WO1986007329A1

WO1986007329A1 - Motorized ultra-light flying craft with retractable propeller

Info

Publication number: WO1986007329A1
Application number: PCT/CH1986/000086
Authority: WO
Inventors: André LECOULTRE
Original assignee: Lecoultre Andre
Priority date: 1985-06-13
Filing date: 1986-06-12
Publication date: 1986-12-18
Also published as: EP0225346A1

Abstract

Motorized ultralight flying craft of the pendular type designed to have good soaring flight characteristics. The craft comprises a removable wing (1) and a streamlined fuselage (6) containing an engine and the pilot (7), which is lying in a prone position to control the wing (1) in the same way as with a conventional delta wing. A twin-blade propeller (20) is mounted on a rectractable support (21, 22) mounted at the rear of the fuselage. The propeller may thus be retracted in a longitudinal opening (23) of the fuselage. The folding back and the retraction of the propeller may be effected during the flight. The craft enables to effect flights comprising phases of motorized flight and/or phases of soaring flight.

Description

ULTRA-LIGHT POWERED FLYING DEVICE WITH FOLDING PROPELLER

The present invention relates to a device of the ultra-light motori¬ se type, comprising on the one hand a removable wing usable for free flight and equipped with a control member secured to the wing, and on the other hand a fuselage which is movable relative to the wing, this fuselage being suspended from this wing in a pendular manner and provided with a location for at least one pilot, a motor and a two-bladed propeller driven by this motor.

The invention also relates to a folding articulated chassis supporting a propeller at the rear of a flying device.

It further relates to a removable motorized fuselage arranged to be suspended from a free flight wing.

Ultra-light motorized devices, commonly known as UL, are currently undergoing considerable development and have a wide variety of types. One of the main categories of ULM aircraft is that of so-called tilting aircraft, in which a platform or a fuselage, carrying the engine and the pilot, is suspended from a wing so as to be able to oscillate around at least one axis of rotation, and preferably around two axes, to allow the pilot to direct the flight. This arrangement is particularly advantageous in that it allows the use of a flexible wing, of the delta wing type or similar, and that it thus avoids the use of control surfaces and of the corresponding control members. Aircraft in this category can therefore be relatively inexpensive and the fuselage can easily be detached from the wing.

However, even if tilting ULM aircraft are advantageous from the point of view of motor flight, they have a significant drawback for their users: although their wing is -particularly suitable for flight at low speed, the device is practically useless. in gliding flight because it has far too much drag, especially because of its propeller. However, ULM devices being essentially inexpensive devices with low autonomy flight, it would be desirable to be able to stop the engine to save fuel when gliding is possible, and thus to have a device that can be used as a motor glider, but much less expensive and easier to fly, transport and to park. In addition, users of pendulum ULM aircraft are often also practicing free flight, especially since generally the wing of the aircraft can be detached easily and used independently, for example as a two-seater delta wing.

Devices for retracting a propeller in a motor glider are already known, in particular from the publications FR-A-788 586, LU-A-8H581 and DE-A-28 21 962, but these devices are not adapted to the requirements specific to pendular ULMs because they are likely to come into contact with the wing of such an aircraft, since the latter is mobile and generally extends above most of the fuselage. In addition, the devices described require a relatively rigid and heavy construction, inapplicable to an ultra-light device.

Consequently, the object of the present invention is to provide an ultralight device of the pendulum type, designed to be usable both in engine flight and in gliding flight and in particular having a reduced drag in gliding flight.

To this end, the invention relates to an apparatus of the type mentioned in the preamble, characterized in that the fuselage comprises an aerodynamic fairing which surrounds the pilot, and in that the propeller is mounted on a tilting support mounted at the rear end of the fuselage and comprising a propulsion position, in which the propeller is outside the fuselage, its axis then being substantially parallel to the direction of the fuselage, and a gliding position, in which the propeller is oriented longitudinally and does not form a sensitive projection relative to the fuselage.

According to a first embodiment, the fuselage contains a berth on which the pilot is placed in the ventral position. This berth can be arranged to tilt around a transverse axis located at the pilot's hips and it may include hooking members on the pilot's shoulders, so as to allow him to carry the fuselage substantially horizontal while walking in a substantially vertical position.

In said first embodiment, the wing control member preferably comprises a transverse bar rigidly connected to the wing and passing under the front end of the fuselage, to be grasped by the pilot resting in the ventral position, the fuselage further comprising openings for the passage of the pilot's arms. The apparatus may further comprise members for attaching to a take-off vehicle, and landing pads fixed respectively to the fuselage and to said transverse bar.

According to a second embodiment, the pilot is installed in the back position, feet forward, and the fuselage is provided with a landing gear comprising a front wheel directed by the feet of the pilot.

According to a preferred embodiment in which the propeller support is mounted at the top of a hinged hinged frame, comprising at least one hinged leg hinged at its lower end about an axis of folding arranged transversely in the fuselage and at least one control ambe, the lower end of which is articulated on a slide, the position of which is adjustable along a slide arranged longitudinally in the fuselage, this slide is connected to an elastic return member, which tends to pull it forward to fold the propeller support to its hovered position, and to a control member arranged to be actuated by the pilot to bring the slider back and lock it in its position corresponding to the propulsion position of the propeller. The articulated chassis is provided with a transmission mechanism which advantageously comprises at least one pair of pulleys oriented hogonally, one of which is integral with the propeller and the other of which is centered on the axis of folding and connected to the motor, and a flexible transmission member passing over these pulleys, the respective diameters of the pulleys being defined so as to determine a rotation a quarter turn of the propeller on its axis when the propeller switches from its propulsion position to its hover position and vice versa.

The engine is preferably mounted on said articulated chassis and is at least partially outside the fuselage when the propeller is in the propulsion position.

The propeller support is advantageously secured to the control ambe, so that the propeller tilts backwards when the slide moves forward, this support being arranged to slide along the folding leg when 'it is folded back into the fuselage. This folding leg is constituted by a rotary drive shaft connecting the engine to the propeller in the propulsion position.

According to another preferred embodiment, the articulated folding frame supports a propeller propeller at the rear of a flying device, comprising a propeller support mounted at the top of the frame, at least one folding leg articulated on the device at its lower end and at least one control leg, the lower end of which is articulated on a slide, the position of which is adjustable along a slide arranged longitudinally in the apparatus, for passing the propeller a gliding position, in which it is retracted inside the device, to a propulsion position outside the device, the slider being connected to an elastic return member which tends to pull it towards the front to fold down the propeller support To its hovered flight position and to a control member arranged to be actuated by the pilot to rame¬ slide the slide backwards and lock it in its p position corresponding to the propulsion position of the propeller.

The folding leg is preferably constituted by a rotary drive shaft connecting the propeller to a motor arranged inside the device.

The detachable fuselage can be arranged to be suspended pendulumly to a free flight wing and provided with a location for the minus a pilot, ^' of an engine and a two-bladed propeller driven by this engine, this fuselage comprising an aerodynamic fairing which surrounds the pilot and the propeller being mounted on a tilting support disposed on the rear end of the fuselage and comprising a propulsion position, in which the propeller is outside said fuselage, its axis then being substantially parallel to the direction of this fuselage, and a gliding position, in which the propeller is oriented longitudinally and does not form no noticeable projection relative to the fuselage.

The present invention will be better understood on the basis of the description, given below by way of example, of a preferred embodiment and of various variants, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an overall side view of a first form of ^'embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a schematic view in longitudinal section of the fuselage of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a device for folding the propeller,

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view, partially cut away, of a variant of the apparatus illustrated by FIGS. 1 and 2,

FIG. 5 is a partially cut side view of another embodiment,

FIG. 6 is a schematic view in partial longitudinal section of the rear part of the fuselage of an apparatus according to the invention, illustrating a third embodiment,

FIG. 7 is also a view similar to FIG. 6, illustrating a fourth embodiment, FIG. 8 is a schematic view in longitudinal section of a fifth embodiment,

Figure 9 is a partial sectional view of the propeller support used in the device of FIG. 8, in its propulsion position, and

Figure 10 is a schematic view of the same support when the propeller is retracted inside the fuselage.

With reference to fig. 1, the ultra-light motorized device comprises a removable wing 1 which, in the preferred embodiment shown here, is a traditional flexible wing, for example a wing of the delta type which can also be used as a slope glider. In known manner, this wing is equipped with a control member 2, commonly called the trapezoid, comprising a transverse bar 3 which occupies a fixed position with respect to the wing, by means of cables M and 5. D ' on the other hand, the aircraft comprises a fuselage 6 inside which the pilot 7 is extended in the ventral position. A suspension plate 8 is fixed above the fuselage 6 by means of two side bars 9 arranged in inverted V, as well as cables 10 and 11. The front and rear ends of the suspension plate 8 are connected to the keel 12 of the wing by sliding cords forming a pendulum suspension device 13 which is well known in ultralight motorized devices and which can be easily disassembled to separate the wing from the fuselage. This device allows the wing to pivot relative to the fuselage about a transverse axis when the pilot moves the bar 3 of the trapezium forwards or backwards, and around a longitudinal axis when the pilot laterally moves the bar 3. On the other hand, this device prevents relative pivoting of the wing and the fuselage about a vertical axis.

Thanks to the extended position of the pilot, the fuselage 6 has a slender shape and a small frontal section. It is coated with an aerodynamic fairing 14 which comprises at the front a transparent curved element 15 constituting a windshield, as well as a transparent hood. rent 16 which covers the pilot's bust and which is removable, for example sliding, to allow the pilot to enter and leave the fuselage. The cover 16 further comprises lateral openings 17 for the passage of the arms 18 of the pilot.

A two-bladed propeller 20 is carried by a propeller support 21 which, in the propulsion position illustrated in FIG. 1, is arranged above the rear part of the fuselage 10. The propeller support 21 is carried by an articulated tripod 22 which will be described later in more detail and which is foldable inside the fuselage 6, with the support 21 and the propeller 20, through a longitudinal opening 23 formed in the upper part of the rear of the fuselage. Thus, the propeller 20 and its support 21 can be retracted completely inside the fuselage 6, as will be described later, so that the fuselage then has a drag which is weak and of the same order of magnitude as that of the pilot of a delta wing.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the device does. has no wheels for takeoff or landing. On the other hand, the fuselage is equipped with a front pad 25, a rear pad 26 and two lateral tabs 27 provided to support the aircraft on a take-off carriage, while the control bar 3 is provided with two auxiliary pads 28 near its ends. However, it is obvious that the device can also be provided with wheels, and more particularly with a retractable landing gear.

Figure 2 shows in more detail the interior of the fuselage 6, seen in vertical section. Of course, this fuselage is made in as light a construction as possible. In the example shown here, it comprises a structure formed essentially of two side rails 30 connected by spacers, and a keel 31 connected to the rails by curved cross members 32. In the front part of the fuselage, the rails 30 and the keel 31 are curved and meet at the end of the fuselage. A horizontal berth 33 is disposed between the longitudinal members 30. It divides the fuselage into an upper compartment 3H in which the pilot is housed and a lower compartment 35 containing in particular a petrol engine 36, disposed in the front part of the fuselage to allow an advantageous distribution of the masses, a fuel tank 37, a belt or cable transmission (not shown) for transmitting in the direction of the propeller the power delivered by the engine, and various control members, in particular an accelerator pedal 38 disposed within one foot of the pilot, for controlling the power of the engine. This compartment comprises at least one air inlet for supplying and cooling the engine. The heated air can be used to heat the pilot. Above the berth 33, the upper compartment 34 contains a reserve parachute 39 serving as a headrest. In the rear part of this compartment, the longitudinal opening 23 allows the propeller 20 and the propeller support 21 to pass, with a view to folding these elements up to the interior of the fuselage, in their flight position glide shown in broken lines and indicated respectively by 20a and 21a. In this position, the propeller support is housed between the pilot's feet.

The folding tripod 22 and its folding mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the propeller support 21 has the form of a housing in which is mounted, by bearings, a propeller shaft secured to a pulley 42 and a plate 43, on which the propeller is screwed. The tripod 22 is formed by two lateral tubular legs 44, fixed to the support 21, and an anterior control leg 45 articulated with respect to this support. At their lower end, the lateral legs 44 are articulated on a transverse shaft 46 mounted on the spars of the fuselage, in a position adjustable longitudinally by means of the screws 47 visible in FIG. 2. For its part, the front leg 45 is articulated at its lower end on a slide 50 which is movable along a slide 51 fixed to the keel 31 of the fuselage. The position of the coulis¬ bucket 50 is determined by the pilot by means of a control cable 52 passing over a return pulley 53 fixed to the rear spacer 32. On the other hand, a return elastic 54 is attached to the slide 50 so as to constantly pull it forward. The front end of the cable 52 (not shown) may be provided with a loop located within easy reach of the pilot, to be hung on hooks repaired along the fuselage. Thus, by pulling or releasing the cable 52, the pilot can move the slide back or forward, 50, therefore respec¬ tively raise or fold the propeller support 21 around a drawdown axis 56 defined by the shaft 46. The position of the slide 50 is locked simply by l hooking of the loop fixed to the end of the cable 52. According to a variant, it is possible to provide, instead of the cable 52, a control actuated by a foot of the pilot to push back the slider 50 and lock it in the propulsion position.

Fig. 3 also shows an example of a simple transmission device between the engine and the propeller. Two integral pulleys 57 and 58 are mounted idly on the shaft 46, between the two lateral legs 44 of the tripod. The pulley 57 is connected to the engine by an endless belt 59 extending in the lower part of the fuselage. The pulley 58 is connected to the pulley 42 of the propeller support by a second endless belt 60, the tension of which is adjusted by means of a screw device 61 serving to adjust the length of each lateral leg 44. As the the axis of the pulley 58 coincides with the folding axis 56, the belt 60 remains tight during the folding of the propeller support 21. Of course, during this folding, the motor is stopped and the pulleys 57 and 58 are therefore blocked by the belt 59. As the axes of the pulleys 42 and 58 are orthogonal, the belt 60 causes rotation of the pulley 42, therefore of the propeller, during the folding or raising of the propeller. The diameters of the pulleys 42 and 58 can be determined so that the propeller rotates 90 "during the drawdown. For example, if the drawdown is performed at 90 °, it is sufficient that these pulleys have equal diameters.

This quarter-turn rotation of the propeller during its folding or lifting is advantageous because it avoids contact between the propeller 20 (fig. 1) and the keel 12 of the wing during these operations, even if the propeller is large enough to exceed, in its propulsion position, the level of the keel 12.

To lower the propeller after stopping the engine, the pilot turns the propeller by hand, for example by means of a handle which extends the engine shaft and which emerges on one side of the fuselage, until that the propeller occupies a horizontal position. It then controls the folding of the propeller support 21 and the tripod 22, by releasing the cable 52 as described above. .The propeller turns a quarter turn during this drawdown, so that it is oriented longitudinally when it enters the opening 23 of the fuselage. The template 62 designated by broken lines in FIG. 1 schematically indicates the size of the propeller 20 and its support 21 during the folding and lifting. This characteristic makes it possible to obtain a propulsion position in which the axis of thrust of the propeller is relatively close to the wing, which is advantageous for maintaining the longitudinal attitude of the aircraft.

The aircraft described above can take off either independently, if it is provided with wheels or by means of a take-off trolley. In powered flight, ^" the piloting of the aircraft according to the invention is carried out in the same manner as in a conventional pendulum ULM aircraft. It should simply be noted that the aerodynamic fairing of the fuselage allows good performance and / or significant fuel economy and that the position of the propeller behind the trailing edge of the wing is advantageous from an aerodynamic point of view.

When the pilot has reached a sufficient altitude and wishes to continue his flight by gliding, he stops the engine, places the propeller in a horizontal position, then the flap in the fuselage. The apparatus can then be controlled substantially in the same manner as a traditional delta wing, by hovering over relatively large distances thanks to the good finesse of the apparatus.

At any time, the pilot can resume motorized flight, simply by raising the propeller and restarting the engine. These operations can be repeated as many times as necessary to achieve long flights.

Furthermore, the removable wing 1 can also be used independently of the fuselage, like a traditional delta wing.

FIG. 4 represents a variant of the apparatus described above, designed to allow the pilot to take off while carrying the entire aircraft. For this purpose, the fuselage 6a has in its lower part a pair of openings allowing the passage of the legs of the pilot. In addition, the fuselage is equipped with a berth, the front part 63 of which is arranged to tilt around an axis arranged transversely at the pilot's hips. This part of the berth further comprises fastening members 65 to the shoulders of the pilot, to allow him to carry the fuselage, the mass of which does not exceed 35 kg. These organs are shown schematically in the figure and they can be constituted simply by the pilot's safety harness. The rear part of the berth is made up of lateral supports (not shown) for the legs.

In fig. 4, the pilot 7 is shown in the two positions that he can take relative to the fuselage 6a. When taking off, he can walk and run in a substantially vertical position, while supporting with his shoulders the weight of the fuselage 6a. At the same time, it maintains the wing 1 by the control member 2. As soon as the propeller 20 has given the aircraft sufficient speed to fly, the pilot tilts his berth and his body to place himself in position longitudinal in the fuselage. He can then bring above him, to close the fuselage, a sliding cover 65 shown schematically in broken lines. For the rest, the piloting of this device is similar to that which has been described above. The landing is preferably carried out on the pads 25 and 26, as above.

FIG. 5 represents another embodiment of an ultra-light motorized device according to the invention. This device is also of the pendulum type, but it is equipped with a rigid removable wing 71 provided with directional gourds 72. This wing is connected to the fuselage 73 in such a way that it can pivot only around a transverse axis relative to this one. Thus, the pilot can only move the control member 74 of the wing in the longitudinal direction of the fuselage. Furthermore, this member is provided with control levers for control surfaces 72.

The schematic representation of fig. 5 shows that the fuselage 73 is arranged so as to allow the pilot to settle there in an elongated back position intermediate between the lying position and the sitting position. In this way, the fuselage 73 may have a small frontal surface, while the control member 74 of the wing is within easy reach of the pilot, above the fuselage. In the example shown, this control member simply has the shape of an inverted T, the transverse bar of which comprises two rotary control knobs for controlling the control surfaces 72.

As in the device described above, the motor 36 is arranged in the front part of the fuselage; in this case, it is under the pilot's legs. In its rear part, the fuselage 73 is similar to the fuselage 6 described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. In particular, it comprises the same device for folding and lifting the propeller 20 and its support 21, according to the double arrow B.

The apparatus shown in fig. ^' 5 is equipped with a two-wheeled landing gear with two wheels 76 and 77, the front wheel 76 of which is steered by the feet of the pilot. It could also be fitted with floats to be usable as a seaplane.

In the examples described above, the folding propeller support is integral with the two lateral legs of the tripod, these legs being folding in the direction of the front of the fuselage. Therefore, the propeller and its support sweep a relatively large space above the fuselage and, in some cases, the propeller may come into contact with the wing.

The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 provides a solution to this problem. The support 21 of the propeller 20 is mounted at the top of an articulated and folding frame constituted by a tripod comprising two lateral legs 44 which are articulated on the rear part of the fuselage 6, and an anterior control leg 45 whose end lower is articulated on a slider 50 whose position is adjustable along a slide 51, by means of a cable 52 passing over a deflection pulley 53, the slider being biased towards the front by an elastic element 54. In this assembly, contrary to the case of FIGS. 1 to 3, the propeller support 21 is rigidly fixed to the front leg 45. In this way, the inclination of the plane of the propeller 20 varies in the same way as the inclination of the anterior leg, instead of pivoting around the lower articulation of the lateral ambes 44. In the example shown here, the anterior leg 45 is substantially parallel to the plane of the propeller 20. Furthermore, it is integral with 'an auxiliary frame 101 supporting the propeller support 21, this auxiliary frame having, in front of the slide 50, a foot 102 which comes to rest on the slide 51 or on another element of the fuselage to serve as a stop determining the propulsion position of the propeller 20. In addition, the auxiliary frame 101 and the front leg 45 are used to carry a mechanism for transmitting the power of the engine to the propeller 20. This mechanism comprises a shaft 103 carrying a pulley 104 connected by u do not belt 105 to a pulley 106 integral with the propeller 20, and a bevel gear 107 arranged to mesh with another bevel gear 108 which is mounted in a fixed position in the rear of the fuselage and which is connected to the engine, by example by means of a transmission shaft 109.

In fig. 6, the articulated frame 44,45 is shown in an intermediate position between the gliding position and the propulsion position. During its movement in one direction or the other under the effect of a traction or a relaxation of the cable 52, the lateral legs 44 pivot about their lower articulation according to the double arrow C, while the support d propeller 21 pivoting around the upper articulation of the lateral legs 44, along the double arrow D, follows the movement of the anterior leg 45 entering or leaving the fuselage 6. During these movements, the propeller is inclined towards the rear and it can remain in the central vertical plane of the fuselage without risking coming into contact with the keel 12 of the wing, the area swept by the propeller being concave near the rear end of this keel 12. When the folding frame is raised Until reaching the so-called propulsion position, the pinion 107 meshes with the pinion 108 and the motor can drive the propeller. A stop 110, fixed to the end of the slide 51 to retain the slide 50, ensures correct mutual positioning of the two pins. gnons 107 and 108.

The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7 comprises a propeller support 121 to which is fixed a motor 136 which, in the propulsion position, is located outside the fuselage. This arrangement simplifies and lightens the device. In addition, the engine 136 is cooled by the air flow during its operation, as is its exhaust 137. The propeller support and the engine are mounted on an articulated frame comprising two lateral control legs 144 which are integral with the propeller support 121 and which are articulated, at their lower end, on a common slider 150 or two respective sliders operating in the same manner as the slider 50 described above. This chassis also includes a folding front leg 145 which, in the propulsion position shown in the figure, is only slightly inclined relative to the horizontal. At its front end 145a, this Leg is articulated on the fuselage 6 at a point which is distant from the rear end of the fuselage, while its other end 145b is articulated on the propeller support 121.

With this device, the propeller support 121 and the motor 136 associated with it move along the double arrow F, that is to say practically vertically thanks to the great length of the front leg, when passing the propeller from its propulsion position to its gliding position or vice versa. Thus, the longitudinal position of the fuselage center of gravity remains practically unchanged. .At the same time, the propeller pivots about 90 ^e following the double arrow G around the end 145b of the anterior leg. In this way, the upper blade of the propeller 20 absolutely does not risk coming into contact with any part of the wing of the device, since the path swept by this blade is behind the position. propeller propulsion. It is noted that, when the propeller is folded down in the gliding position ^' , one of the blades will emerge towards the rear of the fuselage.

A variant of this embodiment may include an articulated frame comprising two front legs 145, which provide the lateral stability of the propeller support, and at the rear a single central control leg 144, mounted on a single slide.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, the kinematics of the articulated frame supporting the propeller is substantially the same as in the case of FIG. 7, but this chassis comprises a foldable front leg 245 which is constituted by a transmission shaft connecting the motor 36 to the propeller support 221. As in the case of FIG. 7, the propeller support is integral with two lateral control legs 244 which are articulated at their lower end on a slide 250 operating like the slide 50. When the propeller 20 is in the propulsion position, shown in solid lines, l 'drive shaft 245 is located between the legs of the pilot 7. Its front end is provided with a hinge 246, while its other end has a dog clutch 247 which is shown in more detail in FIG. . 9.

FIG. 9 shows that the propeller support 221 has the form of a housing containing a bevel gear 222 and 223 secured respectively to a propeller shaft 224 and to an inclined shaft 225 arranged to be in the extension of the drive shaft 245 in the propulsion position and to be driven by it by means of a coupling 247. A guide bracket 226 surrounding the shaft 245 is articulated at 227 on the propeller support 221, this bracket having the function of holding the end of the shaft 245 ^* in position relative to the shaft 225.

In fig. 8, the gliding flight position of the propeller 20, of its support 221 and of the articulated frame 244, 245 is shown in broken lines. To bring these elements into this position from the propulsion position shown in solid lines, the pilot advances the slide 250 as described in the previous cases. As in the case of fig. 7, the propeller 20, its support and the lateral legs 244 pivot around the articulation 227 descending towards the rear end of the fuselage. However, in the present case, once the propeller is arranged horizontally in the fuselage protruding from it towards the rear, the pilot can still do it. advance to retract it completely into the fuselage, to the position shown in fig. 8. During this horizontal movement, the drive shaft 245 slides in the caliper 226, as shown in fig. 10. This sliding is made possible by the fact that the coupling 247 disengages automatically as soon as the propeller support 221 has pivoted sufficiently. When the pilot subsequently performs the reverse maneuver, by reversing the slider 250, the propeller support 221 (fig. 10) returns first of all to opposite the end of the transmission shaft 245, then l coupling 247 is engaged automatically by the pivoting of the propeller support.

From the point of view of the movements of the propeller, this solution has the same advantages as the case of FIG. 7. In addition, it makes it possible to produce the articulated chassis and the transmission mechanism in a very light manner, while keeping the engine in the front part of the fuselage, which is advantageous from the point of view of the distribution of the masses. Furthermore, it should be noted that, in the case of FIG. 7, the propeller support 121 can also be designed to slide along the anterior leg 145 once it is folded, in order to bring the propeller entirely back into the fuselage.

In all cases where the engine is installed inside the fuselage, for example in the cases illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 8, this motor may be either below or above the pilot 7. This latter solution may be advantageous when the transmission is integrated into the front leg, as in the case of FIG. 8. It should also be noted that it can be mounted on the articulated frame and come out of the fuselage with the propeller regardless of the type of articulated frame used.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above by way of examples, but it extends to any modification or variant obvious to those skilled in the art. In particular, the device can be equipped with any type of wing known for pendular ULM devices. The location of the different elements inside the fuselage may be different. For example, in the apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, the pilot could be lengthened in the lower part of the fuselage, the engine being placed above it and connected directly to the propeller support by a telescopic shaft. On the other hand, various types of retractable landing gear can be used. In addition, the fuselage can be in various forms and be made of any suitable light material, in particular with a monocoque structure. It is possible to provide versions with a two-seater fuselage, the pilot and the passenger being, for example, lying one beside the other in the ventral position. The transmission means between the engine and the propeller can also be of any type suitable for their function and include, for example cables, chains, gears and / or cardan shafts.

On the other hand, it should be noted that it is not necessary to provide a retractable propeller entirely inside the fuselage. It suffices that, in the gliding position, the propeller and its support do not form an aerodynamically sensitive projection relative to the fuselage. For example, a propeller blade could exceed the rear of the fuselage in the gliding position, without causing excessive drag.

Claims

claims

1. Flying device of the motorized ultra-light type, comprising on the one hand a removable wing usable for free flight and equipped with a control member secured to the wing, and on the other hand a fuselage which is movable relative to the wing, this fuselage being suspended from this wing in a pendulum fashion and provided with a location for at least one pilot, of a motor and of a two-bladed propeller driven by this motor, characterized in that the fuselage (6 , 73) has an aero¬ dynamic fairing which surrounds the pilot, and in that the propeller (20) is mounted on a tilting support (21, 121, 221) disposed on the rear end of the fuselage and comprising a propulsion position, in which the propeller is outside the fuselage, its axis then being substantially parallel to the direction of the fuselage, and a gliding position, in which the propeller is oriented longitudinally and does not form a significant projection relative to the fuselage.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the fuse¬ lage contains a berth (33, 63) on which the pilot is placed in the prone position.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that said berth (63) is arranged to tilt about a transverse axis (64) located at the hips of the pilot and comprises hooking members (65) on the shoulders of the pilot, so as to allow him to carry the fuselage (6a) substantially horizontal while walking in a substantially vertical position.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that said α control member (2) of the wing comprises a transverse bar (3) rigidly connected to the wing and passing under the front end of the fuse¬ lage, for be entered by the pilot resting in the ventral position, and in that the fuselage has openings (17) for the passage of the pilot's arms.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises members ^' for hooking (27) to a take-off vehicle, and landing pads (25, 26, 28) fixed respectively to the fuselage and to said crossbar (3).

6. Apparatus according to claim l, characterized in that the pilot is installed in the back position, feet forward, and in that the fuselage (73) is provided with a landing gear comprising a front wheel (76) led by the feet of the pilot.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the propeller support is mounted on top of a hinged hinged frame comprising at least one hinged leg (44, 145, 245), hinged at its lower end about an axis of drawdown (56) disposed transver¬ dirty in the fuselage and at least one control leg (45, 144, 244) whose lower end is articulated on a slide whose position is adjustable along a slide arranged longitudinal ent in the fuselage, characterized in that said slide (50, 150, 250) is connected to an elastic return member (54) which tends to pull it forward to fold down the propeller support (21, 121, 221) to its gliding position, and to a control member (52) arranged to be actuated by the pilot to bring the slider back and lock it in its position corresponding to the propulsion position of the propeller.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that said articulated frame is provided with a transmission mechanism which comprises at least one pair of pulleys (42, 58) oriented orthogonally, one of which is integral with the propeller and the other of which is centered on the folding axis and connected to the motor, and a flexible transmission member (60) passing over these pulleys, the respective diameters of the pulleys being defined so as to determine a rotation of a quarter of rotation of the propeller on its axis when the propeller switches from its propulsion position (20) to its hover position (20a) and vice versa.

9. Apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the motor (136) is mounted on said articulated frame and is at least partially outside the fuselage (6) when the propeller is in the position of propulsion.

10. Apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the propeller support (21, 121, 221) is integral with said control leg (45, 144, 244) so that the propeller tilts towards the back when the slide moves forward.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the propeller support (221) is arranged to slide along the foldable leg (245) when it is folded into the fuselage.

12. Apparatus according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that said folding leg (245) is constituted by a rotary drive shaft connecting the motor (36) to the propeller (20) in the propulsion position.

13. Folding articulated chassis supporting a propeller propeller at the rear of a flying device, comprising a propeller support (221) mounted at the top of the chassis, at least one folding leg articulated on the device at its lower end, and at least one control leg, the lower end of which is articulated on a slide, the position of which can be adjusted along a slide arranged longitudinally in the apparatus, to pass the propeller from a gliding position, in which it is retracted inside the device, to a propulsion position outside the device, characterized in that said slide (50, 150, 250) is connected to an elastic return member ( 54) which tends to pull it forward to fold the propeller support (21, 121, 221) to its hovered position, and to a control member (52) arranged to be actuated by the pilot to bring the slide back and the v lock in its position corresponding to the propulsion position of the propeller.

14. Articulated chassis according to claim 13, characterized in that said folding hinge (245) is constituted by a rotary drive shaft connecting the propeller (20) to a motor (36) arranged inside the device.

15. Removable fuselage arranged to be suspended pendulumly to a free flight wing and provided with a location for at least one pilot, an engine and a two-bladed propeller driven by this engine, characterized in that the fuselage (6, 73) has an aerodynamic fairing which surrounds the pilot, and in that the propeller (20) mounted on a tilting support (21, 121, 221) disposed on the rear end of the fuselage and comprising a propulsion position , in which the propeller is outside the fuselage, its axis then being substantially parallel to the direction of the fuselage, and a gliding position, in which the propeller is oriented longitudinally and does not form a noticeable projection by report to the fuselage.