EP0215017A1 - Convertible airplane - Google Patents

Abstract

Convertible plane whose wing (1), the rear part of the fuselage (3) and the empennage (4) are foldable around the airframe (2) and behind the propeller (6) in order to obtain the size d '' a passenger vehicle or a large motorcycle. The motor (84) drives either the wheel (s) (7) or the propeller (6), the drive of one preventing that of the others, the transmission includes reverse gear, additional soundproofing is provided for the road and urban use. Essentially carried by the wing (1), the cell (2) is placed and fixed on it, the centering is adjustable as well as the incidence. The wing profile (1), modifiable in flight, allows short takeoffs and landings and a fast cruise. Floats, skis, a winch, complete its versatility. The wide variety of its applications, professional or recreational, are those of a passenger plane, a car and the combination thereof.

Description

 CONVERTIBLE PLANE The present invention relates to a convertible plane, that is to say, an aerodyne also usable in land vehicle.

Serious studies of convertible planes have already been developed, for example, among many others, that described by French Patent No. ^1,303,464 (Bristol Siddeley). All these projects have in common a very great complexity generating a prohibitive cost of realization, a difficult use and an excessive weight penalizing takeoff distances and / or the size of the aircraft. Among other things, the French Patent N ^⍛ 1 328507 relates to a land vehicle capable of receiving a flexible flying part which it cannot transport on the road.

Conversely, ultra-light motorized aircraft known as U.L.M. are transportable on a trailer or on and in a van, or even on and in a passenger car, but in no case can they fly with their carrier vehicle. In the current state of the art, the road user does not encounter a convertible plane there, the pilot does not see any in flight: air-ground incompatibility is a reality.

The convertible aircraft which is the subject of the present invention implements a set of means which give it the qualities required by its destination, namely: very short takeoffs and landings like those of ULMs, flight like that of a private plane, transformation into land vehicle, and conversely, operable in a few minutes without special knowledge or appreciable physical effort (by a single person), perfect incorporation into road and urban traffic, parking maneuvers included, purchase price of around that of a small passenger car, the device can also be mounted from prefabricated sub-assemblies or even be entirely built by an amateur. The gap highlighted above is thus filled. Faced with the need to land (weather conditions, nightfall, need for fuel, etc.) and knowing that it can move quickly on the ground, then take off again, the pilot will not take the risks caused by temptation to extend the deadline for the unexpected landing. The device gives access to places without roads, sites, construction sites, etc. To obtain the listed characteristics, the convertible aircraft according to the invention is provided with wings with a profile which can be modified in flight in order to increase the lift to take off and land short and, in level, to decrease the drag in order to fly faster and reduce fuel consumption. The wings as well as the rear of the fuselage and the empennage are foldable around the airframe to obtain the road gauge of a passenger vehicle or that of a large motorcycle, depending on the number of seats of the aircraft. The aircraft retains all of its elements both in its aerodyne configuration and in its land vehicle configuration, its engine drives either the propeller or the drive wheel (s), the drive of one of these elements systematically prohibiting that of the other element, additional means of soundproofing the exhaust are provided for automobile use, for which a reverse gear is organized in the transmission members, this in order to have a masterpiece fully autonomous, usable as an automobile or a motorcycle and complies with administrative regulations. To increase the systematic safety of the construction, the airframe is placed (and fixed) on the wing, therefore carried by this wing, which eliminates the stresses of tearing wing / airframe; the aforementioned fixing means allow the adjustment of the centering and that of the angle of incidence of the wing (usable in flight), this confers better characteristics of use according to the conditions of the latter and, in particular of the loads transported. The type of construction is simple to be, technically and economically, accessible to all.

The modification of the wing profile can be obtained in particular by one of the following means or by the combination of several of these:

- The wing comprises at least two sets of curvature flaps over all or part of the span associated with a means of deformation of the lower surface constituted by rods articulated on the main spar and carrying a movable spar they can lower or raise by their angular movement controlled by cables, cables in sheath, wheelhouse, worm, etc., or by the combination of several of these means, the descent of said movable spar causes elements articulated ribs, or else, said movable spar carries, between the fixed ribs, pads formed according to the new profile desired for the lower surface, in one or the other of these cases, the descent of this spar deforms, according to the new profile sought, the surface covering of or interlining, the inner surface, for this purpose, of joint covers and / or of tensioning and return means such as bungees, springs, elastic bands, winding means, etc. intended to ensure the quality of the surface of the lower surface, both when the profile is thick and when it is thin, - the wing, whether or not provided with the abovementioned curvature flaps, is equipped with ribs having, on the lower surface, a or several recesses intended to form one or more housings for inflatable tubes or bags to obtain the thick and retractable carrying profile in said housings when the thin rapid profile is used; these inflatable elements can either be juxtaposed tubes against which the covering of the lower surface forms a tangent surface, or present when they are inflated the exact shape of the desired profile, in the latter case, they can either be placed under the lining of the lower surface, or constitute this coating themselves. As in the previous embodiment, the underside coating may be provided with the aforementioned tensioning and return means, or coating

- the wing is of the single interlining type and, in addition to the previously described curvature flaps, comprises at least one orientable element between the main spar and the leading edge, according to a practical embodiment, the wing has in the form of a plurality of juxtaposed flaps, connected together by their articulations, the edges of these flaps carry tubular elements connected to those of the adjacent flap by a rod or a tube placed inside said tubular elements, the together forming a kind of hinge. This wing may include, on all or part of its lower surface, inflatable and retractable elements as previously described,

- the wing is of the fully inflatable type and has several compartments capable of giving it the desired profiles; it can also be mixed and, next to inflatable elements, include flaps or other non-deformable elements, orientable or not, some of these compartments are organized to provide it with the necessary mechanical resistance, - The orientation of the curvature flaps can, advantageously but not necessarily, be operated in two modes: the positions of these corresponding flaps, one for slow flight, the other for fast flight, can be obtained simultaneously with the deformation of the profile corresponding to one or other of these configurations; the other flap positions (end of approach, etc.) being obtained by a separate command. In slow flight, which corresponds to the first lowering position of the flaps, these are pushed by springs against a stop formed by the control of the other lowering positions. The flaps are held in the raised position (rapid flight) in which they compress said springs, by a wheelhouse associated by an angular gearbox either with rods of movable deformation beams, or with the inflation control, the connection between the gearbox angle and these control members being made by wheelhouse or by cables or cables in sheaths. The control of the other flap positions is carried out by wheelhouse and cables under ducts. at least

The wing is folded in two places / for each half-wing: near the airframe and substantially in the middle of the remaining part of the half-wing. In these places, hinges are arranged one on the main spar, the other on the rear spar, in the upper surface in both cases. The end of the wing folds back at 1802 against the intermediate element of the half-wing, these two elements, pressed one against the other, are raised to 902 on the central section of the wing, both half-wings are securely held raised laterally to the airframe by means known per se. At the folding locations, the side members are interrupted; in aerodyne configuration, these beams are reconstituted by means of fishplates which reinforce them at the precise place of their interruption because their moments of inertia are much greater than those of the beams. These couplings can be of several types: the simplest is made of a U capable of fitting into those of the side members to which they are bolted, the heads of the bolts being trapped in omegas fixed on the opposite face of the side members; another formula consists in attaching to the longitudinal members short steel cylinders which pass through holes provided in the eclidas and are pierced with transverse holes: a pin is passed through the holes of two cylin neighbors and wears a quick release eccentric by means of a flywheel nut; another variant consists in fixing the clevis bolts on the longitudinal members and in providing them with centering feet, the splint carries holes corresponding to the above-mentioned centering feet and is pressed against the longitudinal member by a pivoting arm carried and tightened by the bolts with clevis, this arm can be provided with support screws with frills, the splint extends to the clevis bolts which it partially surrounds to better ensure the rigidity of the splinting; all locking elements are secured by clips. Access to the fishplates is through openings made in the upper surface and closed by plates fixed by means known per se. The wing is folded without having to dismantle flight controls, for this, closable openings are made in the upper surface, they can advantageously be those necessary for access to the couplings, they allow the wheelhouses, provided at each folding point of two joints, to have in the folded position the clearance required by the new position of the element placed between the two aforementioned joints; this need is the same in the case of cables; in the case of flexible cables in sheaths or flexible conduits, this opening is not necessary because it suffices to give these elements the length necessary to authorize the curvature claimed by the bending; the excess length, in the flight position, is easily accommodated in the wing.

The folding of the rear part of the fuselage, which can be formed by a tube, is carried out under conditions similar to that of the wing, it is raised behind the airframe towards which it inclines to ensure its stability and is fixed in this position. The stabilizer and / or the elevator is foldable at its ends so that it can be placed between the raised wings when the rear of the fuselage is itself raised. This part does not contain a flight control and does not have any particular arrangement, the hinges are on the upper surface and the clevis bolts on the lower surface hold the articulated elements in the flight position. Fastening means, known per se, keep these ends in the raised position. The pilot's position is sufficiently advanced that his visibility on the ground is not hindered by raised wings.

The motor is located in the rear part of the cell, its output shaft is oriented towards the front and carries a clutch coupled to a longitudinal shaft mounted on two bearings between which a pulley, or other drive member, rotates freely, it is integral with a dog clutch or other similar member known per se oriented towards the front (the front is that of the airplane), capable of being driven by another dog sliding on a keying of the shaft and whose axial movement is controlled by a fork integral with a wheelhouse carrying a second fork placed at the front of the first which controls a second dog sleeve located at the front of the first, slidably mounted on a keyway of the 'shaft and capable of driving a bevel gear secured to a dog clutch sleeve freely rotating on the shaft. When the pilot (placed at the front of this set) pushes the timoserie backwards, the bevel gear is disengaged and the pulley is engaged, when the wheelhouse is pulled forward, the pulley is disengaged and the bevel gear is engaged, when the wheelhouse is placed halfway, the pulley and the bevel gear are disengaged: this constitutes a neutral position. When the pulley is driven, it drives the propeller mounted at the rear end of a horizontal shaft extending above the engine and in the axis of the aircraft, carried by two bearings fixed to the frame of the cell and the front end of which carries a pulley, keyed onto said shaft and driven, by belt / s, by the dog pulley.

When the bevel gear is driven, the wheel drive is possible and operates as follows: a horizontal shaft is organized in front of the bevel gear perpendicular to its axis, that is to say, transverse to the cell, its axis is located in the same plane as the axis of said bevel gear and that the axis of the shaft coupled to the motor; on this shaft, two bevel gears facing each other are likely to be driven by the bevel gear clutched on the shaft coupled to the motor and can slide on a keying of the shaft which carries them, this movement is effected by two integral forks holding these gables spaced from each other by a distance slightly greater than the diameter of the drive pinion; when this moving assembly (pinions-forks) is placed halfway, none of its pinions is in contact with the drive pinion and this position constitutes a neutral position; when said moving element is pushed to the right (of the aircraft), the left pinion meshes with the drive pinion and rotates the shaft which carries it in a certain direction; when the moving part is pulled to the left (from the plane), the right pinion meshes with the drive pinion at a point diametrically opposite the previous point of engagement and rotates the shaft which carries it in one direction opposite to the previous sense: this arrangement forms a simplified and reliable reverse gear (reverse forward-reverse). The quality of the meshing (pinions and dogs) can advantageously be improved by interposing compression springs between the forks and the bearing faces of the pinion sleeves or dogs. In order to eliminate the risk of false maneuvers, the moving gear of the reversing gear carries a vertical bar and the wheelhouse carries a plate provided with / / a notch of dimensions slightly larger than those of the bar. When the reverse gear is in neutral, the wheelhouse can be pushed or pulled, its notch passing freely around the bar; when the reverse gear is in the on position (FORWARD or REAR) the wheelhouse abuts by one of the solid parts of its plate against the bar and cannot be pushed if it is pulled, nor pulled if it is pushed or in neutral. Furthermore, by its organization, the wheelhouse systematically eliminates any risk of simultaneous drive of the propeller and the wheel (s). Electrical safety devices can also be added, for example, the raising of the wings cuts the contact which is restored by the drive dog of the propeller in the disengaged position. From the reversible transverse shaft, the movement is transmitted to the wheel (s) by means known per se (belts and / or chains and / or cardan shafts, etc.) passing through one or two shafts / s intermediate / s, on which / the last is / are articulated / s / a fork / of the swinging arms / e / s which carries / nt the axis / the axle of the wheel / s / s equipped with a variator or a speed change incorporated in the pinion or other member receiving the rotational movement, in the case of two wheels, therefore, of an axle, the latter comprises a differential possibly housed in the rim of one of the wheels and possibly lockable or self-lockable and unlockable. An inertia variator can also be envisaged, mounted on that of the shafts whose speed is most suitable for its operation. All transmission controls have their positioning defined by locking grids.

The fork or the swinging arms have their free end secured to the frame of the cell by shock absorbers.

The main drive wheel (s), drive / s on the ground is brakable, when there are two, they can be together or separately. The front caster is steerable and lockable and mounted on a fork fitted with shock absorbers.

Depending on the engines used, additional means of soundproofing the exhaust for use in the transmission ground. are provided. A small winch can be provided on one of the shafts of / The wing / cell connection has the following particularities:

- essentially, the cell is placed on the wing, it is also fixed there, the configuration of the lower wing lends itself more particularly to this embodiment, in the case of a biplane, the cell is posed and fixed on the lower plane but its very framework also passes over the upper surface of the upper plane and is fixed there, in the case of a high wing momoplan or parasol, the framework of the cell surrounds the wing passing over its upper surface and there is fixed. The purpose of this arrangement is to eliminate the cell / wing tearing-out constraint and to have a wing in one piece, and not two half-wings, since this wing is completely reconstituted by splicing. The expressions used "half-wing" are used to geometrically locate the elements concerned but do not correspond to constructive reality,

- The fixing is made by the main and rear beams which are reinforced, in these places, by tube elements which are, on the one hand, held vertically in contact with the underside of the frame of the cell, on the other hand, kept horizontally in a given longitudinal position of the cell: the main spar is fixed vertically by jumpers made of U in round iron whose ends are threaded which surround the part main tubular of the spar / and keep it almost in contact with the underside of the frame of the cell, their ends penetrate the holes of a cross member placed on the top face of the frame of the cell against which they are fixed by nuts. This crosspiece carries a locking screw with nuts and locknuts with frills provided with a pressure plate which it clamps against the tube thus blocking it in abutment against the jumpers; the horizontal fixing is made by brackets the upper part of which is semi-tubular and adapts to the framework of the cell to which it is pinned, its vertical face, provided with a fallen edge, comes to bear against the spar, its lower edge, folded, passes under the spar which it can thus carry which allows the rapid positioning of the wing prior to its fixing, the spar is thus provided between two brackets on each frame element; by providing several pinholes on the brackets and on the frame, it is possible to adjust the centering. The system can be improved by mounting the brackets on worm screw slides secured to the frame; the rear spar has its tubular part taken in a U whose branches are oriented horizontally and which is carried by a threaded rod which passes through a transverse element of the frame against which it can be locked by two flywheel nuts: the angle d 'incidence can thus be adjusted by unlocking the main beam by loosening the locking screw and by varying the position of the rear beam by raising or lowering the threaded rod by means of its flywheel nuts. This is the application of the principle which consists in having the airframe carried by the wing surface (s), this one / s being in one piece.

The airframe can include a fairing, this is advantageously articulated in its upper transverse horizontal part in order to be liftable and thus protect the passenger compartment from bad weather even when it is open. Inflatable or non-inflatable floats and skis are provided. Simple and safe flight commands can be carried out as follows, the example being a two-seater two-by-side command:

- the sleeves, which control the roll and pitch, have a horizontal tube located transversely in the lower part of the airframe and terminated by two vertical branches located substantially in the axis of the seats and constituting the sleeves proper, the horizontal tube can rotate in a tee placed in the longitudinal axis of the plane, which allows the sleeves to move angularly from back to front and vice versa, the third branch of the tee carries a horizontal tube, carried, depending on its length, by one or two bearings or flat supports in which it can turn, at its free end, it carries a lever, perpendicular to its axis and parallel to the sleeves, on which the roll controls are fixed, they can be cables, flexible cables in sheaths or wheelhouses, several fixing points can be provided to adjust the sensitivity of the control; a stirrup forming an arc of 180⍛ is fixed in the lower generatrix of the horizontal tube of the sleeves, in the middle, in the same as that common to the two sleeves, around the tee previously described, it controls the pitching wheelhouse associated with it by an eyelet in which it can circulate with a light play, thus, the wheelhouse, guided, is pulled or pushed without being subjected to the lateral deviations due to the deflection of the sleeves, the adjustment of the sensitivity of this control can be done on the one of the wheelhouse references, - the rudder pedals control the yaw, they are mounted on a horizontal shaft located in the lower part of the airframe, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and mounted on two bearings or flat supports in which it can rotate, the two sets of two pedals are mounted on this shaft, the left pedals (for example), are secured to it, the right pedals can rotate freely around it e t are secured to each other by a bar, the rudder is controlled: for its movement to the left, by a lever pinned on the shaft, for its movement to the right, by a lever mounted freely on the shaft and secured to the coupling bar of the straight pedals.

The detailed description which follows of an embodiment of the invention and variants is given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the appended drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a convertible aircraft according to the invention, Fig. 2 shows the three views of the aircraft according to the invention in aerodyne configuration, FIG. 3, shows in three views the land vehicle configuration of the convertible aircraft according to the invention, FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view of a wing with a modifiable profile according to the invention, FIG. 5 is a view in elevation of a detail of the command for modifying the wing profile according to FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a section seen on the right of FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a variant control command for changing the wing profile to be compared with FIG. 6, FIG. 8, shows in section, in elevation and in top view, a tensioning and restoring system of the interlining according to the invention, FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic section in elevation and in top view of a variant of wing with a modifiable profile according to the invention, FIG. 10 is, similarly, another variant of this profile, FIG. 11 is a schematic section of a wing with a single interlining according to the invention, FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a wing element according to FIG. 11, FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic section of a variant wing, FIG. 14 is a schematic section illustrating a control of curvature flaps, FIG. 15 is a schematic section of the wing profile showing the hinges, FIG. 16 is a schematic sectional view of the folding of the flight controls, FIG. 17 is a sectional view of a wing member splint, FIG. 18 is a sectional view of an alternative grinding, FIG. 19 is a sectional view of another variant of splicing, FIG. 20 is a schematic view of the engine-propeller-transmissions-suspension assembly, FIG. 21 is a detail, seen from above, of FIG. 20, FIG. 22 is a view along the arrow F carried by FIG. 20, FIG. 23 is a sectional view showing the attachment of the wing to the airframe and the incidence and centering adjustments, Fig. 24, represents the pitch and roll commands, FIG. 25, represents the yaw commands.

The convertible aircraft according to the invention comprises, in the non-limiting embodiment which will be described, a wing (1), in one piece, on the upper surface of which is placed and fixed the cell (2) integral with the fuselage (3) carrying the tail (4). A motor-propulsion unit (5) is organized in the cell (2) which drives either the propeller (6) or the main wheels (7) of the landing gear which become the drive wheels in the land vehicle configuration. The wing (1) is foldable and can be lifted along the airframe (2), the fuselage (3) and the empennage (4) are foldable and can be lifted off the back of the airframe (2). The wing profile (1) can be modified both in flight and on the ground. The wing comprises a main spar (8) and a rear spar (9), curvature flaps (10) and (11), a movable spar (12) mounted on rods (13) articulated on an axis (14) fixed on the beam (8), capable of being driven in an angular movement by the pulling or the pushing of a wheelhouse (15), carrying the fingers (16) and an axis (17) associated with the wheelhouse ( 18) which controls the first lowering position of the flaps (lθ) and (11). When traction is exerted on the wheelhouse (15), the links (13) assume the vertical position and thus move the beam (12) downwards, below the plane of the lower surface, at the same time, the fingers (16), lowered almost to the level of the lower face of the spar (12), entail in this position articulated rib elements (19) and (20): this deforms the interlining or the lining of the lower surface in it matching the new shape defined by the movable beam (12) and the articulated rib elements (19) - (20); alternatively, the same result can be obtained with a movable U-shaped beam (21) carrying rib elements (22) - (23). To give the interlining or lining of the lower surface (24) the elasticity necessary to match the new shape of the lower lining, the interlining or lining (24) is fixed to a joint cover (25) capable of sliding. against a joint cover (26) secured to the rear spar (9); rings (27) are fixed to the joint cover (25), other rings (28) are fixed to the rear spar (9), bungee cords (29) are stretched between the rings (27) and (28) and allow elongation of the covering or covering (24) when the moving part (12) - (16) - (19) - (20) or (21) - (23) is lowered and operate its recoil and its tension when said moving part is raised; the bungee cords (29) can be replaced by springs; other means, such as elastic band at the end of interlining or winding means can also be used. The articulated rib elements (19) - (20) are returned to their original position by means not shown known per se (springs, bungee cords, etc.). According to a variant, the deformation of the lower surface is obtained by inflating the flanges (30), (31), (32) juxtaposed (FIG. 9) against which the covering or interlining (24) of the lower surface forms a surface. tangent or, again by inflating a pocket (33) (Fig. 10) having, inflated, the shape of the desired profile, this pocket can either be placed under the interlining or lining of the lower surface (24) or constitute itself said coating. The covering-covering (24) can be provided with tensioning and return means (25) to (29) described above.

The variant illustrated in FIG. 11 is a wing with a single interlining or covering which, in addition to the curvature flaps (10) and (11), comprises at least one orientable element (34) between the leading edge (35) and the main spar (36), different constituent elements of the wing are connected to each other in the manner of juxtaposed flaps, the edges of which comprise tubular elements (37), (38) connected to those of the adjacent flap by rods or tubes (39), (40) which they articulate; this wing may have, on all or part of its lower surface, inflatable elements which are not shown. Fig. 13 shows the variant in which the wing (1) is fully inflatable, it is divided into several compartments (41), (42), (43), (44), (45), (46) which give it the desired profiles and the necessary mechanical characteristics. This type of wing can include non-deformable elements such as, for example, the flaps (43), (44) which can be made of an appropriate solid material (metal, wood, composite material, etc.).

The choice of material for making the wing (1), the tail (4) and also, but to a lesser degree, the rest of the apparatus is very vast: the wing (1), exception of inflatable elements, can be wood, metal, plastic, fiberglass, carbon, syn fabrics aesthetic (for the interlining or coating) which can also be in thin aluminum sheet, totally or partially, or, similarly, in balsa, this choice is influenced, in addition to the characteristics of use, by the technical requirements of specific to a constructor considered and by the supply facilities and finally by the number of devices to be built.

The curvature flaps (10) and (11) are pushed by springs (47) in their first lowering position, against stops (48) associated with the controls (49) in their other lowering positions. They are maintained in a smooth position, that is to say, that in which they are in the flexible cabies (50) of the plane of the lower surface, by / a wheelhouse (51) associated by an angle gear (52 ) to the wheelhouse (18) which can either be associated with the axis (17) of the link (13), or, in the case of FIG. 9, to the inflation control, not shown. The other positions of these flaps are controlled by the levers (49) driven by wheelhouses and / or cables and / or flexible cables in sheaths.

The modification of the profile of the wing (1) is thus obtained by a single command which deforms the lower surface to thicken it and curves the region of the trailing edge, this configuration is that used for slow flight. The other positions of the flaps can be used with the two profile configurations, taking account, of course, of speed limits beyond which the wing must be smooth so as not to risk deterioration, as on any aircraft.

The wing (1) is divided into five elements: the central element, the two intermediate elements and the two extreme elements, they are associated with each other by hinges and by fishplates.

The hinges (53) are mounted on the main spar (8) and the hinges (54) are mounted on the rear spar (9), their folding axis (55) is parallel to the plane of the lower surface (smooth). The extreme elements fold back against the intermediate elements and these two assemblies are raised vertically on the central element, along the cell (2) and are fixed in this position by simple means not shown.

The beams (8) and (9), interrupted at the four planes of division of the wing (1) are reconstituted by splints. These are trained, either by a U-shaped profile (56) embedded in the spar and fixed there by bolts (57) whose heads are trapped in oségas (58) fixed on the opposite face of the spar, or by steel cylinders (59 ) fixed to the beam, which pass through the holes (60) of a splint (61) and are pierced with holes (62) by which they are associated two by two by a pin (63) carrying an eccentric (64) provided a lug (65) carrying a tapped hole in which a flywheel screw (66) bearing on the splint (61) blocks the latter by the angular movement of the eccentric (64), according to another variant, the spar carries clevis bolts (67) and (68) and centering feet (69) on which is positioned the splint (70) which extends to the clevis which it surrounds, it is tightened against the side member by a bar (71) fitted with flanged pressure screws (72). Characteristically, of metal equal to or greater than that of the spar, the fishplates must have a moment of inertia at least 50% greater than that of said spar. All the locking elements are provided by clips (73), (74).

In order not to have to dismantle the flight controls when folding the wing (1), openings which can be closed off by plates (75) are provided in the upper surface in order to give the necessary clearance to the cables and the wheelhouses, in in the case of wheelhouses (76), these carry double articulations (77) joined by a link (78). Flexible cables under sheaths and flexible pipes for which a slight excess of length has been provided do not recite opening in the upper surface. However, it is necessary to provide closable openings to access the sides.

The rear part of the fuselage (3) is articulated at (79) and can be ensured by a spindle (80), it can be lifted behind the cell (2) and the propeller (6) towards which it inclines slightly, it is fixed in this position by simple means not shown. The ends of the elevator (81) are liftable, the hinges (82) are on the upper surface and the clevis bolts (83) for maintaining in the flight position are on the lower surface. Simple fixing means, not shown, maintain these elements in the raised position. The load distribution is organized so that the cockpit is sufficiently advanced so that the pilot is not hampered, on the ground, by the elements of the wing (1) raised laterally to the airframe (2). The motor (84) is mounted in the rear part of the horizontal base (85) of the cell frame (2), its output shaft carries a clutch (86) whose control (87) is retransmitted to the station of control by means not shown. To this clutch (86) is coupled a shaft (88) carried by two bearings (89) and (90) between which it carries a pulley (91) provided with a clutch sleeve (92) freely rotating on said shaft (88 ) which also carries a keying (93) on which another clutch sleeve (94) can slide under the action of a control fork (95) integral with a rod (96); beyond the bearing (90) the shaft carries another clutch sleeve (97) able to slide on the keying (98) of the shaft (88) and to drive another clutch sleeve (99) which rotates freely on the shaft (88) and is integral with the bevel gear (100) when it is moved towards the front of the assembly by a fork (101) also integral with the rod (96) whose positions are locked by a grid provided with an intermediate slot constituting a neutral point.

The pulley (91) drives by belts (102) the pulley (103) keyed onto the shaft (104) carried by the bearings (105) and (106) mounted respectively on the elements (107) and (108) of the frame of the cell (2) at the end of which the propeller (6) is fixed.

A shaft (109), carried by bearings not shown, extends in front of the pinion (100) perpendicular to the shaft (88) its axis being in the plane of that of the latter, it is provided with a keying ( 110) on which bevel gears (111) and (112) associated respectively with grooved sleeves (113) and (114) coupled to a mobile assembly (115) provided with two forks (116) and (117) - can slide to mesh one of them with the pinion (100). The movable assembly (115) is locked in the engagement positions by its operating lever (118) swinging in a grid (119) fixed to the frame (85) whose window (120) has three slots, the central slot corresponding to neutral. this assembly constitutes a reverse gear for the driving wheels: the shaft (88) being supposed to turn in the direction of the arrow (121), when the pinion (111) meshes with the pinion (100), the shaft (109 ) rotates in the direction of the arrow (122) which corresponds to the forward direction, when the pinion (112) is geared to the pinion (100), the shaft (109) rotates in the direction of the arrow (123) which corresponds to reverse. The moving assembly (115) carries a vertical bar (124), the rod (96) carries a plate (125) which has a notch (126) slightly wider than the bar (124) which thus prevents the rod (96) to be pushed when the moving element (115) is not in neutral, the only position allowing the notch (126) not to abut against the bar (124). It is thus not possible to drive the propeller (6) when the drive wheel / s is / are driven, this is also made systematically impossible by the organization of the rod (96) and forks (95) and (101). An electrical safety not shown can be added by which the raising of each of the assemblies constituted by an intermediate element and an extreme element, folded or not, of the wing (1) interrupts the contact of the motor which is restored by the sliding clutch (94 ) driving the propeller (6) in the disengaged position. The shaft (109) transmits by pinion (127) and chain (128) its movement to the pinion (129) keyed to the shaft (130) with the pinion (131) whose chain (132) drives the pinion (133) mounted on the shaft (134) associated with the pinion (135) which, by the chain (136) drives the pinion (137) coaxial with the drive wheels (7). The shaft (134) is mounted on bearings (not shown) fixed on elements (139) of the frame

(85), around it, oscillating arms (140) are articulated which carry the wheels (7) and whose free end is associated with the frame (85) by means of shock absorbers (141). Between the pinion (137) and the axle (142), a variator or a gear change not shown may advantageously / be incorporated, a differential may be housed in one of the rims of the wheels (7) and may include means for blocking or self-locking with controlled unlocking. An inertia drive not shown can be mounted on one of the shafts of this transmission (109), (130), (134), (142). All the wheels are brakeable, the drive wheels (7) can be braked either together or separately. The nose wheel is also adjustable and mounted on a fork fitted with shock absorbers.

An additional exhaust pipe or quickly adaptable soundproof shells can be provided to improve the soundproofing of the land vehicle.

The wing (1) is associated with the cell (2) as follows: the wing (1) is placed under the basic horizontal element (85) of the frame of the cell (2) and is fixed there by its main beams (8) and rear (9) respectively reinforced at these locations by tube elements (143) and (144). Round iron U's (145) whose ends are threaded surrounds the tube (143) and its ends, oriented upwards, are fixed by nuts (146) and (147) to a crosspiece (148) placed on the face upper frame (85), said tubes (143) being almost in contact with the underside of the frame (85) are blocked by a plate (149) pressed strongly against them by pressure screws (150) to steering wheels, screwed into the crosspiece

(148) on which they are locked by flywheel locknuts (151) and are thus held in the vertical direction; in the horizontal direction, brackets (152) and (153) have their upper part straddling the elements of the frame (85) and are fixed there by bolts or pins (154) and (155) at locations such that the fallen edges (156) and (157) come to rest are opposite generators of the tubes (143), horizontal lower folds (158) and (159) ensure the assembly and can carry the spar before it is locked. You can adjust the longitudinal position, therefore, the centering, by providing several series of holes for fixing the brackets (152) and (153). To facilitate centering, slides, not shown, similar to those used for positioning the motors and tensioning their belts, can be fixed to the frame to move the brackets (152) and (153); the tubular part (144) of the rear spar (9) is held in a U (160) integral with a threaded rod (161) fixed and locked to a crosspiece (162) of the frame (85) by nuts and against - nuts with frills (163) and (164). The vertical adjustment of this threaded rod (161) allows the adjustment of the incidence of the wing (1).

The cell / is advantageously faired, the front part of this fairing (165) has a hinge (166) in its upper part to allow its lifting. The front part is preferably transparent at least 2/3 of its height to give good visibility. Floats, inflatable or not, and skis can be provided as well as a small winch, the latter being mounted on one of the shafts (109), (130) or (134).

Flight controls include: - the roll and pitch controls by two sleeves formed by a horizontal tube (167) organized in the lower part of the airframe (2) and whose ends are bent vertically in the axis of the two seats, constituting the sleeves proper (168) and (169) the tube (167) can rotate freely in a tee (170) located in the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and is centered on this tee by stop rings (171) and (172) , in the third branch of the tee (170) is fixed a tube (173) which extends horizontally in the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and can rotate freely in two bearings (174) and (175) fixed to the frame of the airframe (2), it carries at its rear end a lever (176) which controls the roll by acting on the ailerons (177) and (178) of the wing (1), by wheelhouse (179) and / or cables and / or flexible cables in sheaths, several fixing points (180) can be provided to adjust the sensitivity of the control; below the tube (167) and in the same plane as the sleeves (168) and (169), a stirrup (181) forming an arc of 180 ^⍛ whose center is in the axis of the tube (173) is fixed by nuts (182) and (183) to the tube (167), it passes through an eyelet (184) of the pitching linkage (185) which moves in guides (186) and (187) and which is connected to the elevator (81) by references and wheelhouse and / or cables and / or flexible cables under sheaths. The sensitivity of this control can be adjusted downstream of the wheelhouse (185),

- the yaw or spreader control comprises a transverse horizontal shaft (188), located in the lower front part of the cell (2) and carried by bearings (189) and (190) on which two left pedals (191) and ( 192) are pinned and around which two straight pedals

(193) and (194) can rotate freely but are linked together by a tie rod (195); a lever (196) pinned on the shaft (188) carries the fixing (197) of the left turn control (198), another lever (199) free on the shaft (188) but secured to the bar d coupling (195) carries the fixing (200) of the control (201) for turning to the right, these controls lead to the lever (202) of the rudder (203); Sensitivity adjustments can be made at either end of these controls.

The convertible aircraft object of the present invention is essentially characterized by its flexibility of use both in flight and on the ground and is, as such, usable in a wide variety of applications.

Claims

 R E VE ND I C A T I ON S

1) Convertible aircraft characterized in that it retains all of its constituent elements both in its aerodyne configuration and in its configuration of land or floating vehicle, in that its wing (1), in one piece is foldable in at least four locations and that it is reconstituted by fishplates (56) to (58) and / or (59) to (66) and / or (67) to (72) the blockages being ensured by clips (73) or (74), in that the rear of the fuselage (3) is liftable behind the propeller (6) and that the tail (4) is also foldable, in that the airframe (2) is placed and fixed on the wing (1) which, folded is raised along its lateral faces but clears the lateral visibility of the cockpit, the means for fixing the wing (1) to the airframe (2), comprising the elements ( 143) to (164), allowing the adjustment of the centering and also that of the incidence of the wing (1) both in flight and on the ground, in that the profile of the wing (1) is modifiable both in theft that floor, not only by curvature flaps (10) and (11) but also by the thickening of the profile by deforming the covering or the covering (24) of the lower surface by different means (12) to (23), (25) to (33) or (41) to (46), in that a single motor (84) drives either the propeller (6) or the drive wheel (s) (7), l propeller drive (6) prohibiting the drive of the wheels (7.) and conversely, its exhaust is provided with additional soundproofing means for road and urban traffic, said motor (84) can also cause a small winch , in that means (75) to (78) allow the folding of the wing (1) without having to disassemble the flight controls, in that the landing gear comprises at least two wheels, the rear wheel ( or the rear wheels) (7) being the driving wheel / s in land vehicle configuration is / are mounted on oscillating arms (140) associated with shock absorbers (141), the nose wheel is mounted on fo steerable urch and is fitted with shock absorbers, all the wheels are brakable, together or separately, in that the cell (2) is faired by a shell (165), the front part of which has a hinge (166) in its upper part which makes it liftable, in that skis and floats - inflatable or not - can be provided, in that it is provided with flight controls (167) to (203) of simple design and construction, compatible with the typology trouble with the device. 2) Convertible plane according to claim 1) characterized in that its constituent elements such as its wing (1), its fuselage (3), its empennage (4), the dimensions of which exceed those of the size authorized by the Highway Code and / or are incompatible with those of structures commonly encountered, are foldable to dimensions smaller than the aforementioned limits, in that this result is obtained by folding the wing (1) which is in one piece, at least four locations where hinges (53) are mounted on the main spar (8) and hinges (54) on the rear spar (9), in the upper surface in both cases, in that the aforementioned spars are interrupted above said locations and are reconstituted by splicing made up, either by U-shaped profiles (56) bolted in the aforementioned beams (8) and (9), the bolt heads being trapped in omega profiles (58) fixed to said beams, or by tightening of a clisse (61) by means of an eccentric (64) blocked by a driving screw (66) bearing on said splint

(61) by screwing into the thread of a tab (65) integral with the eccentric (64) able to rotate on a spindle (63) passing through the bores

(62) of cylinders (59) fixed to the side members (8) or (9) and penetrating into the splint (61) by holes (60) which are formed therein, or, according to another variant, by the tightening of a splint (70) against the spar (8) or (9) by flanged pressure screws (72) mounted on a bar (71) secured to said spar by yoke screws (67) and (68) which are there fixed and on one of which, it can turn like a hinge on a hinge, the splint (70) is positioned on said spar by centering feet (69) and extends beyond the yoke screws (67 ) and (68) which it partially surrounds, in that the moments of inertia of the couplings are much greater than those of the beams which they equip, in that the plating elements are provided by clips (73), ( 74), in that the disassembly of the flight controls during the folding of the wing (1) is avoided thanks to openings made in the interlining or the lining of the upper surface and closed by plates (75) which give the necessary clearance to cables or wheelhouses (76) provided for this, double articulations (77) joined by connecting rods (78), in that said disassembly can also be avoided simply by using flexible cables under sheaths or flexible conduits, in that the lifting of the folded elements of the wing (1) laterally to the airframe (2) controls the cutting of a switch, for each side of the wing (1), these switches are mounted in series with the engine contact and being shunted by the propeller clutch member (94) when it is in the disengaged position , in that the rear part of the) fuselage (3) provided with a hinge (79) and held in position by a pin (80) can be lifted behind the airframe (2) and the propeller (6), slightly at beyond the vertical and is fixed in this position, in that the ends of the stabilizer and / or of the elevator (81) are liftable, articulated by hinges / on the upper surface and secured in the flight position by clevis bolts (83) on the lower surface, the raised position of the empennage allowing it to pass between the raised elements of the wing (1) when the rear part of the fuselage (3) is itself raised.

3) Convertible aircraft according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the profile of the wing (1) can be modified in flight and on the ground, in that this modification is effected by several means usable in various combinations, in that that this modification consists, on the one hand, in modifying the curvature of at least the rear part of the wing (1), on the other hand, in modifying the thickness and the shape of the lower surface of this wing ( 1), in that the following combinable devices are provided: at least two sets of curvature flaps (10) and (11) over all or part of the span, flaps (43) and (44) possibly inflatable can also be used, in that the first lowering position of these flaps is part of the new (thick) configuration of the profile, in that said profile thickness is modified by the descent of a movable spar (12) associated with the spar main (8) by links (13) controlled by a drawbar rie (15) and carrying fingers (16) and an axis (17), the fingers (16) drive in downward movement rib elements (19) and (20) which participate with the spar (12) in the deformation of the covering or covering (24) of the lower surface which then follows the new shape they define, the axis (17) associated with a wheelhouse (18) controls the lowering of the flaps (10) and (11 ) in their first position, in that, according to a variant, the mobile spar is a U (21) carrying rib elements (22) and (23), the descent of this assembly deforms the interlining or covering (24 ) of the lower surface as before, in that the elasticity necessary for the coating or interlining of the lower surface (24) to marry its new shape and to recover its original shape is given to it by bungee cords (29) or by springs arranged between, on the one hand, rings (28) fixed to the rear spar (9), on the other hand, rings (27) fixed to a joint cover (25) to which the interlining or covering (24) is fixed, the joint cover (25) being capable of sliding against a joint cover (26) separate from the spar (9), in that this elasticity can also be obtained by elastic bands or by winding means, in that a variant provides for the deformation of the lower surface, either by inflating juxtaposed tubes (30), (31), (32) against which the covering or interlining (24) of the lower surface forms a tangent surface, either by inflating one or more pouch (s) (33) having inflated the shape of the desired profile, this pouch possibly being able to constitute the covering or interlining of the lower surface, in that these pockets or tubes are accommodated, when they are deflated in thin th videiaents provided in the ribs, on the lower surface, in that according to another variant, a wing (1) with single interlining comprises at least one orientable element (34) between the leading edge (35) and the main spar (36) in addition to the curvature flaps (10) and (11), the various constituent elements of the wing (1) are connected together by tubular elements (37), (38) connected to those of the adjacent element or flap by rods or tubes (39), (40) forming a joint, the lower surface may include inflatable and retractable elements over all or part of its surface, in that the orientation of the curvature flaps (10) and (11) obtained simultaneously with the deformation of the lower surface is made by springs (47) which push them against stops (48) of the controls (49) from their other positions, they are held in the plane of the lower surface by flexible cables under ducts (50) and wheelhouse (51) whose angle gear (52) is associated with the wheelhouse (18, l es controls (49) of the other positions being connected to wheelhouses and / or cables and / or flexible cables in sheaths, in that by this means, a command serves to choose one of the two types of flight and the other serves , for each type of flight, to have the different positions of the lift flaps.

4) Convertible aircraft according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wing (1) is produced in several compartments (41) to (46), all inflatable together or in isolation, capable of giving it the required mechanical characteristics and the profiles desired, some of its elements, such as, for example, the flaps (10) and (11) can be made of a non-deformable material.

5) Convertible aircraft according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cell (2) is placed and fixed on the wing (1), the basic horizontal frame (85) of the cell (2) passing essentially on the upper surface of the wing (1), this provision also being applicable to biplanes, the lower plane of which is laid and fixed as above - which applies to a low wing - and the upper plane of which is also fixed to an element of the frame of the passing cell and surrounding it on its upper surface / similarly a monoplane with the high wing or parasol has its cell fixed on the wing by an element of its frame passing on the upper surface of the wing and surrounding it, in that the wing (1) is fixed to the base frame (85) of the cell (2) by its longitudinal members (8) and (9) reinforced at these locations by \ tube elements (143) and (144) (145) surrounded by round iron U's / whose threaded ends are bolted in the holes of a t raverse (148) placed on the upper face of the frame (85), the tubes (143) being almost in contact with the lower face of the frame (85), their blocking is effected by screws (150) with against - nuts with flounces tightening them by a plate (149) in the U (145), said screws (150) being screwed in the crosspiece (148), in that brackets (152) and (153) whose upper part is fixed to the frame (85) by means adjustable in the longitudinal direction have their vertical fallen edges (156) and (157) in contact with two opposite generatrices of the tubes (143) in order to maintain them in the horizontal direction and also have horizontal folds (158) and (159) capable of ensuring vertical safety and of carrying the beam (8) + (143) before it is locked, in that the longitudinal adjustment, which is that of centering, can be carried out by series of holes / in the frame (85) and in the brackets (152) and (153) or by worm slides, in that the rear spar (9) has its tubular part (144) held in a U (160) fixed to a threaded rod (161) lockable to a crosspiece (162) of the frame (85) by nuts and flywheel nuts (163) and (164), in that the adjustment of the incidence is effected by unlocking the screws (150), the wing (1) remaining firmly fixed, the tubes (143) of the spar (8 ) can have a slight angular displacement in the U (145) to allow the raising or lowering of the tube (144) of the rear spar re (9) by screwing or unscrewing the nuts and locknuts (163) and (164) on the threaded rod (161).

6) Convertible aircraft according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the motor (84) mounted in the rear part of the airframe (2) on its basic framework (85) can drive either the propeller (6) in aerodyne configuration, ie the driving wheel (s) (7) in land vehicle configuration, in that the driving of the latter prohibits that of the propeller (6) and vice versa, in that a reverse gear is provided in the transmission to / to the wheel / s (7), in that these results can be obtained by the combination of the following means or by the use of some of them: a clutch (86) mounted at the outlet of the motor (84) is coupled to a shaft (88) on which a pulley (91) provided with a dog clutch (92) turns freely and is capable of being driven by another dog clutch (94), it is connected to the propeller (6) by the belts (102) and the pulley (103) keyed onto the shaft (104) of this propeller (6) which is carried by bearings (105) and (106) fixed to the elements (107) and (108) of the frame of the cell (12) has the dog sleeve (94) slides on a keying (93 ) of the shaft (88) under the action of a fork (95) controlled by a rod (96) carrying a second fork (101) capable of sliding on the keying (98) of the shaft ( 88) a dog clutch (97) for driving by its dog clutch (99) the bevel gear (100) which rotates freely on the shaft (88), when the control (95) - (96) - (101) is pushed towards the rear of the plane, the sleeve (94) meshes with the sleeve (92), the propeller (6) turns, when the control (95) - (96) - (101) is pulled towards before the aircraft, the sleeve 97 meshes with the sleeve (99), the bevel gear (100) turns, by this arrangement the sleeves (94) and (97) cannot simultaneously mesh the members they control, a neutral is formed in the middle position of the control (95) - (96) - (101) which is materialized by the central slot of the locking grid (109) which defines the movements of this control, a transverse shaft / placed in front of the pinion (100) carries two bevel gears (111) and (112) capable of sliding on a keying (110) and to mesh with the pinion (100), they are coupled to a movable assembly (115) which controls their axial movement and whose travel is defined by a locking grid (119) whose window (120) has three slots, the central slot constituting a neutral point, when the pinion (111) is meshed with the pinion (100) the shaft (109) rotates in a certain direction, when the pinion (112) meshes the pinion (100) at a point diametrically opposite to the previous , the shaft (109) rotates in the opposite direction to the previous one, the reversing forward / reverse gear is achieved, the shaft (109) drives by sprockets (127) and (129) and chain (128) which drives by sprockets (131) and (133) and chain (132) the shaft (134) which, by sprocket (135) and chain (136) drives the sprocket (137) coaxial with the driving wheel (s) ( 7) and to the axle or axle (142), in that a gear change can be incorporated in the pinion (137) and / or a variator, in that a lockable or self-locking and disengageable differential can be accommodated in the rim of one of the wheels (7), in that an inertia variator can be mounted on one of the shafts of this transmission (109), (130), (134), (142), in that a small winch can be mounted and driven by one of the shafts (109), (130), (134), in that rapidly adaptable elements such as an additional pot, soundproof shells are organized to improve soundproofing during use on the ground, in that the wheel (s) (7) is / are carried by swinging arms (140) articulated on the shaft (134) and connected, by their other end to the framework (85) by the intermediate shock absorbers (141), in that the nose wheel is mounted on a steerable fork with shock absorbers, in that all the wheels can be braked together or separately, in that safety devices constituted by a vertical bar (124) fixed on the movable assembly (115) and a plate (125) provided with a notch (126) fixed on the rod (96) prevents the latter from being pushed to engage the propeller (6) when the reverse gear of the wheels or the wheel (7) is not in neutral, only position where the bar (124) can pass freely t in the notch (126).

7) Convertible aircraft according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flight controls for a two-seater dual-control, three-axis, conventional comprise: the roll and pitch controls obtained by two sleeves (168) and (169 ) formed by the ends raised at 902 of a horizontal tube (167) placed transversely in the lower part of the airframe (2), able to rotate freely in a tee organized in the longitudinal axis of the airplane and associated with a tube (173) which extends horizontally in the longitudinal axis of the airplane and can turn in two bearings (174) and (175) and carries at its rear end a lever (176) which controls the roll by cable and / or flexible cables under ducts and / or wheelhouse (179) acting on the ailerons ( 177) and (178) of the wing (1), the sensitivity of the control being adjusted by several fixing points (180) on the lever (176), the pitching is obtained by the elevator (81) connected by ev cables or flexible cables in sheaths and / or wheelhouse and references to the wheelhouse (185) guided in (186) and (187) and provided with an eyelet (184) crossed by a stirrup (181) forming an arc of 180 ^⍛ and fixed on the tube (167) on either side of the tee (170) in the plane of the sleeves (168) and (169), the yaw commands are obtained by two spreaders formed by a transverse arbor (188) carried by bearings (189), (190) provided with two left pedals (191), (192) pinned on it and two straight pedals (193), (194) free around it but coupled by a bar (195) and still carries a lever (196) pinned there and a lever (199) free but secured to the bar (195), the left turn is obtained by the control (198) fixed in (197 ) to the lever (196), the right turn is obtained by the command (201) fixed at (200) to the lever (199), these two commands animate the lever (202) of the rudder (203), in that the sensitivity of the flight controls is adjustable on each of them by different positioning possibilities on the levers or references, in that the controls can be carried out by wheelhouses and / or by cables and / or by cables in sheaths.

8) Convertible aircraft according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cell (2) is faired, the front part of this fairing (165) is articulated in its upper part on a hinge (166) and is therefore of preferably rewashable, in that the position of the cockpit is sufficiently advanced so that lateral visibility is not hampered by the wing elements (1) raised along the airframe (2) in the configuration of the land vehicle, in what inflatable or non-inflatable skis and floats are provided.