US3506223A

US3506223A - Airplane with at least one lifter driving mechanism

Info

Publication number: US3506223A
Application number: US726682A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gyntherr Flemming
Original assignee: Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke Fokker GmbH
Current assignee: Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke Fokker GmbH
Priority date: 1967-05-11
Filing date: 1968-05-06
Publication date: 1970-04-14
Anticipated expiration: 1987-04-14
Also published as: DE1277027B; GB1220130A; FR1578018A

Description

April 14, 1970 GJF LEMWNG 3,506,223

AIRPLANE WITH AT'LEAST ONE LIFTER DRIVING MECHANISM Filed May 6, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ul l\\\\ A In ventar: a mywlmar/"1'47 April14 1970 'GJ L'EM G 3,506,223

AIRPLANE WITH AT LEAST ONE LIFTER DRIVING MECHANISM Filed May 6, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,506,223 AIRPLANE WITH AT LEAST ONE LIFTER DRIVING MECHANISM Gyntherr Flemming, Sudweyhe, Germany, assignor to Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung Fruher Weser Flugzeugbau/ Focke-Wulf/Heinkel-Flugzeugbau, Bremen, Germany Filed May 6, 1968, Ser. No. 726,682 Claims priority, application gelrmany, May 11, 1967, Int. Cl. B64c 1/14 U.S. Cl. 244-129 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An airplane with a lifting drive the outlet of which is adapted selectively to be closed and opened by two flaps arranged one behind the other when looking in the flight direction of the plane, the rear flap being movable into overlapping arrangement with the front flap during the opening movement of said flap.

The present invention relates to an airplane with at least one lifting driving mechanism the outlet of which is adapted to be closed by two flaps which are arranged one behind the other and which are pivotable in the same direction about axes extending in a direction transverse to the direction of flight, said flaps when in their outward position serving for guiding the jet, dividing the jet or deviating the jet.

With a heretofore known arrangement, the flaps, after being pivoted, are so located in the jet that no partial jet impacts upon said flaps and thus is not at all or only slightly deviated. Since the flaps in opened condition extend fairly far in downward direction, the ground clearance is relatively small.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an airplane with a lifting driving mechanism in which, when employing two flaps for closing the outlet of such driving mechanism, the flaps will be so designed and arranged that on one hand, with the flaps in fully opened condition, there will exist a maximum of ground clearance while on the other hand, when the flaps are in partially opened condition for deviating the jet, it will be possible to obtain a nearly complete jet deviation of almost the entire thrust jet.

It is another object of this invention to provide an airplane of the type set forth in the preceding paragraph, in which the operation of the flaps is simple and reliable.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a flap arrangement for a lifting driving mechanism arranged in the fuselage, said flap arrangement being shown in closed position.

FIG. 2 shows the device of FIG. 1 but with the flaps in partially opened position, i.e. in a position for the deviation of the jet.

FIG. 3 shows the device of FIG. 1 with the flaps in fully opened position.

FIG. 4 diagrammatically illustrates a cross section through a trough-shaped rear flap which is divided approximately in the central portion thereof.

FIG. 5 shows a cross section of a trough-shaped rear flap similar to that of FIG. 4 but with the difference that the flap sections for purposes of dividing the jet form a ridge.

FIG. 6 shows a modified flap arrangement according to the invention for the deviation of the jet.

, 3,506,223 Patented Apr. 14, 1970 FIG. 7 shows a flap arrangement similar to that of FIG. 6 while the flap sections for purposes of dividing the jet form a ridge.

The arrangement according to the present invention is characterized primarily in that the rear flap, during the opening operation of said flaps, moves over the front flap until it fully overlaps the front flap at the end of the opening movement. The front flap may, in a manner known per se. be pivotable about an axis whereas the rear flap is guided by linked levers which by means of corresponding bearings are adapted to be rotated.

The front flap advantageously comprises an actuating arm which is connected to the lever for the rear flap by means of a connecting lever for a common drive.

According to a further development of the present invention, the pivot axis for the front flap is so located that said front flap when occupying its open position, partially extends into the interior of the fuselage. Such an arrangement yields a considerable ground clearance of the airplane during starting and landing operations.

Furthermore, for purposes of improving the path of the jet, the rear flap is, in conformity with the present invention, trough-shaped in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the airplane.

With airplanes which have a lifting driving mechanism, preferably arranged in the central area of the fuselage, it is furthermore suggested, in conformity with the present invention, that the rear flap is divided in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the airplane, and that the thus formed flap portions are pivotally connected to each other in such a way that, when pivoting the flap portions toward each other, the same form a ridge for dividing the jet. For purposes of actuating the flap portions, the front flap is advantageously provided with a control wedge.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the fuselage 1 of an airplane has an outlet opening 2 for a lifting driving mechanism 3. This outlet opening 2 is adapted to be closed by two flaps 4 and 5. The rear flap 5 (when looking in the direction of flight of the airplane) is in the neighborhood of one of its ends pivotally connected to an arm 6 of a two-arm lever 7, whereas a one-arm lever 8 is pivotally connected to the other end of flap 5. The two-arm lever 7 and the one-arm lever 8 are respectively pivotally arranged through the intervention of a

bearing

9 and 10 respectively, said bearings being fixedly connected to the fuselage.

The front flap 4 has connected thereto an arm 12 carrying a fixed shaft 11 about which the flap 4 is rotatable. Arm 12 is by means of a connecting lever 13 connected to an arm 14 of the two-arm lever 7. The connecting

points

15 and 16 form pivot points. At the connecting point 16, there is linked a piston rod 18 reciprocably mounted in a hydraulic cylinder 17. Said cylinder 17 and piston rod 18 form a driving means. The hydraulic cylinder 17 is provided with

connections

19 and 20 for respective connection with control lines, and has its end 21 pivotally connected to the fuselage.

When actuating the hydraulic cylinder 17, the piston rod 18 is adapted by means of the lever 7 which is rotatable in the bearing 9 to pivot the flap 5 out of its starting position. Simultaneously, the flap 4 is by means of the connecting lever 13 and arm 12 pivoted about the shaft 11. During the tilting of the flaps 4 and 5, flap 5 slides over the flap 4 so that in fully opened condition shown in FIG. 3, a ground clearance of less than the length of flap 5 is required.

In an intermediate position of the flaps 3 and 4, which intermediate position is shown in FIG. 2, the flaps have reached a location in which a jet deviation is effected so that the jets of the driving mechanism of the lifter mechanism can be exploited for cruising flight or distance-formation flight.

According to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, the marginal areas of the flaps 4 and 5 are somewhat rectangularly turned upwardly for better guiding the jet. This design has the advantage that when the outlet opening is opened within this area a low pressure will form during the cruising flight so that the starting of the lifting mechanism in flight will be facilitated.

This advantage can also be realized by a trough-shaped design of the rear flap 5 as shown in FIG. 4. In order to be able to use the flap 5 also for dividing the jet of the driving mechanism, according to this embodiment, the flap 5 is in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the airplane divided approximately in the central portion, and the formed

flap portions

22 and 23 are pivotally connected to each other by means of a joint 24. In this way, when pivoting the

flap portions

22 and 23 relative to each other, these flap portions form a trough according to FIG. 4 or a ridge 31 according to FIG. 5. In order to prevent an undesired folding up of the flap 5, and in order to obtain a return force, the joint is provided with a spring 25. With a flap arrangement of this type which is also useable for dividing the jet, the connecting lever 13 is, in contrast to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, replaced by a hydraulic cylinder 26 (FIGS. 6 and 7) with a piston rod 27 having the

connections

28 and 29. Furthermore, flap 4 is equipped with a control wedge 30 for actuating the

flap portions

22 and 23.

The pivoting operation is effected in the manner described in connection with the first embodiment of the invention. When the intermediate position of the flaps 4 and 5 for deviating the jet has been realized, as shown in FIG. 6, additionally a deviation of the jet can be obtained by adjusting the flap 4 by means of the hydraulic cylinder 26 and piston rod 27 and by pivoting by means of control wedge 30 the

flap portions

22 and 23 toward each other against the thrust of a torsion spring 25 so that the

flap portions

22 and 23 form a ridge.

As will be seen from the above, the outstanding advantages of the arrangement and design of the flaps for dividing the jet are seen in that during the operation of the lifting driving mechanism, the soil erosion on the ground will be reduced and the outer rods and extensions located below the airplane and behind the lifting mechanism are not hit by hot jets.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular constructions shown in the drawings but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. An airplane having a fuselage and a lifting drive and also having an outlet opening in said fuselage for said lifting drive, which includes: flap means, pivot 'means supported by said fuselage and extending transverse to the flight direction of said airplane, said pi-vot means pivotally supporting said flap means for pivotal movement in the same direction from a first position in which said flap means close said outlet opening to a second position in which said flap means open said outlet opening and vice versa, said flap means when viewed in flight direction of said airplane comprising a front flap and a rear flap,- lever means connected to said front flap and said rear flap so as to cause said flaps to move into overlapping arrangement with regard to each other in response to said flap 'means moving from said first position toward said second position, and actuating means supported by said fuselage for actuating said lever means and thereby moving said flap means, said pivot means including a first shaft pivotally supporting said front flap and also including a second pivot shaft and a third pivot shaft, and said lever means including a first lever forming a two-arm lever pivotally supported by said fuselage and pivotally connected to said rear flap by said second pivot shaft, said le-ver means also including a second lever forming a one-arm lever pivotally connected to said fuselage and pivotally connected to said rear flap by said third pivot shaft, said second and third 4 pivot shafts being arranged substantially parallel to and in spaced relationship to each other, and link means interconnecting said first lever and said front flap.

2. An airplane according to claim 1, in which said pivot means includes a pivot shaft pivotally supporting said front flap, and in which said interconnecting means includes a linkage system linked to said rear flap.

3. An airplane according to claim 2, in which said pivot shaft for said front flap is so located as to partially extend through said outlet opening into said fuselage when said front flap occupies its fully open position.

4. An airplane according to claim 1, in which each of said flaps has a trough-shaped cross section.

5. An airplane according to claim 1, in which said front and rear flaps are so connected to said lever means that said flaps are nearly vertical with regard to a horizontal plane while the rear flap extends behind and over the entire length of said front flap.

6. An airplane having a fuselage and a lifting drive and also having an outlet opening in said fuselage for said lifting drive, which includes: flap means, pivot means supported by said fuselage and extending transverse to the flight direction of said airplane, said pivot means pivotally supporting said flap means for pivotal movement in the same direction from a first position in which said flap means close said outlet opening to a second position in which said flap means open said outlet opening and vice versa, said flap means when viewed in flight direction of said airplane comprising a front flap and a rear flap, lever means connected to said front flap and said rear flap so as to cause said flaps to move into overlapping arrangement with regard to each other in response to said flap means moving from said first position toward said second position, and actuating means supported by said fuselage for actuating said lever means and thereby moving said flap means, the rear flap being along the central longitudinally extending portion thereof subdivided into two sections pivotally interconnected to each other, and means operatively interconnecting said sections for selectively causing the same to form a ridge with each other.

7. An airplane having a fuselage and a lifting drive and also having an outlet opening in said fuselage for said lifting drive, which includes: flap means, pivot means supported by said fuselage and extending transverse to the flight direction of said airplane, said pivot means pivotally supporting said flap means for pivotal movement in the same direction from a first position in which said flap means close said outlet opening to a second position in which said flap means open said outlet opening and vice versa, said flap means when viewed in flight direction of said airplane comprising a front flap and a rear flap, lever means connected to said front flap and said rear flap so as to cause said flaps to move into overlapping arrangement with regard to each other in response to said flap means moving from said first position toward said second position, actuating means supported by said fuselage for actuating said lever means and thereby moving said flap means, the rear flap being along the central longitudinally extending portion thereof subdivided into two sections pivotally interconnected to each other, and means operatively interconnecting said sections for selectively causing the same to form a trough with each other.

8. An airplane having a fuselage and a lifting drive and also having an outlet opening in said fuselage for said lifting drive, which includes: flap means, pivot means supported by said fuselage and extending transverse to the flight direction of said airplane, said pivot means pivotally supporting said flap means for pivotal movement in the same direction from a first position in which said flap means close said outlet opening to a second position in which said flap means open said outlet opening and vice versa, said flap means when viewed in flight direction of said airplane comprising a front flap and a rear flap, lever means connected to said front flap and said rear flap so as to cause said flaps to move into overlapping arrangement with regard to each other in response to said fiap means moving from said first position toward said second position, actuating means supported by said fuselage for actuating said lever means and thereby moving said fiap means, said rear flap being subdivided into two sections, and said front flap comprising control wedge means for actuating said rear flap sections.

9. An airplane having a fuselage and a lifting drive and also having an outlet opening in said fuselage for said lifting drive, which includes: two one-piece flap means, pivot means supported by said fuselage and extending transverse to the flight direction of said airplane, said pivot means pivotally supporting said flap means for pivotal movement in the same direction from a first position in which said two one-piece flap means close said outlet opening to a second position in which said two one-piece flap means open said outlet opening and vice versa, said two one-piece flap means when viewed in flight direction of said airplane comprising a front flap pivotally journalled directly to said fuselage as well as a rear fiap pivotally journalled indirectly to said fuselage by at least two pivot points and both necessary for References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,243,800 5/1941 Goodyear 239265.29 3,033,493 5/1962 Wilde et a1. 24452 X 3,310,260 3/1967 Chichester-Miles 244l2 3,327,482 6/1967 Pike 244-23 X MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner J. E. PITTENGER, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.