RU212767U1 - VERTICAL TAKE-OFF AND LANDING AIRCRAFT - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of aircraft engineering, namely, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with a carrier system of the "screw in the ring" type. SUBSTANCE: vertical take-off and landing aircraft contains a body with a cockpit, landing gear, tail unit and propeller groups, consisting of engines and rotors, placed in rotary annular channels. An additional frame is installed between the body and each annular channel by means of two pairs of hinges. One pair of hinges makes it possible to rotate the additional frame together with the annular channel around the transverse axis, and the other pair of hinges makes it possible to rotate the annular channel relative to the additional frame around the longitudinal axis of the body. The hinges can be made in the form of trunnions fixed on the body and on the additional frame, and associated bushings fixed on the additional frame and on the annular channel. Each propeller group may consist of two rotors with the possibility of rotation in opposite directions, fixed on the motor shaft, located between them and connected to the annular channel by power elements. In each propeller group, the drive by turning the additional frame around the transverse axis and the drive by turning the annular channel around the longitudinal axis can be made in the form of steering gears. The proposed VTOL aircraft has an effective attitude control system over the entire range of flight speeds with minimal power loss. This is achieved by manipulating directly the propellers themselves, which are propeller groups, without involving additional controls, for example, aerodynamic surfaces. 3 w.p. f-ly, 4 ill.

Description

The utility model relates to the field of aircraft engineering, namely, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with a carrier system of the "screw in the ring" type.

The advantages and disadvantages of such a carrier system were studied by Professor B.S. Stechkin at TsAGI back in the late 20s - early 30s of the last century. Today, the academic school created at the MAI continues to study this system (see Shaidakov V.I. Aerodynamics of a screw in a ring. - M .: MAI Publishing House, 1996, and other later works to this day). There is evidence that the traction characteristics of the system increase up to 20-30% with certain ratios of propeller diameters, ring length and profile, flight speed, etc. These indicators can be achieved by significantly reducing air overflow at the ends of the blades and reducing power losses due to inductive resistance . Therefore, such a carrier system is relevant in the helicopter industry.

Known carrier system of the aircraft "screw in the ring", according to patent RU 136 417, B64C 29/00,2013, consisting of a rotor located in a profiled ring, in which mutually intersecting horizontal and vertical control surfaces are made, having deflectable and non-deflectable sections surfaces and rigidly fixed non-deflectable surface areas on the inner walls of the profiled ring. The main rotor is installed in front of non-deflectable mutually intersecting steering surfaces, and the profiled ring is divided into 8 identical parts, each of which has a tail section in the form of a rectangle, which is a wing in section with a tail deflectable element. During the flight, the pilot, using the control sticks, sets the required direction of movement of the aircraft, these commands are transmitted to the steering machines using the electric remote control system, which deflect the control surfaces of the ring in one direction or another. The deflection of the steering surfaces (in various combinations) allows obtaining the required control moments that correspond to the direction of movement of the vehicle chosen by the pilot. However, this whole complex system of control surfaces is an additional obstacle to the air flow from the propeller. As a result, their total drag may require additional power to overcome it.

Known unmanned aerial vehicle vertical takeoff and landing, containing a body with a chassis, horizontal movement controls, fuel tanks, flight control equipment and a propeller group mounted on the body with rods, consisting of an engine and two coaxial rotors inside the annular channel with the possibility of rotation in opposite directions (patent RU 51966, В64С 39/02, 2005). The apparatus contains horizontal movement controls made in the form of rotor swashplates or in the form of air control rudders for pitch and roll mounted on rods inside the annular channel. The utility model provides an increase in the magnitude of the lift force, an increase in the speed of horizontal flight, an increase in the maneuverability of the aircraft and the stability margin of the angular movement control system, a decrease in fuel consumption and a simplification of the process of remote control of the flight by the operator. However, the first of the horizontal flight control systems is very complex, and the second one can serve as a source of power losses when flowing around aerodynamic controlled surfaces.

Also known is a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, containing a body, landing gear, horizontal and vertical tail, propeller groups, consisting of engines and rotors placed inside a single annular fairing (patent RU 2080014, B64C 27/20, 1993). The rotors are installed with mutual overlap and are connected to the engines through gearboxes interconnected by synchronizing shafts. The disadvantage of this device may be inefficient control during horizontal movements at low flight speeds, because can only be provided by control surfaces on the horizontal and vertical tail.

The closest technical solution, i.e. the prototype is a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft according to the patent RU 2348568, B64C 39/10, B64C 29/00, B60F 5/02, 2009. This aircraft contains a body made in the form of a fuselage with a cockpit, landing gear, U-shaped tail and several propeller groups, consisting of engines and rotors located inside the annular channels. Front and rear propeller groups provide vertical takeoff. The rear propeller groups have the ability to rotate around the transverse axis, which ensures the deflection of the thrust vector in the longitudinal plane. Due to this, the possibility of controlling horizontal flight forward and backward is realized. A set of steerable lattice wings is placed above the upper tail section of the hull. Diffuser channels are made on the lower surface of the hull, and the annular channels of the front propeller groups are equipped with controlled aileron blades. The execution of diffuser channels on the lower surface of the hull and bypassing in them part of the air flow from the front systems of the "screw in the ring" type by controlled aileron blades can provide lateral control of the vehicle at very low flight speeds. The directional stability of the apparatus is provided by a two-keel vertical tail, which ensures the creation of a stabilizing directional moment. The disadvantage of such an apparatus is the use of a large set of controlled and uncontrolled aerodynamic surfaces, forming a complex system through which an intense, high-speed air flow is pumped. The flow of air in such a complex labyrinth of channels can lead to significant power losses due to the large frontal resistance of many aerodynamic surfaces and reduce control efficiency.

The task to be solved by the proposed technical solution is to eliminate the shortcomings of the prototype by eliminating complex systems of aerodynamic surfaces and channels in the path of the air flow pumped by the propellers, and increasing the efficiency of control by directly deflecting the thrust vector in the required direction.

The task in the proposed vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, containing a body with a cockpit, landing gear, tail unit and propeller groups, consisting of engines and rotors, located in rotary annular channels, is solved by the fact that between the body and each annular channel an additional frame through two pairs of hinges, one of which allows rotation of the additional frame together with the annular channel around the transverse axis, and the other pair of hinges allows the annular channel to rotate relative to the additional frame around the longitudinal axis of the body.

The hinges can be made in the form of trunnions fixed on the body and on the additional frame, and associated bushings fixed on the additional frame and on the annular channel.

Each propeller group may consist of two rotors with the possibility of rotation in opposite directions, fixed on the motor shaft, located between them and connected to the annular channel by power elements.

In each propeller group, the drive by turning the additional frame around the transverse axis and the drive by turning the annular channel around the longitudinal axis can be made in the form of steering gears.

The essence of the proposed technical solution is illustrated by drawings, where:

- in Fig. 1 is a side view of a VTOL aircraft in level flight in the forward direction (section along the longitudinal axis);

- in Fig. 2 is a front view of a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft in horizontal flight in the transverse direction (section A-A in Fig. 1);

- in Fig. 3 - side view of the propeller group assembly;

- in Fig. 4 - top view of the propeller group assembly.

The vertical takeoff and landing aircraft comprises a body 1 with a cockpit 2, a landing gear 3 and a U-shaped tail, consisting of vertical and horizontal aerodynamic surfaces 4 and 5. The vertical tail is equipped with turning planes of the rudders, and the horizontal tail is equipped with turning planes of the elevators . Inside the body 1 in front and behind the cabin there are two identical propeller groups, each of which consists of an engine 6 with two coaxial rotors 7 and 8 installed in the annular channels 9. The engines 6 are fixed inside the annular channels 9 by means of rods 10, and the screws 7 - 8 are mounted on shafts above and below the engine 6 with the possibility of rotation in opposite directions. An additional frame 11 is installed between the body 1 and each annular channel 9 by means of two pairs of hinges. One pair of hinges 12 allows the additional frame 11 to rotate together with the annular channel 9 around the transverse axis, and the other pair of hinges 14 allows the annular channel 9 to rotate relative to the additional frame. 11 around the longitudinal axis of the housing. Each pair of hinges is made in the form of trunnions mounted on the body 1 and on the additional frame 11, and associated bushings attached to the additional frame 11 and on the annular channel 9. The drive for tilting the additional frame around the transverse axis and the drive for tilting the annular channels around the longitudinal axis can be made in the form of steering machines. The helicopter controls are located in the cockpit: a control stick (RU), pedals and an engine control lever (ROD), differential signals from which are fed to an integrating device, from which commands are sent to the steering machines. To improve the aerodynamic characteristics of the body 1, fairings 15 can be installed on it. Fuel tanks can be placed in the cavities between the fairings 15 and the body 1. A cargo compartment 16 can be formed under the pilot's cabin.

The vertical takeoff and landing aircraft operates as follows.

Before taking off, the annular channels 9 are in the neutral position, i.e. their axis is vertical. After turning on the engines 6, located in the annular channels 9, by controlling the throttle, the speed of the engines 6 is increased. Under the action of the thrust force of the coaxial screws 7 and 8, the device takes off vertically, and as a result of balancing, it can hover. In the hovering mode, if the RU is deflected in the longitudinal plane, the annular channels 9 on the hinges 12 will turn at an angle of ±α (Fig. 3), which will lead to the tilt of the thrust vector T forward or backward. Due to the appearance of the corresponding horizontal component of the thrust vector T, i.e. propulsion force F, the vehicle can start level flight in the corresponding direction. When the RU is deflected in the transverse direction, a synchronous rotation of the annular channels 9 on the hinges 14 at an angle of ±β (Fig. 2) and a deviation of the thrust vector T in the transverse plane will occur. As a result, the device may move in the transverse direction. When working with pedals, steering machines can deflect the front and rear annular channels 9 on the hinges 14 by an angle β in opposite directions, which will lead to the appearance of a torque around the vertical and turn the apparatus in place.

The aircraft, after vertical takeoff and climbing a safe altitude, switches from hovering to horizontal flight (Fig. 1). At the same time, its rotary propeller groups are smoothly transferred to the “acceleration” position when their axes occupy a position with increased angles α. In horizontal flight, the rotary plane of the rudders, placed on the vertical tail 4, perform the functions of directional control. The directional stability of the apparatus is provided by a two-keel vertical tail. The functions of the longitudinal flight control of the apparatus in roll and pitch are transferred to the rotary planes of the elevators located on the horizontal tail 5.

In level flight, due to the differential change in the magnitude and direction of the thrust vector of the front and rear propeller groups, it is possible to change course with and without turns, lateral movement at different speeds, regardless of wind direction. This is ensured by propellers having effective propulsion. The deviation of the propeller groups (in different combinations) allows obtaining the required control torques, which correspond to the direction of movement of the vehicle chosen by the pilot.

The reverse transitional mode from level flight to hovering and vertical landing is performed as follows. The aircraft is switched to the braking mode by smoothly turning the propeller groups at an angle that ensures the vertical direction of the thrust vector. The device hovered over the landing site and smoothly, due to a decrease in the thrust of the propeller groups, goes into the vertical descent mode until the landing gear 3 touches the earth's surface.

The proposed concept of a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft can provide increased reliability and control efficiency, including in turbulent atmosphere, have the necessary maneuverability in a wide range of flight speeds up to hovering in the air and vertical landing.

Claims (4)

1. A vertical takeoff and landing aircraft containing a body with a cockpit, control systems, landing gear, tail unit and propeller groups installed in rotary annular channels and consisting of engines and rotors, characterized in that between each annular channel and the body is installed additional frame by means of two pairs of hinges, one of which allows rotation of the additional frame together with the annular channel around the transverse axis, and the other pair of hinges allows the annular channel to rotate relative to the additional frame around the longitudinal axis of the body. 2. The aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that the hinges are made in the form of trunnions mounted on the body and on the additional frame, and associated bushings attached to the additional frame and on the annular channel. 3. The aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that each propeller group consists of two bearing coaxial propellers that can rotate in opposite directions and are fixed on the motor shaft, located between them and connected to the annular channel by power elements. 4. The aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive by turning the additional frame around the transverse axis and the drive by turning the annular channel around the longitudinal axis is made in the form of steering machines.

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