Rotating wing vertical take-off and landing long-range aircraft

Abstract

To provide an aircraft such as a new type of drone that can take off and land vertically and fly horizontally at high speed. [Solution] An aircraft is equipped with propellers for vertical ascent and descent and horizontal flight, and horizontal flight wings, which rotate vertically to ascend and descend, and rotate horizontally to fly horizontally, allowing for high-speed horizontal flight and the ability to fly long-distance loads.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a new type of drone or other aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing and high-speed horizontal flight. [Background technology]

[0002] A normal airplane taxis down a runway until it reaches a speed where it can take off. Conversely, when landing, a runway is also required, as the airplane taxis from the time it lands until it stops. A runway is generally required for this purpose, with a distance of about 1.5km to 3km. This is where a VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft comes in. Known aircraft of this type include helicopters, Ospreys, drones, etc. A helicopter uses one propeller for each of hovering, ascending, descending, and horizontal flight, as shown in Figure 1. In Figure 1, 1 is the airframe, 3 is the tail rotor, and 32 is the motor for rotating the propeller.

[0003] Because helicopters have a slow horizontal speed, the Osprey (Figure 2) was developed, which has a fast horizontal speed. The Osprey was invented by the inventor in 1953, and was passed on to Bell Aircraft CEO Lawrence Bell, who finally put it to practical use in recent years. The aircraft has tilt-controllable propellers on both ends of the main wing, and by controlling the tilt angle of these propellers, it is possible to hover and fly horizontally. To perform ascent and straight flight, the propeller tilt angle can be changed from 0 to 90 degrees. However, many accidents occur when converting the rotors from horizontal to vertical. In Figure 2, 1 is the aircraft, 34 is the propeller for the Osprey to ascend, descend, and advance, 4 is the horizontal stabilizer, 5 is the rotating shaft for the Osprey engine, and 33 is the engine for the Osprey propeller, which has only recently become popular. Figure 3 shows a well-known drone, which was also invented by the inventor in 1940, but has only recently become popular. In Figure 3, 6 is the drone propeller, 7 is the motor for raising and lowering the drone, 8 is the drone propeller guide, and 9 is the receiving device, camera, etc. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As mentioned above, airplanes cannot take off or land in places without runways. Conventional airplanes have the disadvantage of not having vertical takeoff and landing or hovering capabilities. To solve these problems, aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing and hovering capabilities were conceived. Helicopters are aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing and hovering capabilities, and are used to rescue lives in marine accidents and mountain rescues. However, they have a slow horizontal flight speed, a short range, and a small cargo capacity, so an alternative to helicopters is needed. In the case of Osprey-type aircraft, the wind from the propellers hits the wings during vertical takeoff and landing, making them aerodynamically inefficient. Furthermore, drones such as those shown in Figure 3 are well known, but they have a slow horizontal flight speed and cannot fly long distances. They are prone to being flipped over by crosswinds and are not all-weather capable, so they are not suitable for parcel delivery or rapid transport, as planned by companies such as Amazon. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention, which solves the above-mentioned problems, is configured with a forward propeller for vertical ascent and descent and a stabilizer for horizontal flight. This is a means different from an autogyro, which cannot ascend or descend vertically. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vertical take-off and landing type high-speed, long-distance, safe airplane that has a high horizontal speed, can travel long distances with little energy and can carry a large load, is all-weather, has safe and stable vertical take-off and landing and hovering capabilities, does not lose wing power due to propeller wind hitting the wings during take-off and ascent, does not require a tilt rotor, simplifies the control structure, eliminates accidents, is easy to manufacture and low cost, and can reliably deliver mail-order goods over long distances at high speed with high energy efficiency, and is a groundbreaking invention that saves time and brings about profound effects in industry. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] Side view of a known helicopter [Figure 2] Side view of a known tilt rotor (Osprey) [Figure 3] Plan view of a known drone [Figure 4] Top view of the 10th embodiment of the present invention with the wings horizontal [Figure 5] Front and side view of the same [Figure 6] Side view of the same [Figure 7] Top view of the 10th embodiment of the present invention with the wings vertical [Figure 8] Front and side view of the same [Figure 9] Side view of the same [Figure 10] Side view of the drive mechanism with one wing rotation motor [Figure 11] Conceptual diagram of the present invention, in which the blade of the present invention is rotated using a bevel gear [Figure 12] When ascending or descending in an embodiment of the present invention, the rear propeller is not affected by the trailing influence of the front propeller. [Figure 13] Ditto horizontal plane DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention is a newly invented aircraft that has been made in light of these problems, and aims to provide a new vertical take-off and landing aircraft (new VTOL) that is equipped with propellers for ascent and descent, propellers for forward flight, and rotating or non-rotating wings for horizontal flight, which not only enables vertical take-off and landing and hovering, but also has a high horizontal flight speed, little energy loss, can fly long distances, is all-weather, and can fly stably even in bad weather. It should be noted that this invention is a different concept from conventional drones, helicopters, Ospreys, and autogyros.

[0009] 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 show a tenth embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is fundamentally different from the other embodiments. Specifically, in the previous embodiments, the wings were fixed and a separate forward propeller was provided, but the tenth embodiment has rotating wings and no forward propeller. In the previous embodiments, no blades were placed in the propeller wake to prevent disturbance of the wake of the propeller for ascending and descending. The blades were fixed in place. Furthermore, the forward propeller and the propeller for ascending and descending were provided separately. This tenth embodiment is based on a completely different concept from the previous embodiments, and is an embodiment that further improves the efficiency of the present invention. Specifically, in order to streamline the structure, propellers for ascending and descending are installed on the wings, and the wings are positioned perpendicular to the propeller to increase propeller efficiency without disturbing the propeller's wake with the wings.If the axial direction of the propeller changes, the direction of the wings also rotates accordingly, so that the propeller wake is in the same direction as the wing's surface, and the propeller wake is always undisturbed by the wings. In addition, instead of providing a forward propeller, the blades are rotated approximately 90 degrees as described above, and the propeller direction is rotated approximately 90 degrees to make it a forward propeller, so that it can also be used as a propeller for ascending and descending. This is often mistakenly thought to be the same as the Osprey, but it is a fundamentally different invention. The Osprey has fixed wings, with a rotating engine and propeller at the tip of the wing, and the wings do not rotate even when the propeller rotates, whereas in this invention the engine and propeller are fixed to the wing, and the wing is not fixed and rotates along with the wing, which rotates in the propeller direction. In this way, it differs from the Osprey. Furthermore, in the case of the Osprey, the propeller's wake hits the wing, reducing propeller efficiency, whereas in this invention, the propeller and wing are always at a right angle, so when the propeller tilts, the wing tilts at the same angle, so the propeller's wake does not hit the wing, and this invention dramatically improves the propeller's wake. In addition, because the Osprey's engine and propeller rotate at the wingtips, structural problems such as vibration and strength occur, but in this invention, the engine and propeller are firmly fixed to the wing, so structural problems do not occur. Also, because the Osprey has a rotating engine and propeller at the tip of the wing, the wing spars need to be strong, which increases weight and reduces aerodynamic performance. In contrast, the present invention has lighter wing spars than the Osprey system, improving aerodynamic performance. However, since the Osprey has engines and propellers at the wingtips, resonance occurs over the long span, causing large vibrations and poor vertical alignment, ultimately resulting in crashes. In contrast, with the present invention, the engine propeller is not located at the tip of the wing, but in the center, which has a stronger structure, so resonance does not occur, making it safe and comfortable.

[0010] This is explained in Figure 4 and subsequent figures. 4 is a plan view of an example of the tenth embodiment. A motor 55 that rotates a wing 57, a motor 56 that rotates a wing 58, a battery 54 that drives the motors 55 and 56, a vertical stabilizer 14, a front main wing 57, and a rear main wing 58 are mounted on a fuselage 53. A propeller motor 7 and a propeller 6 are mounted on the front main wing 57, and a motor 7' for driving the propeller 6' and a propeller 6' are mounted on the rear main wing 58. Figure 5 shows this from the front. Figure 6 shows this from the side. 59 is the landing gear and luggage holding section, and the aircraft's CG 68 is designed to carry cameras and luggage 60, and is designed to always fly horizontally regardless of the weight of the luggage. What is important here is that the motor 7 for the propeller 6 is attached to the front wing 57 so that the wing 57 has an angle of attack α 62 with respect to the thrust line of the propeller 6 . Similarly, a motor 7' for a propeller 6' is attached to the rear wing 58 so that the rear wing 58 has an angle of attack β. α and β are naturally different angles.

[0011] FIG. 7 is a top view of the front wing 57, the rear wing 58, and the propeller 6, the propeller motor 7, the propeller 6', and the propeller motor 7' mounted thereon, rotated 90 degrees by the rotation shaft 67 of the motor 55 and the rotation shaft 70 of the motor 56. FIG. 8 shows this from the front. FIG. 9 is a side view of FIG.

[0012] In this state, the aircraft of the present invention rotates the propeller 6 by the motor 7 and rotates the propeller 6' by the motor 7', and takes off and ascends vertically. At this time, the blades 57 and 58 are designed not to completely block the wake of the propellers 6 and 6'. Next, the motors 55 and 56 are gradually rotated to rotate the propellers 6 and 6' and the blades 57 and 58 around the rotation shafts 69 and 70, respectively, to the positions shown in FIG. This allows the aircraft to float using wings 57 and 58, and fly horizontally at high speed using the thrust of propellers 6 and 6'. If necessary, the aircraft can be photographed using camera 60. When the aircraft arrives at its destination, the motors 55 and 56 are rotated in the reverse direction to the above, and the blades 57 and 58 and the propellers 6 and 6' are gradually turned upward around the rotating shafts 60 and 76, and the aircraft descends vertically. Even at this time, the blades do not interfere with the propeller wake, improving propeller efficiency. FIG. 10 shows an embodiment of the present invention in which wings 57 and 58 are rotated by only one motor 55, without using the two motors 55 and 56 shown in FIGS. 4 to 9, thereby making it possible to reduce the weight of the aircraft. The motor is preferably a stepping motor. The torque 66 of the motor 55 passes through the lever 61, pivot 62, and connecting beam 63, and then the pivot 64 and lever 65 to become a torque 67, which rotates the shaft 70.

[0013] FIG. 11 shows an embodiment of the present invention different from that shown in FIG. 10, in which the blades 57, 58 are rotated by utilizing the non-reversible nature of the bevel gear 68. Figures 12 and 13 show other embodiments of the present invention. In the embodiments of Figures 7, 8, and 9, the efficiency of the rear propeller 6' is reduced by the wake of the front propeller 6. This has been improved in the other embodiments of the present invention shown in Figures 12 and 13. In this embodiment, the wake of the front propeller 6 is outside the rotation range of the rear propeller 6', so the efficiency of the rear propeller 6' does not decrease. Figure 12 shows the aircraft during ascent or descent, and Figure 13 shows the aircraft during level flight.

[0014] The present invention can be applied not only to drones but also to actual aircraft. In such cases, the propellers are rotated by an engine. However, the present invention also includes cases where a jet engine or rocket is used instead of a propeller. [Industrial Applicability]

[0015] The present invention is a new type of aircraft that is safer and has faster horizontal speeds than other vertical take-off and landing aircraft, such as known drones, known tilt rotor aircraft such as the Osprey, and helicopters.Current drones are too slow to fly long distances for long-distance goods transportation or logistics such as mail order, and they consume a lot of energy, making them unsuitable for high-speed transportation.However, when this invention is applied to a drone, goods can be transported at high speed and long-distance photography becomes possible.Furthermore, when this invention is applied to an aircraft that can carry people, it can be used for rapid mountain rescues, maritime rescues, and the like in remote locations, and therefore has great industrial potential. Furthermore, the aircraft of the present invention does not require pitch control compared to helicopters, making the rudder simple and low-cost, and has a fast horizontal speed, a long range, and no accidents caused by the tilt of the Osprey, making it safe and expanding the range of its use.Furthermore, if the aircraft is made larger, it can carry more passengers and can be operated on islands without airfields, making up for the inconvenience of transportation for islanders, and it has great potential for use in defense and industry. Furthermore, if this invention were to be flown near the stratosphere, and the solar energy received by its wings converted into microwaves and sent to the ground, where it could be used as electrical energy, it would be possible to provide a valuable source of energy to our resource-poor country and also serve as a substitute for reconnaissance satellites. This would have extremely great potential for defense and industrial applications. [Explanation of symbols]

[0016] 1 aircraft 2 Main Rotor 3 Tail rotor 4 Horizontal stabilizer 5 Rotating shaft for Osprey engine 6 Drone Propellers 6' Same as above (rear) 7 Drone ascent / descent motor 7' Same as above (rear) 8 Drone Propeller Guards 9. Receiving devices, cameras, etc. 14 Vertical stabilizer 32 Propeller rotation motor 33 Osprey propeller engine 34 Osprey ascent, descent and forward propellers 45 Fuselage spar 46 Actual forward propeller engine 47 Actual forward propeller 48 Actual aircraft ascent and descent rotor 49 Main wing for horizontal flight 50 Horizontal stabilizer for horizontal flight of actual aircraft 51 Vertical stabilizer for horizontal flight 52 Actual aircraft ascent and descent rotor engine 53 Torso 54 Batteries, electronic circuits, etc. 55 Front wing rotation motor (stepping motor) 56 Rear wing rotation motor (stepping motor) 57 Forewing 58 rear wing 59 Luggage and landing gear 60 Luggage 61 Rotation transmission lever of motor 55 62 Ditto pivot 63 Same as above, rear wing rotating connecting girder 64 Ditto Pihot 65 Same as above lever 66 Front wing rotation motor rotation direction 67 Same as above rear wing 68-wing rotating bevel gear 69 tilt main rotor 70 Torque correcting tail rotor

Claims

1. An aircraft having no horizontal tail, consisting of two identical skewer-shaped wings and a vertical tail, having main wings for horizontal flight at the front and rear of the fuselage, and a vertical tail, and having propeller motors for both ascending and forward flight directly fixed to said plurality of main wings for horizontal flight, said main wings for horizontal flight rotate so that they point almost vertically when ascending and descending, and the propeller motors are fixed to the wings so that the front and rear wings have different angles of attack relative to the propeller thrust line during horizontal flight, and the thrust lines of the front and rear propellers are almost horizontal, allowing for horizontal flight.

2. 2. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein a landing gear / cargo holding section, which serves as both a skid and a cargo carrier, is provided near the center of gravity, and wings on which a propeller is mounted are made rotatable.

3. 2. The flying vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a propeller and its drive unit are mounted on a wing, and the wing is rotated by one motor, one shaft, and a bevel gear mounted on the shaft.

4. 2. The flying vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the horizontal flight wing surface is a solar battery.

Images