US1289683A - Flying-boat. - Google Patents

Description

G. H. CURTISS.

FLYING BOAT.

APPLICATION FLLED AUG.I0. I917.

1,289,683, Patented Dec. 31-, 1918.

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e, H. curmss.

FLYING BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.I0. I917. 1,289,683, Patented Dec. 31,1918.

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union GLENN H. CURTISS, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 CURTISS AEROPLANE AND MOTOR CORPORATION, OF BUFFALO, N EW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FLYING-BOAT.

Application filed August 10, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GLENN H. Onn'rrss, a citizen of the United States, reslding at Buflalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flying-Boats, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hydroairplanes and more particularly to flying boats.

The invention is characterized by an improved arrangement of the various airplane parts. Instead of providing an outrigged tail structure of the multiple beam type but a single beam or spar is provided. At its forward end the spar is extended into the fuselage or body. Preferably it is located in the longitudinal vertical plane of the fore and aft axis of the machine above the hull and at its rear end is connected with the empenna'ge to serve as a rigid brace for such units thereof as the horizontal stabilizer and vertical stabilizer and indirectly for the vertical rudder and elevator flaps. The forward extension of the spar may or may not extend into the engine section of the wing structure although the former arrangement is at this time considered preferred. A spar arrangement thus characterized is especially suited to multiple powered flying boats of the pusher type for boats of this character are generally provided with two or more propellers arranged symmetrically at opposite sides of said axis. Accordingly the spar will interfere in no way .With the operatlon of the propellers although, if carried into the engine section of the wing structure it Wlll enter into and constitute a part of the draft system of the boat. ever to limit the invention to a multiple motor machine or to machines of the pusher ty e as the spar arrangement above noted is ad inirably suited to. tractor machines or to pusher machines having but a single motor.

Other advantages and improved constructional features will be hereinafter set forth and the invention pointed out in the claims to follow.

Of the drawings:

Figure'l is a side elevation of the improved machine;

Fig. 2 is a top plan v1ew;

Fig. 3 is a front end elevation;

Specification of Letters Patent.

I do not intend how- Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

Serial No. 185,494.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view with the upper supporting surface removed, and

Fig. 5 is a detail of one of the spar fittings.

The nature of the invention is such that its adaptation upon craft otherthan flying boats may be efl'ected readily without deviating from the line of invention claimed. One departure obviously within the purview of this invention is the utilization of the spar or outrigger in connection with a hydro-aeromachine having a relatively short flotation body together with a rearwardly and upwardly inclined spar or beam in continuation of it. Another departure at this time known is the continuation of the spar or outrigger forwardly to a point in the vicinity of the forward wing posts, from which point it may be continued forwardly and diagonally into the hull.

In the selected embodiment of the invention, however, the hull or flotation body 10 comprises the usual fore body 11 and tail 12, the bottom of the former being constructed in hydroplaning form. The bottom of the tail makes with the bottom of the fore body a salient angle. This is advantageous in that the body may be rocked fore and aft with a point in the vicinity of the point of maximum saliency as its axis of oscillation. Fin excrescencies 13 extend out laterally from the fore body 11 to augment its hydroplaning area.

The supporting surfaces of the craft, designated respectively 14 and 15 extend intermediately across the hull 10. Between these surfaces the motor units (two in this instance) 16 are disposed. These motor units are located symmetrically at opposite sides i of the fore and aft axis of the body and supof the fore and aft hull axis. From the rear center wing st 21, in the horizontal plane of the prope ler axes, the spar or outrigger 22 extends. At its forward end the said spar 22 is fastened by an appropriate fitting 23 constructed to embrace the spar as at 24 and to overlap the rear center post 21 for connection forwardly as at 25 with the forwardly and downwardly extending brace 26 which continues the spar diagonally into the hull. The fitting construction is best illustrated in Fig. 5.

At its after end the spar 22 is appropriately fastened to the horizontal stabilizer 27 of the machine. Said stabilizer 27 is braced from beneath as at 28 to the tail 12 of the hull and tied forwardlyas at 29 to the upper supporting surface 14. The location of the tie means 29 is such that the horizontal stabilizer is rigidly supported and braced effectually against lateral strains.

- Said tie means 29 diverge forwardly from the stabilizer as illustrated in Fig. 2.

In addition to the horizontal stabilizer 27 the empennage of the craft comprises a vertical stabilizer 30, a rudder 31, and elevator flaps 32. The spar or outrigger 22 serves primarily as an empennage brace.

By continuing the spar diagonally into the hull atits forward end, both inertia and thrust strains are well cared for. The cross arran ed wires 21 carry the thruststrains latera ly into the rear upper end of the diagonal brace 26 and the spar 22 the inertia strains forwardly to the same point. In flying, however, the spar 22 is under tension to thus serve as a thrust distributing means of considerable import.

The central location of the spar 22 is such that pusher propellers, designated 33-, may be used and consequently a wider gun fire range obtained from the forwardcockpit of the hull without shooting through either 1. Inan aircraft, superposed supportingv surfacesincluding an engine section, a body, a forwardl inclined brace extended into said body rom the engine section, an empennage'rearwardly removed from the engine "section, and a spar extended rearwardly from the upper rear end of the brace for connection with the empennage, the axis of the spar and the fore and aft axis of the body being in parallelism and vertically spaced apart.

2. In'an aircraft, superposed supporting surfaces including an engine section, a longitudinally elongated body, a multiple unit propelling power plant, pusher propellers driven by the units of the power plant, a brace extended forwardly into the body from the engine section, connections respectively between the power units and the brace, an' empennage mounted at the rear end of the body, and a spar extended rearwardly in substantial prolongation of the brace for connection with the empennage to conjointly fuhction asan empennage brace and as a thrust distributing unit for the power plant.

3. In an aircraft, superposed supporting surfaces including an engine section, a longitudinally elongated body, a multiple unit propelling power plant, pusher propellers driven respectively by the units of the propelling power plant, an empennage mounted at the rear end, of said body, and a single central spar extended rearwardlyfrom the engine section directly above the fore and aft axis of said body for connection with the empennage, the arrangement of the spar being such that the field of operation of the several propellers lie symmetrically at opposite sides thereof.

4. Man aircraft, a body, supportin surfaces, motors supported between'sai surfaces, a spar extending rearwardly from the engine section of said surfaces in vertical alinement with the fore and aft axis of the craft and in horizontal alinement with the propeller axes, an empennage mounted at the rear end of said spar, and pusher pro pellers forming with said motors the propelling power plant.

5. In an aircraft, a body, supporting surfaces, motors supported between said surfaces, a spar extending rearwardly from the engine section of said surfaces, beds su porting said motors, means intertying ,t 0 motor beds and the spar, an empennage mounted at the aft end of the spar, and means continuing the spar at its forward end diagonally into said body.

6. In anaircraft, a body, supporting sur- I faces, motors supported between said surfaces symmetrically at opposite sides of the fore and aft axis of the craft, a spar extendmg rearwardly from the engine section of said surfaces in vertical alinement with said axis, a center wing post interconnecting said surfaces, means intertying the motor beds and the s'par in the plane of said wing post, and means forwardly continuing said spar diagonally into said body.

ircraft, a body,- superposed sup- 7. In an porting sing aces, a center wing post, a'for- I wardly and downwardly inclined brace connecting at one end with the center Wing post and extended at its opposite end forwardly into said body, an empennage, and a spar connecting with the wing post at its forward and and with the empennage at its rear end, the point of connection between the spar and wing post being directly adjacent to the upper rear end of the forwardly and downwardly inclined brace.

8. A flying boat including a'hull, a body having a rearwardly extending tail portion, an empennage-mounted at the rear end of the tail portion, one of the aerofoils of the empennage being elevated above said tail portion, although said tail portion constitutesits principal support, and a center spar arranged directly above said tail portion for connection with the empennage at its rear end and for extension into said body at its forward end, the axis of the spar being in the longitudinal vertical plane of the fore and aft axis of the body.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

GLENN H. CURTISS.

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