US2358919A - Fighter plane - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 26, 1944. R? FQNCK' 2,358,919

FIGHTER PLANE Filed Jan. 9. 1941 Patented Sept. 26, 1944 FIGHTER PLANE Ren Fonck, Paris, France; vested in the Alien Property Custodian Application January 9, 1941, Serial No. 373,714 In France November 28, 1939 1 Claim.

It is a known fact that at the present time, the firing apparatus (machine guns or cannons) used by the pilots of a fighter plane, are secured to the plane in such way as to form part of the same, and the pilot directs his fire by directing the plane itself. In the two-seaters, in which a gunner is situated in the rear of the pilot, the fighting apparatus used by the gunner are not rigidly mounted on the plane, and the gunner is situated in a turret which allows him to direct his arms at will. It is shown by experience that a plane thus equipped will often be in conditions which are defective when acting against an enemy plane coming in the rear.

The object of the present invention is to overcome such drawbacks and to provide a fighter plane having a great effectiveness for firing.

For this purpose, according to the invention, not only is the region or hemisphere in front of the airplane covered by the firing apparatus secured to the plane, as in the known apparatus, but the region or hemisphere in the rear is covered, according to the same principle, by firing apparatus which are also secured to the plane, and the gunner can employ controls which enable him to act upon the whole of the control surfaces of the plane, both vertically and laterally, in such way that he can direct his fire by directing the plane himself.

In the accompanying drawing, which is given by way of example:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a fighter plane according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan view.

Fig. 3 shows a detail in plan view, indicating diagrammatically and by way of example, a constructional form of the control lines.

Fig. 4 is a like view, in perspective.

In the example shown in the drawing, the airplane comprises arms directed towards the front, which are secured to the airplane in such way as to form .part of the same, these being controlled by the pilot who occupies the seat 2. The pilot controls the airplane by the usual means, i. e., the control stick 3 and the single-tree 4. The control stick acts upon the elevators 5 by cables 6, and the single-tree 4 acts upon the rudders 8 by cables 9.

According to the invention, the arms In (machine guns, cannon, etc.) used by the gunner, who occupies the seat I! turned towards the rear, are secured in place on the airplane, as well as the arms I. The gunner can operate control lines by which he can act upon the. control surfaces of the avion, like the pilot. These control lines are represented diagrammatically in the drawing by the control stick 3' and the singletree 4'. As shown in Fig. 4, the stick '3 is connected by levers M to the cables 6 which actuate the elevators, and the single-tree 4 is connected by cables 9 to the cables 9 leading to the rudders.

In these conditions, if an enemy plane comes into the rear region, the gunner will direct his fire, not by directing his arms as in the known apparatus, but by acting upon the airplane control lines in such way as to place the rear part of the plane in the desired direction, both vertically and laterally.

As will be understood, the rear stand is not a piloting stand properly so called, but it only serves to allow the gunner to give the rear part of the plane the desired firing position.

A signal device of any kind may be employed, in order that the gunner may advise the pilot that he is to act upon the control surfaces.

It is also feasible to provide a device for uncoupling the control lines, in order that the lines actuated by the pilot and the lines actuated by the gunner shall be entirely independent.

A fighter plane thus arranged has great advantages. The firing apparatus can be readily and rapidly mounted and replaced. The apparatus offers less resistance to flight, and it is finer and is more available as to space occupied.

The construction shown in the drawing is obviously given solely by way of example. The arms at the front and rear may be secured to the wings, in the fuselage, or in the rear of the engine nacelles. If necessary, they may be pointed permanently in any direction.

The control lines actuated by the gunner may obviously be placed in such manner that the movements which he effects in order to direct the rear end of the plane shall be exactly the same as the movements effected by the pilot in order to direct the front part.

The invention is applicable to multi-seaters of all types.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a fighter airplane having fixed forwardly directed guns operable from the forwardly directed pilots seat and fixed rearwardly directed guns operable from the rearwardly directed gunners seat, a dual control system comprising control means operable by the pilot for the control surfaces of the aircraft and control means operable by the gunner for controlling the same control surfaces of the craft, whereby either the pilot or the gunner may control the attitude of the aircraft thereby controlling the direction of gun fire.

RENE FONCK.

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