colinearity with the chord of said wing to a first angle of substantially +30° with said chord and substantially 30° with said upper surface of said wing and to a second angle of substantially -30° with said chord and substantially 30° with said lower surface of said wing, whereby when said flaps are between a substantially small angle with said chord and the first angle with said chord, said aircraft moves in a forward substantially horizontal direction substantially devoid of rotation while in hover and when said flaps are between a substantially small angle with said chord and the second angle with said chord, said aircraft moves in a reverse substantially horizontal direction substantially devoid of rotation while in hover.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 257 words
A tilt wing VTOL aircraft having a fuselage with sides and an upper surface, an upper wing having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a chord, a lower surface and an upper surface, said wing being pivotally mounted on said fuselage for rotation from a cruise flight position in which the upper surface of said wing is substantially flush with the upper surface of said fuselage to a hover position in which said wing is substantially perpendicular to said upper surface of said fuselage and aircraft engines mounted on said wing, said aircraft comprising a pair of flaps at the trailing edge of said wing each located between said fuselage and an engine and each spaced substantially the same distance from the fuselage and each of said engines, said flaps being mounted for selective movement from substantial colinearity with the chord of said wing to a first angle of substantially +30° with said chord and substantially 30° with said upper surface of said wing and to a second angle of substantially -30° with said chord and substantially 30° with said lower surface of said wing, whereby when said flaps are between a substantially small angle with said chord and the first angle with said chord, said aircraft moves in a forward substantially horizontal direction substantially devoid of rotation while in hover and when said flaps are between a substantially small angle with said chord and the second angle with said chord, said aircraft moves in a reverse substantially horizontal direction substantially devoid of rotation while in hover.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 21 words
A tilt wing VTOL aircraft as claimed in claim 8, wherein said aircraft engines constitute at least two engines driving propellers.
Claim 12
Independent Claim 168 words
A method of selectively moving a tilt wing VTOL aircraft in forward and reverse directions when the aircraft is in hover, said aircraft having a center of gravity at a determined height, a fuselage with sides and an upper surface, an upper wing having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a chord, a lower surface and an upper surface, said wing being pivotally mounted on said fuselage for rotation from a cruise flight position on which the upper surface of said wing is substantially flush with the upper surface of said fuselage to a hover position in which said wing is substantially perpendicular to said upper surface of said fuselage and aircraft engines mounted on said wing, said method comprising the step of mounting a pair of flaps at the trailing edge of said wing with a flap aerodynamic center of pressure at essentially the same height as said center of gravity of said aircraft and said flaps being further mounted between said fuselage and said aircraft engines.
Claim 13
Independent Claim 168 words
A method of selectively moving a tilt wing VTOL aircraft in forward and reverse directions when the aircraft is in hover, said aircraft having a center of gravity at a determined height, a fuselage with sides and an upper surface, an upper wing having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a chord, a lower surface and an upper surface, said wing being pivotally mounted on said fuselage for rotation from a cruise flight position on which the upper surface of said wing is substantially flush with the upper surface of said fuselage to a hover position in which said wing is substantially perpendicular to said upper surface of said fuselage and aircraft engines mounted on said wing, said method comprising the step of mounting a pair of flaps at the trailing edge of said wing with a flap aerodynamic center of pressure at essentially the same height as said center of gravity of said aircraft and said flaps being further mounted between said fuselage and said aircraft engines.
Claim 14
Independent Claim 284 words
A method of selectively moving a tilt wing VTOL aircraft in forward and reverse directions when the aircraft is in hover, said aircraft having a center of gravity at a determined height, a fuselage with sides and an upper surface, an upper wing having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a chord, a lower surface and an upper surface, said wing being pivotally mounted on said fuselage for rotation from a cruise flight position in which the upper surface of said wing is substantially flush with the upper surface of said fuselage to a hover position in which said wing is substantially perpendicular to said upper surface of said fuselage and aircraft engines mounted on said wing, said method comprising the steps of mounting a pair of flaps at the trailing edge of said wing with a flap aerodynamic center of pressure at essentially the same height as said center of gravity of said aircraft; and mounting the flaps inboard on said wing for selective movement from substantial colinearity with the chord of said wing to a first angle with said chord and said upper surface of said wing and to a second angle, substantially equal to said first angle, with said chord and said lower surface of said wing, wherein when said flaps are positioned between a substantially small angle with said chord and the first angle with said chord, said aircraft moves in a forward substantially horizontal direction substantially devoid of rotation while in hover and when said flaps are positioned between a substantially small angle with said chord and the second angle with said chord, said aircraft moves in a reverse substantially horizontal direction substantially devoid of rotation while in hover.
Claim 15
Independent Claim 284 words
A method of selectively moving a tilt wing VTOL aircraft in forward and reverse directions when the aircraft is in hover, said aircraft having a center of gravity at a determined height, a fuselage with sides and an upper surface, an upper wing having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a chord, a lower surface and an upper surface, said wing being pivotally mounted on said fuselage for rotation from a cruise flight position in which the upper surface of said wing is substantially flush with the upper surface of said fuselage to a hover position in which said wing is substantially perpendicular to said upper surface of said fuselage and aircraft engines mounted on said wing, said method comprising the steps of mounting a pair of flaps at the trailing edge of said wing with a flap aerodynamic center of pressure at essentially the same height as said center of gravity of said aircraft; and mounting the flaps inboard on said wing for selective movement from substantial colinearity with the chord of said wing to a first angle with said chord and said upper surface of said wing and to a second angle, substantially equal to said first angle, with said chord and said lower surface of said wing, wherein when said flaps are positioned between a substantially small angle with said chord and the first angle with said chord, said aircraft moves in a forward substantially horizontal direction substantially devoid of rotation while in hover and when said flaps are positioned between a substantially small angle with said chord and the second angle with said chord, said aircraft moves in a reverse substantially horizontal direction substantially devoid of rotation while in hover.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 47 words
A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said first angle is substantially +30° with said chord and substantially 30° with said upper surface of said wing and said second angle is substantially -30° with said chord and substantially 30° with said lower surface of said wing.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3179352A Cited
US3197157A Cited
US3107882A Cited
US3136499A Cited
GB1003940A Cited
GB1127102A Cited
US3666209A Cited
US5096140A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1998-04-10 1998-10-10 1999-04-11 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2002-04-10 2002-10-10 2003-04-11 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2006-04-10 2006-10-10 2007-04-11 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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