aircraft

Abstract

aircraft (10), with a fuselage (11) providing a passenger compartment, with wings (13) attached to the fuselage (11), with lift units (14, 15) which are designed to enable vertical take-off and landing of the aircraft (10), with at least one propulsion unit (12) which is designed to provide propulsion of the aircraft (10) after take-off of the aircraft (10) as well as during take-off and during landing, characterized by one used to illuminate the passenger compartment Passenger cabin lighting (23), an instrument system (24) used for controlling the aircraft by a pilot, which has an instrument lighting and / or at least one display, wherein, when a percentage climb-descent rate of the aircraft (10) is less than a limit value, the passenger cabin lighting (23) and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display illuminates in a first color and / or with a first intensity, wherein, when the percentage climb-descent rate of the aircraft (10) is greater than the limit value, the passenger cabin lighting (23) and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display illuminates in a second color and / or with a second intensity, wherein the determination of the color and / or intensity with which the passenger compartment lighting (23), in particular the ambient lighting, and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display of the instrument system (24) illuminates, is carried out fully automatically.

Description

The invention relates to an aircraft according to the preamble of claim 1 and according to the preamble of claim 3, respectively.DE 10 2020 133 449 B3 discloses an aircraft according to the preamble of patent claims 1 and 5, respectively. The aircraft disclosed therein has a fuselage which provides an aircraft passenger cell, and wings which engage the fuselage. The aircraft further comprises lift units configured to enable vertical takeoff and landing of the aircraft. These lift units are a plurality of wing lift units and at least one nose lift unit. Furthermore, the aircraft has at least one propulsion unit which can provide propulsion for the aircraft after the aircraft has been started, as well as during the takeoff and landing.US 2022 / 0 340 268 A1 discloses an assistance system for a pilot of an aircraft. Depending on information about the flight phase in which the aircraft is located, and depending on the state of a chassis, messages are generated in acoustic form and / or visual form.US 2015 / 0 116 345 A1 discloses a display module of an aircraft.U.S. Pat. No. 10,755,689 B1 discloses a cabin system of an aircraft with dynamic noise reduction.US 2021 / 0 231 277 A1 discloses an aircraft lighting system.DE 10 2015 010 918 A1, DE 10 2017 004 579 A1, DE 10 2021 113 848 A1 and DE 10 2021 117 274 A1 each disclose flight phase-dependent lighting scenarios for aircraft.DE 10 2019,003 553 A1 discloses an automated announcement device for messages to passengers depending on specific flight phases.Depending on whether an aircraft starts or lands according to the preamble of claim 1 or 3 or is operated in a regular flight mode after starting and before landing, it has significantly different flight properties. This is particularly due to the fact that the lift units are active for starting and landing and the lift units are inactive in regular flight operation after starting and before landing.There is a need to provide a pilot and / or passenger with feedback as to whether the flight characteristics of the aircraft are more likely to match the flight characteristics of a regular flight operation after takeoff and before landing or more likely the flight characteristics during takeoff and landing.The object of the invention is to provide a corresponding aircraft. This object is achieved by an aircraft according to claim 1 and by an aircraft according to claim 3.The aircraft according to claim 1 has an aircraft passenger cell lighting serving for the lighting of the aircraft passenger cell and an instrument system serving for the control of the aircraft by a pilot having an instrument lighting and / or having at least one display.Then, if a percentage ascent-descent rate of the aircraft is less than a threshold value, according to claim 1 the passenger cell lighting, in particular an ambient lighting, and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display lights up in a first color and / or with a first intensity.Then, if the percentage ascent-descent rate of the aircraft is greater than the limit value, according to claim 1 the passenger cell lighting, in particular the ambient lighting, and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display lights up in a second color and / or with a second intensity.Depending on the percentage ascent-descent rate of the aircraft, a pilot and / or passengers can advantageously be provided with feedback as to whether the flight properties of the aircraft more closely correspond to the flight properties in regular flight operation after takeoff and before landing or the flight properties in takeoff and landing.The determination of the color and / or the intensity with which the passenger cell lighting, in particular the ambient lighting, and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display of the instrument system lights up is carried out fully automatically.The percentage ascent-descent rate is obtained from the ratio of an ascent height or descent height of the aircraft to the flight distance covered in the horizontal direction. For example, if the altitude of the aircraft is 5 feet per 100 feet flight distance in the horizontal direction, the percentage altitude is 5%.Preferably, up to a percentage rise-fall rate of the aircraft of at most 15%, the passenger cell lighting, in particular the ambient lighting, and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display lights up in the first color and / or with the intensity, wherein, starting from a percentage rise-fall rate of the aircraft of more than 15%, the passenger cell lighting, in particular the ambient lighting, and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display lights up in the second color and / or with the second intensity. This development is based on the finding that up to a percentage ascent-descent rate of at most 15%, the flight properties of the aircraft more closely correspond to the flight properties of a regular flight operation after launching or before landing, and that at a percentage ascent-descent rate of more than 15%, the flight properties of the aircraft more closely correspond to those of landing and launching.The aircraft according to claim 3 also has an aircraft passenger cell lighting serving for the lighting of the aircraft passenger cell and an instrument system serving for the control of the aircraft by a pilot having an instrument lighting and / or having at least one display.Then, when all the wing lift units of the aircraft are inactive, according to claim 3 the passenger cell lighting, in particular the ambient lighting, and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display lights up in a first color and / or with a first intensity.Then, when at least one wing lift unit of the aircraft is active, according to claim 3 the passenger cell lighting, in particular the ambient lighting, and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display lights up in a second color and / or with a second intensity.The determination of the color and / or the intensity with which the passenger cell lighting, in particular the ambient lighting, and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display of the instrument system lights up is carried out fully automatically.This also advantageously allows a pilot and passengers to be given feedback about the flight properties of the aircraft, i.e. whether the flight properties thereof more closely correspond to the flight properties during take-off or landing or more closely correspond to the flight properties of a regular flight operation after take-off or landing.Preferably, it is provided that when slat units of all wing lift units are closed, the passenger cell lighting, in particular the ambient lighting, and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display lights up in a first color and / or with a first intensity, whereas when the slat unit of at least one wing lift unit is at least partially or completely opened, the passenger cell lighting, in particular the ambient lighting, and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display lights up in a second color and / or with a second intensity.Preferably, when at least one nose lift unit is active, the passenger cell lighting, in particular the ambient lighting, and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display lights up in the second color and / or with the second intensity. The nose lift unit also has an influence on the flight properties of the aircraft. If the or each nose lift unit is active, the flight characteristics of the aircraft more closely match the flight characteristics at takeoff and landing.Preferred developments of the invention are evident from the dependent claims and the following description.Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail with reference to the drawings, without being restricted thereto. The following shows: FIG. 1 is a side view of an aircraft, FIG. 2 is a top view of the aircraft, FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a propeller of the aircraft, which propeller is designed as a ducted propeller, together with slat units.FIGS. 1 and 2 show different views of an aircraft 10. the aircraft 10 has a fuselage 11 which provides, inter alia, an aircraft passenger cell. Furthermore, the aircraft 10 has wings 13 which engage the fuselage 11.The aircraft 10 is a so-called vertical launcher which lifts from a ground vertically when launching and lands vertically on a ground when landing. In order to enable such a vertical take-off and landing of the aircraft 10, the aircraft 10 has at least one wing lift unit 14 each, at least in the region of each wing 13, which is also referred to as a wing lift unit (WLU). In the exemplary embodiment shown, three such wing lift units 14 are present for each wing 13.The vertical take-off and landing of the aircraft 10, which takes place by using the wing lift units 14, can be supported by at least one nose lift unit 15 which engages a nose 16 of the fuselage 11 of the aircraft 10. A nose lift unit 15 is also referred to as a nose lift unit (NLU).In Figs. 1 and 2 such a nose lift unit 15 is shown positioned on one side of the torso 11. Two such nose lift units 15 can also be used.The nose lift units 15 are preferably pivotable with respect to the fuselage 11, namely in such a way that for launching and landing the respective nose lift unit 15 is actively pivoted out of the fuselage 11 for this purpose, whereas for a flight operation after launching and before landing of the aircraft 10 the respective nose lift unit 15 is inactive and for this purpose pivoted into the fuselage 11.For advancing the aircraft 10 after it has been started, the aircraft 10 has at least one advancing unit 12, in the exemplary embodiment shown two advancing units 12, which are integrated into the tail of the fuselage 11.FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a wing lift unit 14 comprising a ducted propeller 17. The ducted propeller 17 has a rotor-side propeller 18 and a stator-side duct 19. FIG. 3 furthermore shows, as further assemblies of the wing lift unit 14, lamella units 20, 21, namely an upper lamella unit 20 and a lower lamella unit 21.For launching and landing, the wing lift units 14 are active, for which purpose in the exemplary embodiment shown the two slat units 20, 21 are open and open a flow duct 22 defined by the casing 19 of the ducted propeller 17 for a flow.If, on the other hand, the wing lift units 14 are not required and are then inactive, in particular during regular flight operation after starting and before landing, the slat units 20, 21 are closed and close the flow channel 22 of the casing 19 of the respective ducted propeller 17.Depending on whether the aircraft 10 is operated during takeoff and landing or during a regular flight operation after takeoff and landing, the aircraft 10 has significantly different flight properties.In order now to provide a pilot or passengers of the aircraft 10 with a feedback about the flight properties of the aircraft in a simple and reliable manner, it is provided according to a first aspect of the invention that, if a percentage ascent-descent rate of the aircraft is less than a threshold value, a passenger cell lighting 23, in particular an ambient lighting, and / or an instrument lighting and / or at least one display of an instrument system 24 of the aircraft illuminates in a first color and / or with a first intensity, whereas, if the percentage ascent-descent rate of the aircraft 10 is greater than the threshold value, the passenger cell lighting 23, in particular the ambient lighting, illuminates, and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display of the instrument system 24 illuminates in a second color and / or with a second intensity. Thus, a pilot and passengers of the aircraft 10 can be provided with information about the flight properties of the aircraft in a simple and reliable manner.If the flight properties of the aircraft 10 more closely correspond to the flight properties during landing or takeoff, the passenger cell lighting 23, in particular the ambient lighting, and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display of the instrument system 24 lights in the second color and / or in the second intensity, whereas if the flight properties of the aircraft 10 more closely correspond to the flight properties of the regular flight operation after takeoff and before landing of the aircraft 10, the passenger cell lighting 23, in particular the ambient lighting, and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display of the instrument system 24 lights in the first color and / or with the first intensity. The percentage ascent-descent rate corresponds to the percentage ratio between a vertical ascent height or descent height with respect to a flight distance covered in the horizontal direction. If the vertical ascent or descent is 10 feet per 100 feet of flight distance travelled horizontally, the percentage ascent-descent rate is 10%.Preferably, the limit value for the percentage ascent-descent rate of the aircraft 10, as a function of which the passenger cell lighting 23 and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display of the instrument system 24 lights either in the first color and / or with the first intensity or in the second color and / or with the second intensity, is 15%. Up to a percentage ascent-descent rate of the aircraft of at most 15%, the passenger cell lighting 23 and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display of the instrument system 24 lights in the first color and / or with the first intensity, whereas, if the percentage ascent-descent rate of the aircraft is more than 15%, the passenger cell lighting 22 and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display of the instrument system 24 lights in the second color and / or with the second intensity.Red, for example, can be selected as the second color and white as the first color. The second intensity is greater than the first intensity.Alternatively or additionally, it can be provided that, when all the wing lift units 14 are inactive, the passenger cell lighting 23, in particular the ambient lighting, and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display of the instrument system 24 lights in the first color and / or in the first intensity, whereas, when at least one wing lift unit 14 is active, the passenger cell lighting 23, in particular the ambient lighting, and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display of the instrument system 24 lights in the second color and / or with the second intensity. This can be effected depending on whether the slat units 20, 21 of the wing lift units 14 are open or closed. If all slat units 20, 21 of all wing lift units 14 are closed, then all wing lift units 14 are inactive. If the respective slat unit 20, 21 is at least partially or completely open on at least one wing lift unit 14, the respective wing lift unit 14 is active.Thus, when the slat units 20, 21 of all the wing lift units 14 are closed, the passenger cell lighting 23 and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display of the instrument system 24 can illuminate in the first color and / or in the first intensity, whereas when the slat unit 20, 21 of at least one wing lift unit 14 is at least partially opened or completely opened, the passenger cell lighting 23 and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display of the instrument system 24 illuminates in the second color and / or with the second intensity.It can also be provided to perform the color and / or intensity for illuminating the passenger cell lighting 23 and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display of the instrument system 24 depending on whether the at least one nose lift unit 15 is active or inactive.Then, when at least one nose lift unit 15 is active, the passenger cell lighting 23 and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display of the instrument system 24 lights up in the second color and / or with the second intensity.The determination of the color and / or the intensity with which the passenger cell lighting 23, in particular the ambient lighting, and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display of the instrument system 24 lights up is fully automatic. The percent rate of rise-down may be either calculated or measured. Information is also available on the control side about whether the wing lift units 14 and / or the at least one nose lift unit 15 is active or inactive. Accordingly, a pilot and passengers can be provided automatically with information about the flight phase and thus the flight properties of the aircraft 10.

Claims

Aircraft (10), having a fuselage (11) providing an aircraft passenger cell, having wings (13) engaging the fuselage (11), having lift units (14, 15) which are configured to enable vertical takeoff and landing of the aircraft (10), having at least one propulsion unit (12) which is configured to provide propulsion of the aircraft (10) after takeoff of the aircraft (10) and during takeoff and during landing, characterized an aircraft passenger cell lighting system (23) serving for illuminating the aircraft passenger cell, an instrument system (24) serving for controlling the aircraft by a pilot, which instrument system has an instrument lighting system and / or at least one display, wherein, if a percentage ascent-descent rate of the aircraft (10) is less than a limit value, the aircraft passenger cell lighting system (23) and / or the instrument lighting system and / or the at least one display lights up in a first color and / or with a first intensity, wherein, if the percentage ascent-descent rate of the aircraft (10) is greater than the limit value, the aircraft passenger cell lighting system (23) and / or the instrument lighting system and / or the at least one display lights up in a second color and / or with a second intensity, wherein the determination, with which color and / or with which intensity the passenger cell lighting (23), in particular the ambient lighting, and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display of the instrument system (24) lights up, is fully automatic.Aircraft (10) according to claim 1, characterised in that up to a percentage rise-fall rate of the aircraft (10) of at most 15% the passenger cell lighting (23) and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display illuminates in the first colour and / or with the first intensity, starting from a percentage rise-fall rate of the aircraft (10) of more than 15% the passenger cell lighting (23) and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display illuminates in the second colour and / or with the second intensity.Aircraft (10), having a fuselage (11) providing an aircraft passenger cell, having wings (13) engaging the fuselage (11), having lift units (14, 15) which are configured to enable vertical takeoff and landing of the aircraft (10), having at least one propulsion unit (12) which is configured to provide propulsion of the aircraft (10) after takeoff of the aircraft (10) and during takeoff and during landing, characterized an aircraft passenger cell lighting system (23) serving for illuminating the aircraft passenger cell, an instrument system (24) serving for controlling the aircraft by a pilot, which instrument system has an instrument lighting system () and / or at least one display, wherein when all of the one wing lift units (14) are inactive the aircraft passenger cell lighting system (23) and / or the instrument lighting system and / or the at least one display lights in a first color and / or with a first intensity, wherein when at least one wing lift unit (14) is active the aircraft passenger cell lighting system (23) and / or the instrument lighting system and / or the at least one display lights in a second color and / or with a second intensity, wherein the determination with which color and / or with which intensity the aircraft passenger cell lighting system (23), in particular the ambient lighting system, lights, and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display of the instrument system ( 24) illuminates, is fully automatic.Aircraft (10) according to claim 3, characterised in that the aircraft (10) has slat units (20, 21), wherein when slat units (20, 21) of all wing lift units (14) are closed, the passenger cell lighting (23) and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display illuminates in a first colour and / or with a first intensity, wherein when the slat unit (20, 21) of at least one wing lift unit (14) is at least partially or completely open, the passenger cell lighting (23) and / or the instrument lighting and / or the at least one display illuminates in a second colour and / or with a second intensity.Aircraft (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the second intensity is greater than the first intensity.

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