US1786545A - Aeroplane for horizontal and vertical flight - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 30, 1930. J. E. NOEGGERATH 1,786,545

AEROPLANE FOR HORI Z ON TAL AND VERT I CAL FLIGHT Filed April 26, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 In ven forw J'amb Msegyera/b Dec. 30, 1930. J. E. NOEGGERATH 1,786,545

AEROPLANE FOR HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL FLIGHT Filed April 26, 192 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 50 the horizontal.

Patented Dec. 30, 1930 JACOB EMIL NOEGGERATH, OF BERLIN, GERMANY AEROPLANE FOR HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL FLIGHT Application filed April 26, 1926, Serial No. 104,640, and in Germany April 29, 1925.

My invention refers to flying machines and more especially aeroplanes adapted to rise and descend substantially in vertical direction.

Ae'roplanes of this type have hitherto been designed either under the form of helicopters embodying besides the traction or pressure propeller mounted on a horizontal shaft one or several propellers mounted on vertical shafts, or special means such as an additional carriage have been provided which allowed an aeroplane of the ordinary type to rise after a short horizontal start.

The present invention has forits object an aeroplane of the monoplane or multiplane type provided with one or a plurality of hulls which is arranged to rise'without any previous start in horizontal direction, so that the angular position of the propeller shaft relative to the base remains the same when at rest and when starting, no rolling of the 4 craft on the ground taking place when starting and under certain circumstances also when landing. I For the purpose of the present specification the term aeroplane is intended to cover all flying machines provided with bearing planes for horizontal flight. The term extremeposition of the carriage is intended so to mean the position assumed by the carriage on normal landing or when the craft is moving'as a glider, or else the position of the carriage for substantially vertical rising or landin The term base is intended to 35 cover t e line of connection between the restfing oints of the carriage or boat hull and the end (tail) of the hull or, in hydroplanes and the like, the water line, in' other words the ideal horizontal when landing or startl 4 ing. The term rear portion of the hull is that part which extends where the carriageis atand the tail or the rear In order to enintended to mean between the points tached to the hull, end of the steering means.

21 able a flying machine to rise and descend substantially in vertical direction, a corresponding tractive compressive action of the propeller is required and the propeller axis must extend at an abnormally large angle to With an ordinary aeroplane a start without rolling becomes possible already at an angle of 20, better still with 25 or or more, however the carriage struts must then be abnormally long.

According to the present invention vertical rising and landin is rendered possible by varying the lengt of the hull, either by making the hull in two parts capable of telescopic motion relative to each other or by providing means whereby the steering members such as the tail rudders can be folded down upon the hull, or in some other way.

A normal aeroplane provided with a sufiiciently powerful propeller can be made to rise at a very steep angle by providing means, whereby the angular position of the propeller relative to the base or better still to the hull can be varied. Preferably also the bearing planes are mounted on the hull for. angular adjustment relative to the base. Particular advantages are obtained if the axis of the engine and the parts of the hull associated with the engine can be adjusted an ularly together with the axis of the prope ler. I can further provide one or a plurality of hulls specially designed to carry the propeller and, if desired, also the engine, these hulls being adjusted angularly relative to the aeroplane, and more especially to the main hull or hulls serving for the accommodation of pilots, passengers and loads or for the suspension of rudders or the like.

I have further found that an ordinary aeroplane can be rendered fit for substantially vertical rising and descending by providing it with rudders and other steering or balancing surfaces which are considerably larger than usual, this increase of the size of the steering members being necessitated in view of the fact that the velocity of rising is much less than the veiocity of horizontal flight.

I can, however, also provide additional steering and balancing surfaces besides the ordinary flight and preferably such additional steering and balancing surfaces are mounted on the additional hulls carrying the propellers and in some cases also the engines.

I prefer mounting the fuel and lubricant surfaces provided for horizontal tanks, the pilots seat and other parts in fixed position relative to the landing gear and I prefer mounting those parts of the hull or those hulls which serve for carrying the pilot, the load and the steering surfaces in such manner, that also during verticalrising and descending these parts of the hull or these hulls will remain substantially in horizontal position, for instance by hinging or otherwise movably connecting them to the propelling set or sets or to the bearing planes or both, that under the action 0 gravity the first mentioned arts will always remain in substantially orizontal position. Preferably this position of the pgrts is assured by roviding suitable bra 'ng means between t e arts.

In the'drawings aliixed to this specification and forming part thereof several forms of aeroplanes embodying my invention are illustrated diagrammatical y by way of'exam le.

n the drawingsv Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an aeroplane of the monoplane type having abnormally In e steering surfaces and an abnormally hi landing gear.

Tig. 2 is a similar view of ahydroplane having similar characteristics.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of an aeroplane having its landing gear pivoted to the hull so as to allow angular adjustment. of the parts relative to each other. The same machine also shows means for varying the len h of the hull.

i 4 is a monoplane with two large long carrying hulls and two engine hulls, which are placed in close vicinity to each other and are capable of angular adjustment relative to the load carrying hulls.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a hydroplane.

havin three superposed bearing planes, the arts eing shown in normal position for orizontal fii ht.

Fig. 6 is a ront view.

Fig. "7 is another side elevationshowing the arts in position for vertical fli ht.

Fig. 8 is an elevation of a monop ane with the bearin planes and engine hulls ivoted to the loa carrying hull and adjusta le relative to this latter and to the landing gear.

Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the parts in osition for vertical flight.

ig. 10 is a front elevation corresponding to Fig. 9.

Re erring first to Fig. 1, 1 is the landing at, 2 the hull and 3 are the steering suraces mounted at the tail. As shown 1n the drawing the landing gear is of abnormal hei ht and in consequence thereof the angle enc osed between the axis of the hull which is also the axis of the propeller shaft, and the base is abnormally large amounting substantially to 30. The steering surfaces are abnormally large in size in order to allow the craft to be steered properly also when rising or descending at comparatively low s ee Fig. 2 shows a machine of the hydroplane type with an abnormally hi h landin gear 4 mounted on floats 5, the hull 6 enc osing a large angle with the water line. The steering surfaces 7 are here also much largerthan usual. The floats 5 are pivoted to the struts 4 so that during horizontal flight these floats will also extend substantially in horizontal position. I

When a machine such as shown in Figs. 1 or 2 is started, provided that the tractive effort of the propeller be suiiiciently powerful, the craft owing to the large an le of inclination of the propeller shaft wil rise at once. The craft can either land in the ordinary manner by gliding on the ground or on the water or m the case of strong head wind it may descend horizontally, the hull being made to assume the position shown in the drawing before landin In the monoplane illustrated in Fig. 3 the landing gear 8 is pivoted to the hull 9, thereby allowing the angle enclosed between the landing gear and the hull to be varied as well as the angle enclosed between the longitudinal axis of the hull and the ground or the water line. The same effect can be obtained by reducing the length of the hull, the tail end 10 of which is movably connected with the hull proper so as to be reciprocated relative to the hull. The end position of the tail, when the length of the hull is reduced for starting, is shown in dotted lines. S rings (not shown) may be inserted between t e tail and the main portion of the hull.

Fig. 4 illustrates a monoplane having two load carrying hulls 11, 11 and two engine carryin hulls 12, 12 mounted between them. The caring plane is made in three parts, a middle portion 13 and two lateral portions 14. An axle 15 extends across the ]uxtaposed parts and the several portions of the bearing plane as well asthe engine carryin' hulls are fixed on this axle while the loa carrying hulls 11, 11 are loose thereon so that the engine carrying hulls as well as the bearing plane are capable of angular adjustment relative to the load carrying hulls. The engine carrying hulls are mounted so close together that the propeller circles overla each other.

In the triplane illustrated in igs...5-7 the load carrying hull 16 has the bearing planes 17 and the engine carrying hulls 18 pivoted to it, an axle 19 which may be tubular extend ing across a superstructure 20 mounted on the hull 16 and allowin the bearing planes 17 to be adjusted angu arly relative to the hull 16 together with the engine carrying hulls 18. This is best seen by comparing Figs. 5 and 7. In Fig. 5 the bearin planes and the engine carrying hulls are s own in position for horizontal flight, while in Fig. 7

they are shown in position for vertical flight.

The distribution of the weights is so'chosen that the centre of gravity of the engine carrying hulls substantially coincides with the axis of the tubular axle 19. Means (not shown) may be provided for braking the propeller shafts, when adjusting the parts, in order to reduce the gyroscopic action. The main hull 16 is shown suspended intermediate and below the bearing planes.

Besides the normal steering surfaces 22 attached to the end of the main hull 16 additional steering surfaces 23 and 24 are shown to be arranged at the tail ends of the engine hulls and these additional surfaces are therefore subjected to the action of the propeller wingv whereby during the rising of the craft in vertical or oblique direction, more especially if the hulls are adjusted at an angle to each other, a particularly eifective steering and stabilizin action is obtained. For similar purposes urther additional steering surfaces 25 are arranged at the tail edges of the adjustable bearing planes, and all these steering surfaces (which may have the form of ailerons) can be connected in pairs or altogether for adjustment in equal and opposite directions.

The angular adjustment of the parts is effected by well known mechanical means or by operating the ailerons or other steering surfaces or the like.

The bottom wing or hearing plane is shown to be spaced farther from the middle plane than the top plane. The centre of rotation of the bearing planes and engine hulls is so arranged relative to the main hull that the resistance offered by the main hull when rising or descending is substantially equal on both sides of the centre of rotation.

In the aeroplane illustrated in Figs. 8-10 the engine, hulls and bearing plane are also adjustable relative to the main hull and to each other. The wings 26 and the hulls 27 carrying. the engines 28 and propellers 29 are mounted on the ends of the axle 30 which extends through the main hull 31 so as to be ad- 1 justable relative to this latter. The engine carrying hulls 27 are provided with ribs 32 and ribs 33- are also arranged on the wings. These ribs serve for reducng the so-called induced resistance inasmuch as they counteract the laterally flowing compensating current-s.

propeller shaft, bearing plane, and steering The. greatest normal angular adjustment of the hulls relative to each other is shown in Figs. 9 and 10, but positions intermediatethe two endpositions will frequently be useful. As a rule the parts are adjusted for angular displacement by well known mechanical means (not shown) or by means of the steering surfaces 34, 35, 36 or the ailerons 37.

Additional ailerons 38 can be rovided for stabilizing the vertical flight, ut in most cases the angular position of the engine carrying hulls relative to themain hull sufiices.

As shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9, the two wings can be adjusted angularly relative to each other. By thus adjusting the wings relative to each other, they can be made to serve as stabilizing or steering surfaces during vertical flight. Part or all connections with the steering devices including the surfaces 22 can be made to extend across the axle 30 which is mounted in the centre of pressure of the wings so that these latter do not offer any resistance vto the angular adjusting of the engine carrying hulls. A brake (not shown) allows to fix the engine carrying hulls in poislitipn relative to each other and to the main An additional surface 39 which can be movably or rigidly arranged at the head of the main hull and may be provided with a movable surface 40, can serve together with the tail rudder for obtaining a uniform air resistance on both sides of the longitudinal axis of the craft when rising or descending in vertical direction.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and.described,-for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim i 1. Aeroplane for horizontal and vertical flight comprising a supporting structure, a. tiltable plane on each side of said structure, a separate propeller associated with each plane, ailerons on said planes, and additional steering means, said ailerons and said steering means bein arranged in the propeller air blast and being adapted to be moved together with the planes and the propellers.

2. Aeroplane for horizontal and vertical flight comprising a supporting structure, a tiltable plane on each side of said structure, separate propellers associated with each plane, and steering means arran ed in the propeller air blast, said planes being adaptedto be adjusted angularly relative to each other.

i 3. Aeroplane for both horizontal and vertical' flight comprising a supporting structure, a propeller, a propeller shaft, a bearing plane, and aerodynamical steering means arranged in the propeller air blast about an axis in a vertical plane parallel to the longi tudinal axis of the supporting structure. said means being adapted to be moved together about a substantially horizontal axis.

4. Aeroplane for horizontal and vertical flight comprising a fuselage, a tiltable plane projecting outwardly on an axis between the top and bottom of the fuselage on each side thereof, a separate propeller associated with each plane, and steering means arranged in the propeller air blast, said steering means being adapted to be moved together with the plane and the propeller.

5. Aeroplane for horizontal and vertical flight comprising a fuselage a propeller, a propeller shaft, 0. bearing p ane, additional alancin means connected with said fuselage, 'an aerodynamical steering means arranged in the-pro eller air blast aboutan axis in a vertical p ane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the supporting structureand about a horizontal axis perpendicular to said first axis, said propeller shaft, bearing plane, and steerin'" means being adapted to be moved toget er about a substantially horizontal axis.

In testimongwhereof I afiix m signature.

JACO .EMIL NOEGG BATH.

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