Composite configuration aircraft

Abstract

The invention discloses a composite configuration aircraft which comprises a fuselage, an undercarriage arranged below the fuselage, a main rotor wing unit arranged above the fuselage and a horizontal tail arranged at the rear end of the fuselage and further comprises tilting rotor wing units arranged on the two sides of the fuselage and located below the main rotor wing unit in space. The vertical fins are longitudinally arranged in space and are positioned at the tail end of the fuselage; and the tail rotor is arranged at the tail end of the fuselage and is spatially vertical to the vertical fin. Compared with the prior art, on the basis of an existing helicopter structure, the tilting rotor wing unit is additionally arranged to serve as an auxiliary power source, and therefore the using load of the helicopter can be effectively improved when the helicopter vertically takes off and lands and flies forwards at a low speed; when the helicopter flies forwards at a high speed, the forward flying tension can be effectively improved, so that the maximum use load of a conventional helicopter can be increased, and the maximum forward flying speed of the conventional helicopter is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aircraft design. More specifically, this invention relates to a composite configuration aircraft. Background Technology

[0002] Helicopters, due to their unique structural form, possess outstanding hovering, low-altitude, low-speed performance, and good maneuverability, playing an irreplaceable role in many fields. However, the maximum takeoff weight of conventional single-rotor helicopters with tail rotors is mainly determined by the maximum thrust of the main rotor, and their maximum forward speed is mainly affected by the blade tip speed, resulting in relatively low flight speeds. Based on this, existing technologies have proposed composite configuration aircraft to broaden the flight speed range of helicopters, such as a composite high-speed helicopter based on a conventional rotor configuration (patent application number 202110934150.X) and a composite high-speed helicopter with a tilting tail rotor (patent application number 202022325198.4). Both of these helicopters have a pair of cooperating main wings and rotors below the rotor that provides lift to provide thrust. The problem with these designs is that they cannot increase the maximum payload or the maximum forward speed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] One object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and / or defects, and to provide advantages that will be described later.

[0004] To achieve these objectives and other advantages of the present invention, a composite configuration aircraft is provided, including a fuselage, landing gear disposed below the fuselage, a main rotor unit disposed above the fuselage, and a horizontal stabilizer disposed at the rear of the fuselage, and further comprising: Tiltrotor units are located on both sides of the fuselage and are spatially located below the main rotor units; The vertical tail is arranged longitudinally in space and located at the end of the fuselage; The tail rotor is located at the end of the fuselage and is arranged vertically to the vertical tail in space.

[0005] Preferably, the tilt rotor unit includes: Short wings arranged on either side of the fuselage; Tiltrotors that are paired with corresponding short wings; A tilting power mechanism used to connect two tilting rotors into a single structure.

[0006] Preferably, the main rotor unit is connected to the engine, and the tilt rotor unit is connected to a generator located inside the fuselage.

[0007] Preferably, the tilt rotor is configured to employ a variable collective pitch rotor structure.

[0008] Preferably, the variable collective pitch rotor structure includes a rotor module and a variable pitch module; The rotor module includes: a rotor hub, blades, and a motor shaft that is driven to the rotor hub. The pitch control module includes: a servo motor, a connecting rod that is driven to the output end of the servo motor, and a pitch control lever that works with the connecting rod to complete collective pitch control.

[0009] The present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: Compared with the prior art, this invention adds a tiltrotor unit as a secondary power source to the existing helicopter configuration. Therefore, it can effectively increase the helicopter's payload during vertical takeoff and landing and low-speed forward flight; and can effectively increase the forward thrust when the helicopter is flying at high speed. Thus, it can increase the maximum payload of conventional helicopter configurations and increase the maximum forward speed of conventional helicopters.

[0010] Other advantages, objectives and features of the present invention will become apparent in part from the following description, and in part from those skilled in the art through study and practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a composite configuration aircraft in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the tilting power mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the variable collective pitch tilt rotor structure in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the state of a composite configuration aircraft when the aircraft is hovering, as shown in one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the state of a composite configuration aircraft when it transitions from hovering to forward flight phase, as described in one embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0012] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can implement it based on the description.

[0013] It should be understood that terms such as “having,” “comprising,” and “including” as used herein do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other elements or combinations thereof.

[0014] It should be noted that in the description of this invention, the orientations or positional relationships indicated by terms are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description. They do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting this invention. In addition, the terms "I" and "II" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0015] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "equipped", "sleeved / connected", "connected", etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0016] Furthermore, in this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Moreover, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0017] Example 1 A composite configuration aircraft, the structure of which is as follows Figure 1-2 As shown, the fuselage includes a fuselage 1, a landing gear 2 located below the fuselage 1, a main rotor unit 3 located above the fuselage 1, and a horizontal stabilizer 4 located at the rear of the fuselage 1. It also includes: The tilt rotor unit 5 is located on both sides of the fuselage 1 and is spatially located below the main rotor unit 3. The function of the tilt rotor unit is to increase the maximum operating load of the conventional configuration helicopter. The vertical tail 6, which is arranged longitudinally in space and located at the end of the fuselage 1, has the effect of cooperating with the tail rotor, stabilizing the course, sharing the tail rotor load, and improving the efficiency of high-speed flight.

[0018] The tail rotor 7, located at the end of the fuselage 1 and arranged vertically to the vertical tail 6, has the function of counteracting the main rotor's anti-torque and controlling the heading.

[0019] The main body of this embodiment is a conventional single-rotor helicopter with a tail rotor configuration. An additional stub wing and tilt rotor are added to form the tilt rotor unit 5. In practical applications, the tilt rotor 8 of the tilt rotor unit 5 is connected to the fuselage 1 via a tilting mechanism 9. The tilt rotor 8 can rotate relative to the stub wing. When the helicopter takes off and lands vertically or flies forward at low speed, the main axis of the tilt rotor is parallel to the main axis of the main rotor unit in space, effectively increasing the helicopter's payload. When the helicopter flies forward at high speed, the main axis of the tilt rotor is perpendicular to the main axis of the main rotor in space, effectively increasing forward thrust. Therefore, this composite configuration, compared to existing technologies, can increase the maximum payload and maximum forward speed of conventional helicopters.

[0020] Working principle: In this embodiment, the helicopter's conventional flight functions are achieved directly through the cooperation of the main rotor unit 3 and the tail rotor 7. When the aircraft is hovering, the tilt rotor 8 adds additional thrust, increasing the maximum operating load. Figure 4 As shown; During the transition from hovering to forward flight, this embodiment relies on the main rotor unit 3 to generate forward thrust, gradually increasing the aircraft's forward speed. At this time, the power required by the main rotor unit 3 gradually decreases. Once the engine power meets the aircraft's power requirements at this weight, the tiltrotor 8 reduces collective pitch and speed, and tilts to a horizontal position, as shown below. Figure 5 As shown; Furthermore, after the tiltrotor 8 rotates to the horizontal direction, the lift in this embodiment is mainly generated by the main rotor unit 3 and the short wing, the flight thrust is mainly generated by the tiltrotor, and the anti-torque is still balanced by the tail rotor. Therefore, in this mode, the speed and collective pitch of the main rotor and tiltrotor can be optimized and controlled with noise as the optimization target, flight time as the optimal value, or flight range as the optimal value.

[0021] Example 2 This second embodiment is a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and its specific structure is as follows: Figure 1-2 As shown, it discloses the following improvements based on implementation method 1: The tilt rotor unit 5 includes: Short wings 10 are arranged opposite each other on both sides of the fuselage 1; Tilting rotors 8, each corresponding to a short wing; Tilting power mechanism 9 is used to connect two tilting rotors 8 into a single structure.

[0022] In practical applications, the tilting power mechanism 9 includes a tilting shaft 17 that runs through the fuselage and wing. In practical applications, the tilting shaft 17 serves as a support structure for the tilting nacelle. One of its functions is to improve the lateral stiffness of the wing and fuselage. Another function is to serve as the driving force application point for the tilting main power device and the tilting auxiliary power device, which is used for the tilting nacelle to perform mode conversion. The tilting power unit 18, located inside the fuselage, spatially employs an electric actuator or any other mechanism capable of power drive. (It should be noted that in practical applications, the output end of the electric actuator is connected to the tilting shaft 17 via a connecting rod, allowing the linear force of the actuator to be converted into the rotational force of the tilting shaft 17. Alternatively, a rack structure can be installed at the front end of the actuator, with a gear on the tilting shaft 17 that meshes with the rack, similarly converting the linear force of the actuator into the rotational force of the tilting shaft 17. However, since the connection between this power source and the tilting shaft 17 is existing technology, only two feasible methods are listed here.) Figure 2 The connection method has been simplified without affecting its feasibility. The push rod can be used as a single-point output (i.e., one output node is connected to the center node of the tilting shaft 17 to ensure the stability of its output) or as a two-point output (if two output nodes are connected to the tilting shaft 17, the two nodes are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the center node of the tilting shaft 17 to ensure the stability of its output). It should be noted that, whether it is a single-point output, a two-point output, or even a three-point output (i.e., the superposition of single-point and double-point), the connection structure and connection method between the power output end of the tilting main power device 18 and the tilting shaft 17 are all existing technologies and will not be described here. Tilting auxiliary power devices I19 and II20 are arranged symmetrically on both sides of the tilting main power device 18 inside the fuselage. The tilting auxiliary power devices I19 and II20 are spatially symmetrically arranged based on the center plane of the fuselage. The symmetrical arrangement can ensure the stability and controllability of its force transmission. Compared with the existing technology, the design of tilting auxiliary power devices I19 and II20 is equivalent to a redundant power source, so that when the main power source is abnormal, the auxiliary power source can ensure the normal operation of the equipment, thereby increasing the controllability and safety of the equipment operation. The tilting shaft 17 is configured as a three-section structure including a left driven shaft 21, a middle driving shaft 22, and a right driven shaft 23. Each section is connected to the other by two cooperating bidirectional overrunning clutches I 24 and II 25 to form an integrated structure. Through the segmented structure design of the tilting shaft 17 and the two cooperating bidirectional overrunning clutches, it can better cooperate with the main and auxiliary power sources to match different working modes under different working conditions. The tilting main power device 18 is connected to the middle section drive shaft 22, and the tilting auxiliary power device I 19 and tilting auxiliary power device II 20 are respectively connected to the left section driven shaft 21 and the right section driven shaft 23.

[0023] Working principle: Under normal aircraft conditions, the tilt auxiliary power unit is in a free state and does not output driving force. When the flight crew issues a command for aircraft mode conversion, the tilt active power unit 18 outputs driving force, which causes the push rod to extend and drive the mid-section active shaft 22 to rotate around its own axis. The rotational torque transmitted by the mid-section active shaft 22 is transmitted to the active input end of the two-way overrunning clutch I 24 and two-way overrunning clutch II 25, and then to the driven output end of the two-way overrunning clutch I 24 and two-way overrunning clutch II 25. The driven output end drives the left section driven shaft 21 and the right section driven shaft 23 to rotate, thereby driving the tilt auxiliary power unit and the corresponding tilt nacelle 26 to rotate, completing the mode conversion.

[0024] When the tilt-start power unit malfunctions or jams, the aircraft initiates an emergency response procedure. The aircraft needs to switch from fixed-wing mode to helicopter mode or maintain helicopter mode. Tilting auxiliary power units I 19 and II 20 are in operation. The push rods on tilt-start power units I 19 and II 20 extend, thereby driving the left driven shaft 21 and right driven shaft 23 to rotate around their own axes, further driving the tilt nacelle 26 to rotate. At this time, the middle section drive shaft 22 does not rotate; or the driving force output by tilt-start power units I 19 and II 20 locks the tilt nacelle 26 in a vertical state to prevent it from tilting.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, this embodiment adopts a redundant configuration for the aircraft's rotor tilting power. In the event of an abnormality or drive jamming in the tilting main power device 18, the tilting auxiliary power device can lock the tilting nacelle 26 into a vertical state, which greatly improves the safety of the aircraft and ensures that the aircraft can still land safely under extreme conditions.

[0026] Example 3 This third embodiment, as a preferred embodiment of the present invention, discloses the following improvements based on embodiment 1: The main rotor unit 3 is connected to the engine, and the tilt rotor unit is connected to a generator located inside the fuselage 1. In practical applications, the main rotor unit 3 is driven by a conventional helicopter engine, while the tilt rotor unit is driven by a generator located inside the fuselage 1. This method ensures that the two do not interfere with each other, and the torque is controllable, resulting in greater operability.

[0027] Example 4 This embodiment 4, as a preferred embodiment of the present invention, discloses the following improvements based on embodiment 1: The tilt rotor 8 is configured to employ a variable collective pitch rotor structure, and the variable collective pitch rotor structure includes a rotor module and a variable pitch module. The rotor module includes: a rotor hub 11, blades 12, and a motor shaft 13 that is drivenly connected to the rotor hub 11. The pitch control module includes: a servo motor 14, a connecting rod 15 that is connected to the output end of the servo motor 4, and a pitch control lever 16 that works with the connecting rod 15 to complete collective pitch control. In practical applications, both the rotor module and the pitch control module are encapsulated through corresponding tilting nacelles 26.

[0028] Working principle: In a tiltrotor with variable collective pitch, the rotor hub is driven to rotate by the motor shaft (the motor shaft is the output shaft of the electric motor in the tilt nacelle, and its connection, positional relationship and working principle are all in the prior art, so they will not be described in detail here), and the blades on the rotor hub also rotate at high speed, thus generating different forces (such as thrust) in different working states. In a tiltrotor with variable collective pitch, the change in collective pitch is achieved by rotating a servo motor to change the position of a linkage, which in turn drives a variable pitch lever connected to the linkage to perform collective pitch control. It should be noted that the connection and transmission methods between the rotor module and the variable pitch module are existing technologies, so their principles will not be described here.

[0029] The above solutions are merely illustrative examples of preferred embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Appropriate substitutions and / or modifications can be made according to user needs when implementing this invention.

[0030] The number of devices and processing scale described herein are for the purpose of simplifying the description of the invention. Applications, modifications, and variations of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0031] Although embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed above, they are not limited to the applications listed in the specification and embodiments. It can be applied to various fields suitable for the present invention. Other modifications can be readily made by those skilled in the art. Therefore, without departing from the general concept defined by the claims and their equivalents, the present invention is not limited to the specific details and examples shown and described herein.

Claims

1. A composite configuration aircraft, comprising a fuselage, landing gear disposed below the fuselage, a main rotor unit disposed above the fuselage, and a horizontal stabilizer disposed at the rear of the fuselage, characterized in that, Also includes: Tiltrotor units are located on both sides of the fuselage and are spatially located below the main rotor units; The vertical tail is arranged longitudinally in space and located at the end of the fuselage; The tail rotor is located at the end of the fuselage and is arranged vertically to the vertical tail in space.

2. The composite configuration aircraft as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The tilt rotor unit includes: Short wings arranged on either side of the fuselage; Tiltrotors that are paired with corresponding short wings; A tilting power mechanism used to connect two tilting rotors into a single structure.

3. The composite configuration aircraft as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The main rotor unit is connected to the engine, and the tilt rotor unit is connected to a generator located inside the fuselage.

4. The composite configuration aircraft as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The tilt rotor is configured to employ a variable collective pitch rotor structure.

5. The composite configuration aircraft as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The variable total pitch rotor structure includes a rotor module and a variable pitch module; The rotor module includes: a rotor hub, blades, and a motor shaft that is driven to the rotor hub. The pitch control module includes: a servo motor, a connecting rod that is driven to the output end of the servo motor, and a pitch control lever that works with the connecting rod to complete collective pitch control.

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