WO1981001542A1

WO1981001542A1 - Gyro stabilized flying saucer model

Info

Publication number: WO1981001542A1
Application number: PCT/US1980/001584
Authority: WO
Inventors: G Messina
Original assignee: G Messina
Priority date: 1979-11-26
Filing date: 1980-11-24
Publication date: 1981-06-11
Also published as: EP0040636A1

Abstract

A model having a flying saucer shaped body (111) which is provided with lift by means of a thrust producing device such as a reciprocating Wankel or turbine engine (102) and a propeller (101). The body (111) is prevented from rotating by means of counter-rotational fins (105A, B) and stability in the horizontal plane is provided by means of an internal gyro rotor (104) actuated by the airflow from the propeller (101).

Description

GYRO STABILIZED FLYING SAUCER MODEL

Background

1. Field

This invention relates to a method of providing horizontal stabilization of airborne craft and, in particular, the stabilization of a nonrotating fly¬ ing saucer model.

2. Prior Art ^•

In various types of prior art vertical takeoff models, the counterrotational torque produced by the propellers or helicopter blades tends to cause the body of such a craft to rotate. This rotation is usually overcome in conventional helicopters by means of a second vertically oriented propeller located at one end of the body or, alternatively, by a counterrotating overhead blade.

Model helicopters in the form of flying saucers have employed fins to enhance the rotation of the body. Such rotation provides a gyroscopic effect which tends to stabilize the craft, preventing it from veering off to one side and crashing; however, the rotation of the body is unsatisfactory in providing the static body position normally desired for a helicopter model or certain flying saucer models. Summary

In the present invention, rotation of the body is completely avoided by means of counterrotational fins which are located beneath a thrust producing device, such as a propeller. Stability is provided by an internal gyro rotor containing fin¬ like spokes which drive the rotor when placed in the airflow from the propeller. Stability is fur¬ ther enhanced by the use of a weighted stabilizing tail member.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of a first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top view of the embodiment of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a top view of the embodiment of Figure 3. Figure 5 is a cross sectional view of the engine and control compartments of the embodiment of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view of a third embodiment of the invention. Figure 7 is a plan view of an alternate rotor for the embodiment of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a side view of the rotor of Figure 7.

Figures 9A, B, and C shows the position of counterrotational fins for counterclockwise rotation of the propeller.

Detailed Description of the Invention

In Figure 1, a body 111 supports within a first passageway 109 a bracket 103 on which is secured an engine 102. The engine drives a horizontally oriented propeller 101. A shaft 112 is connected to the bracket beneath the engine. This shaft serves as a mounting support for a gyro 104, counterrotational fins 105A and 105B, a deflection cone 106, rudders 107 and 108, spar 123 and weight 114. The rotor may be provided with bearing means, such as ball bearings (not shown), to facilitate rotation of the rotor on the shaft. The engine throttle control is connected to the counterrotational fins by means of linkage 113. Alternatively, the counterrotational fins may be oriented by an electrical driven gyro, not shown. A second passageway 110 connects the first passage¬ way 109 to an area on the lower side of the body away from the center.

Figure 2 is a top view of the device of Fig- ure 1 showing the rotor 104 as comprising a rim 205 with fin shaped spokes 204A through 204D. The spokes are connected to a hub 115 shown in Figure 1. The hub is rotatably mounted on the shaft 112. The rotor may be provided with some form of bearing means, such as ball bearings, not shown, to facilitate rotation of the rotor about the shaft.

Returning to Figure 1, it can be seen that beneath the counterrotating fins on the shaft 112 is a diffusion cone 106. On the lower side of the diffusion cone are rudder blades 107A and 107B. and spar 123 which extends directly below the craft. At the lower end of the spar is weight 114.

In the operation of the first embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pro¬ peller provides sufficient thrust to cause the craft to hover or climb. The airflow from the propeller impinges on the fin-shaped spokes causing the gyro rotor to revolve and thus stabilize the craft. The rotor may be made to revolve in either direction depending on the pitch of the fin-shaped spokes. Prior art devices either tended to tip and then crash or the craft itself had to rotate for stabilization, detracting from the realism of the model. The present invention is also more practical for larger craft because it eliminates the need for rotation of the body.

Beneath the gyro rotor 104 are counterrotational fins 105A and 105B which are set at an angle to pro¬ vide sufficient counterrotational force when the propeller thrust impinges on them to maintain the craft stationary. The linkage 113 increases the pitch of these fins as the engine throttle is advanced to prevent rotation over a wide range of throttle settings. Alternatively these fins may be driven from a separate gyro sensor which is designed to sense rotation of the body of the craft. Any rotation will result in a corrective pitch for the counterrotational fins. The counterrotational fins will function in a number of locations within the passageway 109, both above and below the propeller. One convenient alternative location is on the engine mounting bracket 103.

The counterrotational fins may have an airfoil cross section to provide additional lift. The cross section of the counterrotational fins are shown in greater detail in Figures 9 and 10. Figure 9A shows a top plan view of the propeller 101 and streamlined container 601. The propeller is shown rotating in a counterclockwise direction by means of direction¬ al arrow 901. Figure 9B is a front elevation view of the container 601 and the counterrotational fins 105A and 105B. Figure 9C is a side elevational view of the counterrotational fin 105A showing its orientation for the counterclockwise direction of rotation for the propeller. Figure 9C also shows the airfoil cross section of the counterrotational fins. Figure 10 is identical to Figure 9 in all views with the exception that the direction of rotation 1001 of the propeller 101 is clockwise and the orientation of fin 105A is opposite that in Figure 9 to provide the proper counterrotational torque for the different direction of the propeller. Returning now to Figure 1, the deflection^' cone 106 cause the air flow emitted from the lower side of the passageway 109 to have a lateral component which uniformly diffuse the flow over a wide area. The purpose of this diffusion is to improve the horizontal stability of the craft over that which would be obtained from a narrow discharge from the passageway 109.

The rudders 107 and 108 are used to propel the craft laterally. There are four rudder blades, but they function in pairs. For example, blades 107A and B form one pair that are pitched in one direct¬ ion with respect to the aircraft. As the air flow emitted from the passageway 109 impinges on this pair, it will tip the craft in one direction caus¬ ing a component of the airflow to have a nonuniform lateral direction. The second pair of rudders 108A and B act in a similar manner, but they are orthog¬ onal with respect to the first pair to provide in combination with the first pair lateral thrust in any chosen direction depending on the relative pitch of each set of rudders.

The spar 123 and the weight 114 comprise an alternative or supplementary means of horizontal stabilization. Whenever the craft leaves the horizontal plane, the weight and spar which are normally extended directly below the center of the craft, provide a counteracting force to restore the craft to the horizontal plane. Conversely, the spar and weight may be offset at some small angle from their usual directly downward position to provide a force which will tip the craft and thereby pro¬ vide an alternative means of providing lateral motion. Excessive tipping which could lead to a crash is avoided by this method because the weight and spar provide a corrective force whenever the craft tips beyond that set by the offset angle of the weight and spar. The spar may be fabricated with sliding members in telescopic fashion to permit its length to be easily adjusted. In this way, the position of the weight at the end of the spar may be easily adjusted downward to increase the stabil¬ ity of the craft. The spar can also perform addition- al functions such as serving as the mount for the directional rudders 107 and 108.

As can be seen from Figure 2, the body of the craft is divided in two along a seam 201. The body may be disassembled into two parts to facilitate transportation. The two halves are held together by dowels and fasteners along the seam line as illustrated by fastener 202 shown through a broken

OMPI

A'.. VΪ?O away portion of the surface of the craft in Figure 2.

The second passageway 110 is designed to divert a portion of the airflow from the first passageway 109 and discharge it away from the center of the craft with a lateral component. The discharge from the second passageway on the lower side of the craft tends to raise the left side placing the second passage¬ way in a more horizontal position which further 0 enhances the lateral thrust produced by this means. In Figure 1, it can be seen that the edge of the body 115 is rounded rather than being sharp or pointed, and this rounded edge along with the con¬ tour of the upper surface 116 and the lower surface

15 117 form an airfoil which tends to provide lift when the craft is traveling in the lateral direction. The rounded tip also prevents diving usually occur¬ ring in prior art designs, where the sharp edges of the body acts to increase the tip angle as the craft

20 moves laterally.

Figure 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention in which there is a second passageway 302, concentric with respect to the centrally located passageway and extending completely about the body

25 of the craft. The components in the centrally loc¬ ated passageway 109 are similar to those shown in Figure 1; however, the rotor is larger, extending beyond the centrally located passageway and past the second passageway 302. in addition, the counter-

30 rotational fins 303A and B, are located in the second passageway. The location of the second pass¬ ageway causes it to essentially divide the body in

OUVI ^* two. The two sections of the body are connected together by means of vertically positioned brackets 305A through 305D. The craft is supported on a land¬ ing gear 304A and B, formed of wire positioned beneath the craft.

Figure 4 shows that the fin shaped spokes 404A and E of the rotor extend from the central passage¬ way 109 through the second passageway 302 before they are connected to the rotor rim 402. Figure 5 shows the engine 102 enclosed in a streamlined container 301, except for a protrusion of the engine such as the cylinder head. The lower portion of the container 301 contains a compartment 501 to accommodate radio control equipment. The radio control equipment may use the landing gear 304 or the spar 123 as an antenna.

The central passageway in the crafts shown in Figures 1 and 3 both neck in at the propeller to form the contours of a ducted fan and to increase the efficiency of the propeller.

The operation of the craft shown in Figure 3 is similar to that of Figure 1 except for the larger gyro.rotor, the second vertical passageway and the location of the counterrotational fins. The rotor in Figure 3 is again made to rotate by the down¬ ward airflow from the propeller on the fin-shaped spokes of the rotor. Once the rotor has begun to rotate, the fin-shaped spokes produce a down draft in the second passageway 302. This downward draft impinges on the counterrotational fins 303A and B preventing the craft from rotating. The advantage of this arrangement is the rotor hub can be made lighter because of its greater distance from the center and its greater inertia. The lighter rotor can still provide the stability of a smaller diameter, but heavier rotor. This reduction in weight provides significant advantages in lifting and lateral speeds of the craft.

The location of the counterrotational fins at a greater distance from the center of the craft increases the torque that they can provide in preventing rotation of the craft. Consequently smaller fins can be used which reduce the imped¬ iment to the downward flow, thus increasing the lift.

The fin shaped spokes of the rotor need be pitched only in the areas where the pitch is necessary, such as in the centrally located passageway or in the second passageway. In other areas, the spokes have no pitch to reduce drag on the rotor and permit it to rotate faster. Figure 6 shows a variation 601 of the streamlined container of Figure 3. In this design, the lower portion of the body is flared outward to run generally parallel to the outer contour of the passageway 109. The weight 114 in Figure 6 has been moved in the lower portion of the body. The weight in this case could be the battery used for radio control. The weight can be used for stabilization or alternatively it may be moved off center to propel the craft laterally. For stabilization, a sensing device, such as a mercury contact switch with a plurality of contacts to indicate the direction of

OMFI tipping, can be used to drive a servo system which will move the weight to compensate for the tipping and thereby stabilize the craft. The servo system can be used in a similar manner to drive the rudders for the same purpose.

It is important to center the fuel tank in the body so that as the fuel is used, it does not produce a weight offset that drives the craft laterally. Figure 6 also illustrates an alternate gyro- rotor configuration 603. This configuration is illustrated in more detail in Figure 7. In this Figure, the gyro rotor is shown to comprise a rim 701, a body 702 which contains a central opening 704 to accept a shaft. About the periphery of the rotor 701, are propeller blades 703A through 703C which are driven by the downward flow from the propeller 101 in a manner similar to .that of the fin shaped spokes of the rotor 104.

Figure 8 illustrates the heavier outer rim 701 of the rotor. The advantage of this configur¬ ation is it is safer and easier to manufacture. It is safer because the body 702 is a solid member which is not divided up into fins and is there- ^• fore stronger. As a single piece device it can be formed more easily. The blades can be standard nylon blades and therefore the intricate machining or casting required for the rotor fin blades is eliminated.

Alternatives which form a part of this invention are the substitution of a turbine, Wankel, jet or rocket engine for the propeller driven engine. With the latter two it is possible to eliminate the counterrotational fins. The counterrotational fins . are not needed with such engines because they produce no rotational torque.

Rather than place a single engine in the central passageway, pairs of engines may be placed in the smaller passageways. Each engine in a pair will tend to counteract the others rotational torque,reducing or eliminating the need for counter¬ rotational fins.

The functions of the propeller and rotor may be combined in a single device. The rotor with its pitched fins may be substituted for the pro¬ peller and be driven either directly by the engine or by way of a gear box which is directly connect¬ ed to the engine. The rotor fins function in the same manner as the propeller blade. The advantage of this arrangement is a reductio in the number of parts and a wider distribution of the thrust, aiding in the stability of the craft. In order to take full advantage of this configuration, the pitch of the rotor fins is completely adjustable to aid the rotor in building up to operating speed and to permit other possible maneuvers.

It should be noted that the design concepts contained herein are not restricted to models, but are applicable to full sized aircraft, with some possible advantages over conventional helicopters. In particular, the relatively large undersurface of the present design provides a safety feature in the event of rotor failure in that this surface would serve to slow the rate of descent to a safe level by gliding.

Having described the invention, I claim:

Claims

1. A flying saucer model, comprising:

(a) a generally disc shaped body normally positioned to place the transverse axes in the horizontal plane, (b) a first generally annular passageway passing vertically through the body,

(c) a thrust generating device smaller than and located within the passage¬ way to produce a downward flow in the passageway,

(d) first mounting means to secure the thrust generating device to said body, said first mounting means having open¬ ings to permit air to flow through said first passageway about the thrust generating device, and through the openings in the first mounting means,

(e) a first gyroscopic rotor comprising a hub, spokes and a rim, said spokes being fin-shaped, said rotor being positioned within the first passage¬ way below the first thrust generat¬ ing device with its transverse axes in the horizontal plane, the fin shaped spokes being set at an angle to cause the rotor to rotate when subject to the downward flow of air from the first thrust generating device, and

(f) second mounting means to rotatably mount the rotor at its hub to the body, said second mounting means having openings to permit air to pass through the first passageway.

2. A model as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first passageway is centrally located within the body, the first thrust generating device is formed by the combination of a propeller and a reciprocat¬ ing engine with a throttle and an engine shaft, the engine shaft being connected to and driving the propeller, and the combination being positioned in the passageway to produce a downward flow of air within the first passageway.

3. A model as claimed in claim 2, further comprising counterrotational fins mounted to said body and placed within the path of the downward flow in the first passageway to counteract the torque produced by the reciprocating engine and prevent rotation of the body.

4. A model as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a linkage means between the throttle of the engine and the counterrotational fins to adjust the angle of the fins in accordance with the throttle setting to prevent rotation of the body as the throttle setting is varied.

5. A model as claimed in claim 2, wherein the rotor extends radially beyond the first passage¬ way, the model further comprises a second passage¬ way passing vertically through the body concent¬ rically about the first passageway, around the whole craft away from the central area, but through an area which includes the rotor's fin shaped spokes, and a counterrotational fin positioned to receive the thrust produced by the fin shaped spokes in the second passageway and thereby produce a counterrotational torque which counteracts the torque produced by the engine and prevents rotat¬ ion of the body.

6. A model as claimed in claim 2, further comprising means for lateral motion including a third passageway connected to the first passage¬ way to divert a portion of the downward flow and eject it from the body to impart a lateral thrust to the body.

7. A model as claimed in claim 2, further comprising means for lateral motion including a rudder placed within the downward flow to deflect a portion of the flow laterally.

8. A model as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a contour within the first passageway to narrow the passageway in the area of the propeller tips to improve the efficiency of the propeller.

9. A model as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a spar with a weighted end mounted to the body at the unweighted end and positioned with the weighted end placed away from and below the body to provide stability.

10. A model as claimed in claim 9, wherein the spar with the weighted end is set at an angle with respect to the vertical axis of the body to provide an imbalance which drives the craft in a selected lateral direction determined by the imbalance.

11. A model as claimed in claim 2, wherein the upper portion of the outer edge is contoured to form an airfoil to add lift during lateral flight.

12. A model as claimed in claim 2, wherein the lower portion of the outer edge of the body is curved to prevent diving during lateral flight.

13. A model as claimed in claim 1, having a plurality of vertical passageways and thrust generating devices disbursed about the body to provide added lift and stability.

14. A model as claimed in claim 13, wherein the plurality of passageways and thrust generating devices is even in number and symmetrically located about the body to counteract the torque produced by each thrust generating device and thereby prevent rotation of the body.

15. A model as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a downward flow distribution means to spread a portion of the thrust evenly in the lateral direction to stabilize the model.

16. A model as claimed in claim 1, comprising two body sections detachably connected along a ver¬ tical plane essentially bisecting the body to facilitate packing and transportation.