GB811477A - Aircraft having inflatable members - Google Patents

Abstract

811,477. Inflatable components for aircraft. GOODYEAR AIRCRAFT CORPORATION. Jan. 7, 1957 [Feb. 10, 1956], No. 558/59. Class 4. An aircraft wherein the fuselage, wings and tail unit may be inflated for use and deflated and packed into a comparatively small space for storage or transport comprises a fuselage 1 consisting of an inflated internally unsupported envelope of airtight rubberised fabric provided at its forward end with patches 19 and cables 23 for the attachment of a frame 2 shaped to fit the fuselage. An inflatable pilots' seat 3 having a base 18 and side walls 17 connected by a seat panel of fabric also carries patches 19 and cable attachments to the frame 2, said frame having rear extensions 24 and 25 to which are secured rigid struts 27 supporting an inflated wing,4. Further supports for the wing are a tube 26 secured to frame 2 and anchored by a cable 30 to an arm 29 forming part of a framework 12 secured to the top of the fuselage to provide a mounting for an engine 11. A tail unit consists of an inflatable fin 6 secured to the fuselage and a tail plane 8 by straps 36 and 38 and a rudder 7 and elevator 9 secured to their respective fixed surfaces by straps 39 which act also as hinges, though conventional hinges may be used. Ailerons 5 are mounted on the wings and all moving surfaces are operated from a control column 44 and rudder bar 45 by cable control runs such as 47, 54 and 61. The fuselage is inflated to a lower pressure than the wing and tail unit elements, all of which are interconnected to safeguard against a sudden drop in pressure in one component, though an engine driven compressor may be provided to maintain internal pressure at an optimum valve. The components of the wing and tail unit and the pilots seat may be individually constructed in the manner shown in Fig. 6 wherein the wing is formed from upper and lower elements 69 and 70 and a spar member .71 each constructed from sealed panels connected by flexible ties 76. The control surfaces may be formed as a shaped envelope with opposite surfaces connected by ties having lengths which determine the sectional contour of the surfaces. Part of the aileron operating mechanism is shown at 65, 67 and 68. Other aircraft layouts are shown wherein the pilot may be housed within the upper surface of the wing in a prone or sitting position and the fuselage may be formed with twin booms. Specifications 691,455 [Group X] and 765,996 are referred to.