IL125246A - Gyro-disc aircraft - Google Patents

Abstract

A" disc-gyro" aircraft containing a rotating body (1) having the shape of a disc with the property of a " flying propeller" , means (4) for stabilizing the disc position in space, means (3) for the aircraft ascending and descending, means (3) for moving the aircraft in space and means (16) for the control of the aircraft in flight comprising a three-degree-of-freedom gyro (6) secured on said disc and located on its axis and also comprising a device for control action on the second (8) and third (7) rings of the gyro, in which case the gyro housing has a possibility of free rotation inside the disc around the axis of said disc. 3016 י' בכסלו התשס" ב - November 25, 2001 3017 י' בכסלו התשס" ב - November 25, 2001

Description

GYRO-DISC AIRCRAFT The invention relates to aircraft, more specifically, to disc-shaped aircraft intended for flights in the atmosphere and in free space, both in pilot-controlled and unmanned versions.

There is a known aircraft (US patent No. 4214720) containing a body and a wing secured to the body and having a shape of a disc. On the wing, inclined to the disc surface turbine blades are secured. There is a pressure unit providing for a gas flow to the turbine blades for the aircraft ascent and descent as well as for imparting rotation to said wing with the purpose of stabilizing it. Aircraft control in flight is realized at the expense of creating well-defined gas-dynamic jets in various directions by means of deflecting mechanisms.

The drawbacks of such an aircraft are as follows: - necessity of using a multi-stage system for gas supply to all turbine blades from a common pressure unit which complicates significantly the aircraft design, - availability of numerous deflecting mechanisms decreases the reliability of control since the failure of even one of them causes the decline of control efficiency, - necessity of constant correction of direction of jets stipulated by constant changes in the influence of external factors (ambient temperature, air density and pressure etc.) on the jets. This necessity complicates the control of an aircraft and requires the use of additional adjusting systems and also leads to the decline of aircraft reliability, - impossibility of flights in free space. 125246/2 There is a known aircraft (US patent No. 4807830) wherein in place of turbine blades and a common pressure line independent engines are installed.

An aircraft like this in contrast to the afore-described one is free of drawbacks connected with the use of a multi-stage system for gas supply to all turbine blades from a common pressure unit as well as of those resulting from the availability of a great number of deflecting mechanisms. However the two remaining drawbacks still exist The object of the invention is the task of creating an aircraft having the shape of a disc wherein a means for the aircraft control would be such a unit of a known design and this unit would be installed in such a place and would be connected to the disc in such a way as to elirninate the necessity of constant correction of jets directions and thus to increase the rehability and to simplify the design of the aircraft and its control and also to provide for the possibility of flights in free space.

The set task is solved in such a way that the aircraft contains a rotating body having the shape of a disc with a property of a "flying propeller", a means for stabilizing the disc position in space and a means for the aircraft ascending and descending, a means for moving the aircraft in space and a means for the control of the aircraft in flight comprising a rhree-degree-of-freedom gyro secured on the disc and located on its axis and also comprising a device for control action on the second and third rings of the gyro, in this case the gyro housing has a possibility of free rotation inside the disc around the axis of this disc.

In this case it is expedient that the gyro housing should be mounted in the disc bearing.

Such a design makes it possible to create a unified system which consists of two inerlial systems (disc and gyro) linked between one another through a sliding coupling. Availability of such unified system makes it possible, by acting on gyro rings, (the first inertial system) and using its specific properties, to control the second inertial system - the disc, i.e. the aircraft.

The essence of the invention is illustrated by the drawings which are as follows: Fig. 1 shows schematically the aircraft according to the invention (top view), Fig. 2 - Section II - II in Figure 1, Fig. 3 - unit A in Figure 1 , enlarged, view as per arrow B, diagrammatic representation, Fig. 4 - unit C in Figure 2, enlarged, Fig. 5 - gyro, general view, Fig. 6 - diagrammatic representation of the aircraft movements depending upon control actions.

The proposed aircraft contains body 1 (Fig. 1) made in the form of a hollow disc with vessels 2 (Fig. 2) for placing solid fuel. Secured to disc 1 are two sustainer jet engines 3 operating independent of the environment. The sustainer engines 3 serve for providing a translational motion of the aircraft in space at the expense of thrust T I created by them. Equally spaced around the perimeter of disc 1 are 125246/2 solid-fuel small-sized jet engines 4 operating independent of me environment, intended for driving disc 1 up to speed and, consequently, for stabilizing its position in space. Engines 4 are oriented in such a way that thrust T2 built up by each of them is directed tangentially relative to disc 1. Engines 4 (Fig. 3) are capable of turning relative to the disc 1 plane to provide for the possibility of the aircraft ascending and descending. This possibility is achieved by the appearance of vertical component (the lift) P of thrust T2. The aforesaid arrangement of engines 4 is not compulsory. However it is the best alternative to be followed since it allows in addition to said stabilization to provide for the transportation of loads of any dimensions with no limitation to their centralizing. This is due to the fact that the points of application of lift P are spaced around the disc perimeter. In one of the versions engines 4 can be not capable of turning, in this case the aircraft ascent and descent can be realized by any other known way, e.g. with the aid of additional elements changing the direction of the exhaust gas efflux. Made in disc 1 is an axial hole wherein gyro unit 5 with three-degree-of-freedom gyro 6 (Fig. 4) is installed coaxially to disc 1, this gyro comprising outer ring 7 (Fig. 5), inner ring 8 and gyro motor 9. Gyro unit 5 is installed on disc 1 in bearing 10 capable of withstanding great alternating loads and thus has a possibility of free rotation relative to the disc. Unit 11 of securing external suspension for transporting load 12 is located in the lower portion of outer ring 7 of the gyro. Position of outer ring 7 in space is stabilized by a rotating disc serving the function of a sort of an external support for the gyro. Flight compartment 13 is restrained relative to the axis 14 of gyromotor 9. Units 15 of securing compartment 13 are located in the area of the gyromotor. Device 16 is available intended for generating various control actions on outer ring 7 or inner ring 8 of the gyro in directions indicated by arrows "d", "e" or "f (Fig. 6). Any of known devices for controlling aircraft with appropriate movements for the proposed design can be used as such said device. The design of device 16 is not shown in the figures not to add to their complexity.

Various design versions of the proposed aircraft are possible within the claims, these versions may differ from those described above in the means used for stabilizing the disc, in making the jet engines capable of turning to increase control efficiency, in the number and relative position of individual units and parts, their designs etc.

The aircraft operates as follows.

Start of jet engines 4 is implemented, these engines lying in the plane of disc 1, this resulting in driving the disc up to speed and its stabilization in a horizontal position. At the same time gyromotor 9 of the gyro is being started. In this case, with the gyro in original position, its outer ring 7 and inner ring 8 lie in a horizontal plane (as well as the plane of disc 1). Then jet engines 4 are turned relative to the disc plane so as to create lift P. After the aircraft ascent to a required height sustainer jet engines 3 are started and jet engines 4 are turned to the plane of disc 1. The position of outer ring 7 of the gyro in space is being stabilized by the rotating disc functioning as a sort of an external support for the gyro. As a result a system appears which consists of two inertial systems (the disc and the gyro), linked with one another through a sliding coupling -bearing 10.

The control of the aircraft is realized in the. following way.

When it is necessary to set up bank displacement, outer ring 7 is acted on as indicated by arrow "d" (Fig. 6a) through a corresponding movement (not shown for clarity) with the aid of device 16. As a result outer ring 7 is turned through angle "a" causing a corresponding roll of the aircraft.

When it is necessary to set up pitch displacement (angle "β"), in a similar way outer ring 7 is acted on as indicated by arrow "e" (Fig. 6b -.view as per arrow D in Figure 6a) When it is necessary to alter the aircraft heading, inner ring 8 is acted on as indicated by arrow "f (Fig. 6c) with the aid of device 16. In so doing gyro 6 precession occurs, this causing the turn of gyro unit 5 and, hence, of disc 1 on the heading in the direction of arrow "g". In case of necessity of changing the heading for the opposite direction, inner ring 8 is acted on in a direction reverse to that shown by arrow "f '.

Values of roll, pitch and heading change are determined by the force and duration of the action on rings 7 and 8 of the gyro.

Claims (8)

125246/2 Claims:

1. A "disc-gyro" aircraft containing a rotating body having the shape of a disc with a property of a "Flying propeller", a means for stabilizing the disc position in space, a means for the aircraft ascending and descending, a means for moving the aircraft in space and a means for the control of the aircraft in flight comprising a three-degree-of-freedom gyro secured on the disc and located on its axis and also comprising a device for control action on the second and third rings of the gyro, in this case the gyro housing has a possibility of free rotation inside the disc around the axis of this disc.

2. An aircraft according to claim 1 wherein the gyro housing is installed in the disc bearing ensuring a sliding coupling of two inertial systems: the disc and the gyro.

3. An aircraft according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the means for stabilizing the disc position is made in the form of solid-fuel jet engines or any other jet engines operating independent of the environment, the engines equally spaced around the disc perimeter and oriented so that a thrust built up by them is directed tangentially relative to the disc.

4. An aircraft according to claim 3 wherein said jet engines are capable of turning relative to the disc plane to ensure its vertical movement.

5. An aircraft according to claim 1 or 3 wherein the disc has an aerodynamic or non-aerodynamic configuration with the property of "a flying propeller" as an inertial system, all this allows to preserve the property of "a propeller" with jet engines on the blades ends and at the same time to compensate for a load of the centrifugal forces on the solid-fuel jet engines at the expense of more rigid disc design and also rules out alternating loads occurring under waving movements of the blades in the "flying propeller".

6. An aircraft according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the gyro is used as an inertial stabilizing and control system for realizing direct functions of control of the inertial system of the disc and as a means for additional stabilization of the aircraft.

7. An aircraft according to claim 1 wherein sustainer jet engines operating independent of the environment are used as a means for the aircraft movement in space, e.g. solid-fuel jet engines ensuring thrusts both in the horizontal flight and at takeoff and landing by a vertical or by a slope path and also providing for the aircraft heading maneuver by means of changing the direction of exhaust gas efflux within the range of 0 deg. to 360 deg. in a horizontal plane.

8. An aircrafMs described above with reference to the enclosed specification.