aircraft

Abstract

Aircraft with a fuselage (12), two wings (14, 16) arranged on two opposite sides of the fuselage (12), wherein the wings (14, 16) each have a vertically extending vertical wing section (141, 161), at least one propeller device (20, 22) for vertical take-off and landing, wherein the at least one propeller device (20, 22) is arranged on the fuselage (12) or on a wing (14, 16), and a landing gear (28) having a plurality of landing gear units (30, 40, 50), wherein at least one of the landing gear units (30, 40, 50) is arranged on the vertical wing section (141, 161) of the wing (14, 16) and has a landing gear element (42, 52), wherein the landing gear element has a length-adjustable receiving unit (44, 54) is displaceably mounted on the wing (14, 16), wherein at least one of the landing gear units (30, 40, 50) is at least partially located within the vertical wing section (141,161) and the vertical wing section (141, 161) has a length-adjustable covering (15, 17) such that the length of the covering (15, 17) changes with the change in length of the receiving unit (44, 54).

Description

The invention relates to an aircraft having a fuselage, two airfoils which are arranged on two mutually opposite sides of the fuselage, wherein the airfoils each have a vertically extending vertical wing section, at least one propeller device for vertical takeoff and landing, wherein the at least one propeller device is arranged on the fuselage or on an airfoil, and a chassis which has a plurality of chassis units, wherein at least one of the chassis units is arranged on the vertical wing section of the airfoil and has a chassis element, wherein the chassis element is mounted on the airfoil in a displaceable manner via a length-variable receiving unit.Such aircraft are generally known from the prior art and are referred to as so-called VTOL aircraft. A VTOL aircraft usually has a plurality of propeller devices which serve to enable vertical landing and vertical takeoff. In other words, a VTOL aircraft can be operated in a vertical flight phase and in a horizontal flight phase.For landing, the aircraft usually have a chassis which has a plurality of chassis units, wherein the aircraft stands on a ground via the chassis units in the landed state. The chassis units usually each have a length-changing receiving unit, in particular in the form of a shock absorber, and a chassis element, in particular in the form of a chassis wheel, wherein the chassis elements are mounted on the fuselage of the aircraft via the respective receiving unit. During a landing process or during a placement of the chassis elements on the underlying surface, i.e. in a loaded state of the receiving unit, the length of the receiving units changes, i.e. the receiving units are shortened, as a result of which the chassis elements are usually displaced in the vertical direction. During a starting process, i.e. when the chassis elements are released from the ground and thus in an unloaded state of the receiving units, the receiving units are extended into the initial state.The disadvantage of this is that, depending on whether the aircraft is in the landed state, i.e. in the landing state, or in a flight state, the chassis elements are arranged in a position that differs from one another. As a result, the aerodynamics of the aircraft are impaired by the maximally protruding chassis elements and the risk of a high level of contamination of the chassis elements and of the receiving units is increased. In addition, the appearance of the aircraft will vary depending on whether the aircraft is in flight or in a landing condition.The object of the invention is to provide an aircraft which has a chassis which brings about a reduced influence on the aerodynamics of the aircraft, reduced soiling and a constant appearance irrespective of whether a landing state or a flight state is present.The object is achieved by the features of claim 1.According to the invention, at least one of the chassis units is arranged at least partially within a vertical wing section and the vertical wing section has a cladding that can be varied in length in such a way that the length of the cladding varies with the variation in length of the receiving unit.The chassis element and the associated length-changing receiving unit are arranged at least partially within the cladding and operatively connected to the cladding in such a way that the cladding shortens when the receiving unit is shortened and extends when the receiving unit is extended. A shortening of the receiving unit and thus of the cladding of the vertical wing section takes place in particular during a landing process, wherein, as a result of the chassis elements being placed on the underlying surface, the receiving units, which are in particular shock absorbers and serve for providing the damping and the cushioning during the placing of the chassis elements on the underlying surface, become shortened starting from an initial state. During a starting process and a release of the chassis elements from the ground, the receiving units are relieved of load again, as a result of which the receiving units extend again until the initial state is reached again. The cladding follows the shortening and the lengthening of the receiving units. As a result, a section of the chassis units protruding from the vertical wing section has a length which is independent of the length of the length-adjustable receiving unit. The appearance of the aircraft with respect to the chassis elements or the chassis units is thus the same at all times, in particular regardless of whether a landing state or a flight state is present.As a result, the influence on the aerodynamics of the aircraft by the chassis elements can be reduced in a simple manner, the contamination of the chassis elements and of the receiving units can be reduced and a constant appearance can be provided regardless of whether a landing state or a flight state is present.Preferably, the chassis element is a chassis wheel. As a result, the aircraft can be landed in a landing area in the landed state and can easily be moved or rolled into a parking position. The undercarriage wheel comprises a rim and an air-inflated tire.The cladding of the vertical wing section preferably has a fixed cladding element and a displaceable cladding element, wherein the displaceable cladding element is operatively connected to the receiving unit. Because the displaceable cladding element is operatively connected to the receiving unit, a change in the length of the cladding also occurs directly when the length of the receiving unit is changed. In particular, the displaceable cladding element and the receiving unit are directly mechanically connected to one another, so that the displaceable cladding element is carried along by the receiving unit. In a preferred embodiment, the displaceable cladding element is guided on the fixed cladding element.In a preferred embodiment, the length-adjustable cladding is of telescopic design. In this case, the trim element that can be varied in length is continuously adjustable between a retracted position, in which the displaceable trim element is arranged completely or at least in sections within the fixed trim element, and an extended position, in which the displaceable trim element is arranged outside the fixed trim element. In the extended position, i.e. in the flight state of the aircraft, the two cladding elements are arranged relative to one another in such a way that the outer surfaces of the cladding elements are arranged in alignment with one another.Preferably, the vertical wing portion is a winglet. Such a winglet is basically an outwardly or upwardly and downwardly extended outer wing at the ends of an airfoil of the aircraft. Winglets basically serve for better lateral stability, for reducing the induced air resistance and for improving the sliding angle at low speeds. As a result, the chassis is integrated into the winglets.An exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 schematically shows an aircraft in a front view, which is in the flight state, and FIG. 2 schematically shows the aircraft from FIG. 1 in a front view, which is in the landing state.FIGS. 1 and 2 show a VTOL aircraft 10. such a VTOL aircraft 10 has, in addition to horizontal flight, the capability of lifting off and re-setting it substantially vertically. For this purpose, it is necessary for the VTOL aircraft 10 to have corresponding components.The VTOL aircraft 10 comprises a fuselage 12 which extends over the entire length of the VTOL aircraft 10 and forms the carrier element of the VTOL aircraft 10. The fuselage 12 usually comprises, in the front region, a passenger cabin, not illustrated, in which passengers and a pilot for controlling the VTOL aircraft 10 can also fly. Arranged on two mutually opposite sides of the fuselage 12 is in each case an airfoil 14, 16, which are required in particular for a horizontal flight phase.The VTOL aircraft 10 also comprises a plurality of propeller devices 20, 22 designed as ducted propellers, wherein only one propeller device 20, 22 each for wing 14, 16 is shown in the figures. The propeller devices 20, 22 shown are rigidly arranged on the airfoils 14, 16 and are oriented in the vertical direction. Thus, the propeller devices 20, 22 serve in particular for a vertical flight phase, i.e. for vertical landing and take-off. In addition, the VTOL aircraft 10 comprises further propeller devices, not shown in the figures, which serve in particular for the horizontal flight phase and are aligned in the horizontal direction. Alternatively, a propeller device can be provided which can be adjusted between a vertical and horizontal alignment and can thereby be used for the vertical and horizontal flight phase.The airfoils 14, 16 each have a vertical wing section 141, 161 at the ends facing away from the fuselage 12, which extend downward and serve in the flight state in the form of a winglet for improved lateral stability, for reducing the induced air resistance and for improving the slip angle at low speeds.The VTOL aircraft 10 also has a chassis 28 which has a plurality of chassis units 30, 40, 50. The chassis units 30, 40, 50 are arranged in a three-point arrangement and thus form a three-point chassis.A first chassis unit 30 is arranged on the underside of the fuselage 12 and thus in a central region in the transverse direction of the aircraft 10. The first chassis unit 30 is arranged in the rear region in the longitudinal direction of the aircraft 10, wherein this is not visible in the figures.A second chassis unit 40 and a third chassis unit 50, which together with the first chassis unit 30 form the chassis 28 designed as a three-point chassis, are each arranged on a vertical wing section 141, 161. Here, the second chassis unit 40 is partially arranged within the vertical wing section 141 of the airfoil 14 and the third chassis unit 50 is partially arranged within the vertical wing section 161 of the airfoil 16.For the arrangement of the chassis units 40, 50 within the vertical wing sections 141, 161, the vertical wing sections 141, 161 each have a paneling 15, 17 open downward, wherein the respective chassis unit 40, 50 protrudes from an interior space bounded by the paneling 15, 17 through an opening provided on the underside of the vertical wing sections 141, 161.Each chassis unit 30, 40, 50 has a chassis element 32, 42, 52 designed as a chassis wheel and a length-adjustable receiving unit 34, 44, 54 for mounting the chassis element 32, 42, 52 on the fuselage 12 or on the wing 14, 16. The landing gear elements 32, 42, 52 are designed as landing gear wheels with a respective rim and a tire, so that the aircraft 10 can be moved easily in the landing state. The receiving units 34, 44, 54 serve for receiving a chassis element 32, 42, 52 and for cushioning and damping during landing of the aircraft 10. The spring-damper unit 36, 46, 56 is fastened to the fuselage 12 and to the wing 14, 16, respectively, wherein the chassis element 32, 42, 52 is rotatably mounted on the spring-damper unit 36, 46, 56.During a landing process or during a placement of the chassis elements 32, 42, 52 on the ground, i.e. in a loaded state of the receiving units 34, 44, 54, the length of the receiving units 34, 44, 54, i.e. the receiving units 34, 44, 54 are shortened, whereby the chassis elements 32, 42, 52 are displaced in the vertical direction. During a starting process, i.e. when the chassis elements 32, 42, 52 are released from the ground and thus in an unloaded state of the receiving units 34, 44, 54, the receiving units 34, 44, 54 are changed to the initial state. In other words, the chassis units 40, 50 would protrude to different extents from the fuselage 12 or from the vertical wing section 141, 161, depending on whether a landing state or a flight state is present.In order to avoid this at the vertical wing sections 141, 161, the cladding 15, 17 of the vertical wing sections 141, 161 is designed to be variable in length. For this purpose, the claddings 15, 17 of the vertical wing sections 141, 161 each have a stationary cladding element 151, 171 and a cladding element 152, 172 which can be displaced in the vertical direction. The fairings 15, 17 are of telescopic design such that the length-adjustable fairing element 152, 172 can be adjusted continuously between a retracted position, in which the displaceable fairing element 152, 172 is arranged completely inside the fixed fairing element 151, 171, and an extended position, in which the displaceable fairing element 152, 172 is arranged outside the fixed fairing element 151, 171. In the extended position, i.e. in the flight state of the aircraft, the stationary and the displaceable cladding elements 151, 171, 152, 172 are arranged relative to one another in such a way that the outer surfaces of the cladding elements 151, 171, 152, 172 are arranged in alignment with one another. The displaceable trim elements 152, 172 are guided on the stationary trim elements 151, 171 and operatively connected to the length-adjustable receiving unit 44, 54 in such a way that, in the event of a length change of the receiving units 44, 54 and a displacement of the chassis element 42, 52 caused thereby, the displaceable trim element 152, 172 is also displaced.As a result, a visible section of the chassis units 40, 50 protruding from the vertical wing section 141, 161 has a length which is independent of the state of the aircraft 10, i.e. landing or flight state, and thus of the length of the variable-length receiving unit 42, 52. The appearance of the aircraft 10 with respect to the chassis units 40, 50 is thus the same at all times, in particular regardless of whether a landing state or a flight state is present. In addition, the risk of a high level of contamination of the chassis units 40, 50 and the negative influence on the aerodynamics of the aircraft 10 is reduced.

Claims

Aircraft having a fuselage (12), two aerofoils (14, 16) which are arranged on two mutually opposite sides of the fuselage (12), wherein the aerofoils (14, 16) each have a vertically extending vertical wing section (141, 161), at least one propeller device (20, 22) for vertical takeoff and landing, wherein the at least one propeller device (20, 22) is arranged on the fuselage (12) or on an aerofoil (14, 16), and a chassis (28) which has a plurality of chassis units (30, 40, 50), wherein at least one of the chassis units (30, 40, 50) is arranged on the vertical wing section (141, 161) of the aerofoil (14, 16) and has a chassis element (42, 52), wherein the chassis element is mounted on the aerofoil (14, 16) such that it can be displaced via a length-variable receiving unit (44, 54), characterized in that at least one of the chassis units (30, 40, 50), 50) is arranged at least partially within the vertical wing section (141, 161) and the vertical wing section (141, 161) has a cladding (15, 17) which can be varied in length such that the length of the cladding (15, 17) varies with the variation in length of the receiving unit (44, 54).Aircraft according to claim 1, characterised in that the landing gear element (32, 42, 44) is a landing gear wheel.Aircraft according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the fairing (15, 17) of the vertical wing section (141, 161) has a fixed fairing element (151, 171) and a displaceable fairing element (152, 172), wherein the displaceable fairing element (152, 172) is operatively connected to the receiving unit (40, 50).Aircraft according to claim 3, characterised in that the displaceable fairing element (152, 172) is guided on the fixed fairing element (151, 171).Aircraft according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the casing (15, 17) which can be varied in length is of telescopic design.Aircraft according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a section of the chassis unit (40, 50) protruding from the vertical wing section (141, 161) has a length which is independent of the length of the recording unit (44, 54) which can be varied in length.Aircraft according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vertical wing section (141, 161) is a winglet.

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