WO2007104940A1

WO2007104940A1 - Aircraft

Info

Publication number: WO2007104940A1
Application number: PCT/GB2007/000827
Authority: WO
Inventors: Brian See
Original assignee: Brian See
Priority date: 2006-03-13
Filing date: 2007-03-09
Publication date: 2007-09-20
Also published as: GB0604988D0

Abstract

In an aircraft comprising a payload region (2) and a wing section (21, 31) which carries an engine (24, 33) of a kind which, in use, generates a flow of exhaust gases, the wing section (21, 31) is provided with or has associated therewith a secondary wing section (22, 3) positioned in the flow of exhaust gases from the engine.

Description

AIRCRAFT

This invention relates to aircraft and in particular, although not exclusively, to aircraft having an improved operating efficiency.

Many attempts have been made to improve the operating efficiency of an aircraft, for example by optimisation of engine design or aerofoil section. In order to reduce fuel costs and also reduce emission of potentially harmful exhaust gases from the aircraft engines.

The present invention teaches that operating efficiency may be optimised by providing the aircraft with improved lift generating regions of a novel construction.

In accordance with one of its aspects the present invention provides an aircraft having a payload region and wing sections extending laterally from said payload region wherein said payload region has a width which is greater than the height thereof preferably at least twice said height and more preferably at least three times said height, said payload region being selectively shaped to provide aerodynamic lift.

Thus the present invention teaches that the payload region shall also act in a manner similar to that of the wing sections. The payload region typically will lie centrally disposed between the tips of the wing structures, as viewed in plan (i.e. in a vertically downwards direction) and preferably the shape of the payload region, as compared with that of a conventional aircraft, is a shape having no appreciable thinning in a rearwards direction. Preferably the height of the payload region at a position two thirds of the distance from the front to the rear of the payload region is more than 40%, preferably at least 60%, of the maximum height of the payload region. Said wing sections typically are wing sections that are positioned to extend transversely outwards from the payload region, from the sides of the payload region. That is, the wing sections lie in a plane which also contains the payload region.

Said wing sections may be main wing sections and the aircraft may additionally comprise auxiliary wing sections. Any said auxiliary wing sections also may be substantially co-planar with the payload region, or may, for example, be supported at positions either above or below the payload region, typically rearwards of the main wing sections.

The aircraft may comprise main wing sections of a delta configuration. The main and/or auxiliary wing sections may be attached to, but vibrational^ insulated from the sides of the payload region. Quick release cradles may be provided for ease of servicing of a thrust device, such as a turbo-fan jet or other engines carried by the main wing sections. Said cradles may incorporate noise suppression mountings. The main wing sections may be utilised to provide location for fuel cells, undercarriage gear and other conventional ancillary devices which typically are located in or supported by the wings. Ailerons may be provided in a conventional manner.

Other ancillary components may be located in the payload region, together with, for example, control crew, passengers and freight.

In accordance with another of its aspects the present invention provides an aircraft in which a wing section which carries an engine is provided with or has associated therewith a secondary wing section positioned in the flow of exhaust gases from the engine. Ducting or like exhaust guide means may be provided to preferentially direct exhaust gases from the engine to a secondary wing. Exhaust ducting may be in the form of a hollow cone. The cone may incorporate a reverse thruster fanning out in a horizontal plane and , optionally, internal baffles shaped preferentially to direct exhaust gases over and under surfaces of a secondary wing. A reverse thruster may be positioned forwards of the cone.

A secondary wing may be supported either by the wing section behind which it is located, or may be supported substantially directly by the payload region. A secondary wing optionally may be pivotally mounted, and/or may be vibrational^ insulated relative to the wing and/or payload region.

An aircraft of the kind having said secondary wing sections may also be of the kind having the aforedescribed payload region of a type having a width which is greater than the height thereof.

In addition to the property of heat resistance, the material selected for constructing the exhaust ducting preferably is lightweight and may also be of a resilient type thereby to minimise sound generation and transmission of vibration

The payload region may be provided with substantially vertically extending supports to which auxiliary wing sections are secured. Said further, auxiliary wing sections may also be of a delta shape. They may be utilised for location of a thrust device, such as a turbo-fan jet and also may have associated therewith secondary wing sections positioned to receive exhaust gases from the engine and create additional lift.

The auxiliary wing(s) may be employed also to provide location for a fuel tank.

A further feature of the present invention is the teaching of providing one or more longitudinal, nose to tail, vertical dams in order to minimise positive and negative pressure spillage and assist smooth air flow. A vertical dam may extend the full length, from nose to tail, but that is not essential and a dam may extend along only a part of said length. Preferably the or each dam extends from the nose position along at least part of the length towards the tail.

An aircraft in accordance with the present invention may be of a commercial, e.g. passenger or freight type, or a military aircraft such as a military transporter where payload and scales of economy in relation to optimum wing lift and speed are important considerations.

The teachings of the present invention may be employed to either enable smaller sized engines to be employed to carry a given load, or engines of a size similar to those of a specific conventional aircraft may be employed to enable a larger load to be carried. In either case there is achieved a greater operating efficiency in terms of energy costs and maintenance costs in relation to the magnitude of the load carried. It is also to be understood that the enhanced lift capabilities reduces the take-off and landing runway length requirements.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an aircraft in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 shows in plan the aircraft of Figure 1 in comparison with the plan shape of a conventional design aircraft;

Figure 3 is a side view of the aircraft of Figures 1 & 2;

Figure 4 shows front and rear perspective views of an aircraft in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 is a side view of an aircraft in accordance with yet another embodiment;

Figure 6 is a rear view of the aircraft of Figure 1 ;

Figure 7 is a front view of the aircraft of Figure 1 ;

Figure 8 shows respectively half of an alternative payload and a main wing, and half of an auxiliary wing:

Figure 9 is a plan view of a further design of tail wing and engine layout;

Figure 10 shows in more detail the payload region and main wing sections of the aircraft of Figures 1 & 2;

Figure 11 is an alternative to the construction shown in Figure 10;

Figure 12 shows in more detail the tail section of an aircraft of which half is shown in Figure 8,

Figure 13 is a side view of an aircraft in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 14 is a rear perspective of a modified version of the aircraft shown in Figure 13;

Figure 15 is a rear view of aircraft of Figure 13;

Figure 16 is a front view of aircraft of Figure 13; Figure 17 is a front view of a modified conventional aircraft, and

Figure 18 is a rear perspective of the aircraft of Figure 17.

A feature of the aircraft shown in Figure 1 is that it comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending pressure containment dams 1 , as more particularly shown for example in Figure 6, and which each extend along a part of the length of the aircraft, commencing at or close to a leading edge.

In Figure 2 reference 2 shows half of the payload region and, to the left of that region as viewed in Figure 2, a main wing section 21 , secondary wing section 22 and intervening exhaust ducting 23 to direct exhaust gases from engine 24 to the auxiliary wing section 22.

In Figure 2 reference 3 shows the auxiliary wing section of a tail wing 31 , and ducting 32 to direct to the auxiliary wing section 3 the exhaust gases from engine 33.

Reference 4 points to the typical plan profile (shown in dotted lines) of a conventionally designed aircraft with a load carrying capacity similar to that of the aircraft of Figure 1 and the full line plan of Figure 2.

The auxiliary wings 3, 22 are mounted, optionally pivotally, relative to the respective wing sections 31 , 21 and are vibrational^ isolated therefrom. The ducts 23, 32 are of a kind optionally incorporating internal baffles which cause the exhaust gases from an engine to fan out in a horizontal direction to flow over substantially the whole of the leading edge of the respective auxiliary wing.

Referring to Figure 3, X marks a position one third of the distance from the front to the rear of the payload region and position Y marks a position two thirds along that length. In this instance the payload region has a maximum height at the position X. At the position Y it has a height which is at least 40%, more preferably at least 60%, and in this case 66% of the height at position X.

In Figure 3 the tail wing 31 is mounted at a position above the payload region. In contrast in a construction shown in the two perspective views of Figure 4 the tail wings 41 and their associated auxiliary wing sections 42, 43 are mounted at a position lower than that of the payload region. Figure 5 shows the variation of Figure 4 with the landing wheels 45, 46 lowered and makes clear that the tail wing in this construction also incorporates landing wheels 45 in addition to those carried by the main wings 44.

Figures 6 to 8, as above referred, show further views corresponding to the construction of the aircraft of Figures 1 to 3, and the damsL

Figure 9 shows an alternative tail wing/engine layout in which a single engine 91 is positioned substantially centrally on the longitudinal axis Z-Z of the aircraft, supported by a tail wing 92. An auxiliary wing 93 is secured relative to the tail wing 92 and ducting 94 is provided between the engine 91 and auxiliary wing 93 to transversely fan out the exhaust gases from the engine 91 and direct them over the auxiliary wing.

Figure 10 is a further view of the aircraft of Figures 1 to 3 and shows the payload region 2, front mini swivel control wings 6, a front wide bodied wing 21 which contains fuel tanks undercarriage and other ancillaries, and said wing 21 supporting a thrust device such as a turbo-fan jet engine 24. As viewed in plan, as shown in Figure 10, the wing is of a substantially delta shape tapering to a wing tip section 9.

The auxiliary wing 22 is secured, optionally pivotally, to the main frame of the payload region 2 and gases from the engine 24 are directed to the secondary wing section via a cone ducting 23 which contains reverse thrusters and, optionally, internal baffles to direct turbo-fan jet exhaust flow over and under the surfaces of the secondary wing.

Figure 11 shows a view substantially similar to that of Figure 10 but in which the mini swivel control wings are omitted and the front line 110 of the aircraft as viewed in plan, is of a substantially more continuous profile.

In Figure 12 the reference 12 relates to a wide bodied tail wing which contains a fuel tank and conventional ancillaries.

Reference 13 shows one of a pair of thrust devices such as turbo-fan jet engines, said engines being mounted on a wing having wing tips 14. Tail cone ducting 15 extends between each engine 13 and a secondary wing section 16 which is pivotally mounted, optionally pivotally, relative to the wing 12 and provides auxiliary lift by virtue of flow of exhaust gases thereover.

In the following description of embodiments with reference to Figures 13 to 18, like reference numerals have been used for features which correspond with those aforedescribed in relation to Figures 1 to 12.

In Figure 13 there is shown the side view of an aircraft similar to that of Figures 1 to 3 except that the jet engines 24, or other such thrust devices, are positioned below the main wing sections 21 , and supported therefrom by struts 26. Similarly the tail wings 31 provide support, via suspension struts 34, for engines 33 positioned beneath the wings 31. The configuration of Figure 13, and as further shown in Figures 14 to 16, also differs from that of Figures 1 to 3 in that the auxiliary wing sections 22,3 are mounted at a lower position so as again to be positioned in the flow of exhaust gases from the engines 24, 33. In the modified version of Figure 14 the tail at the rear is lower than that of Figure 13. Figures 17 and 18 show a substantially conventional aircraft configuration which has been modified by the provision of auxiliary wings 22 in the exhaust flow path of engines 24 slung underneath the main wing sections 21 and supported therefrom by struts 27. Ducts 23 direct the gases from the engines 24 and cause the gases to fan out in a horizontal direction to flow over substantially the whole of the leading edge of the associated auxiliary wing 22.

Claims

1. An aircraft comprising a payload region and a wing section which carries an engine of a kind which, in use, generates a flow of exhaust gases, wherein said wing section is provided with or has associated therewith a secondary wing section positioned in the flow of exhaust gases from the engine.

2. An aircraft according to claim 1, wherein ducting or like exhaust guide means is provided preferentially to direct exhaust gases from the engine to a secondary wing.

3. An aircraft according to claim 2, wherein said exhaust guide means is in the shape of a hollow cone.

4. An aircraft according to claim 3, wherein there is provided a reverse thruster which fans out in a horizontal plane, optionally positioned forwards of the cone, and which optionally comprises internal baffles shaped preferentially to direct exhaust gases over and under surfaces of a secondary wing.

5. An aircraft according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a secondary wing is supported by the wing section behind which it is located.

6. An aircraft according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a secondary wing is supported substantially directly by the payload region.

7. An aircraft according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a secondary wing is pivotally mounted relative to the wing and/or payload region.

8. An aircraft according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a secondary wing is vibrational^ insulated relative to the wing and/or payload region.

9. An aircraft according to any one of the preceding claims and comprising main wing sections extending laterally from said payload region, wherein said payload region has a width which is greater than the height thereof, said payload region being selectively shaped to provide aerodynamic lift.

10. An aircraft according to claim 9, wherein said width is at least twice said height.

11. An aircraft according to claim 9, wherein said width is at least three times said height.

12. An aircraft according to claim 9, wherein said width is at least four times said height.

13. An aircraft according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the payload region comprises substantially vertically extending supports to which an auxiliary wing section is secured.

14. An aircraft according to claim 13, wherein a said auxiliary wing section provides location of an engine and has associated therewith a secondary wing section positioned to receive exhaust gases from the engine and create additional lift.

15. An aircraft according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the height of the payload region at a position two thirds of the distance from the front to the rear of the payload region is more than 40% of the maximum height of the payload region.

16. An aircraft according to claim 15, wherein the height of the payload region at a position two thirds of the distance from the front to the rear of the payload region is more than 60% of the maximum height of the payload region.

17. An aircraft according to any one of the preceding claims wherein an engine carried by a wing section is positioned underneath and spaced from said wing section.

18. An aircraft according to claim 17, wherein a strut extends between the engine and wing section for supporting the engine at a position underneath the wing section.

19. An aircraft substantially as herein before described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BS2CL5