A vehicle including a fuselage having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis, two Ducted Fan lift-producing propellers carried by the fuselage on each side of the transverse axis, a pilot's compartment formed in the fuselage between the lift-producing propellers and substantially aligned with one side of the fuselage, a payload bay formed in the fuselage between the lift-producing propellers and opposite the pilot's compartment, and two pusher fans located at the rear of the vehicle. Many variations are described enabling the vehicle to be used not only as a VTOL vehicle, but also as a multi-function utility vehicle for performing many diverse functions including hovercraft and ATV functions. Also described is an Unmanned version of the vehicle. Also described are unique features applicable in any single or multiple ducted fans and VTOL vehicles.

Ducted Fan Vtol Vehicles

Flight control systems have plural control subsystems with redundancies organized so as to provide continued but degraded control power over critical aircraft flight operating parameters even if any one complete control subsystem catastrophically fails. One example described in detail for a VTOL craft includes four groups of controls, each group comprising inputs relating to six degrees of freedom of the vehicle, at least one control computer and a plurality of actuators; each group utilizing 25% of required flight control power for the vehicle.

Flight control system especially suited for VTOL vehicles

A vehicle including a fuselage, at least one lift-producing propeller carried by the fuselage on each side of its transverse axis a pilot's compartment formed in the fuselage between the lift-producing propellers and substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis, and a pair of payload bays formed in the fuselage between the lift-producing propellers and on opposite sides of the pilot's compartment. Many variations are described enabling the vehicle to be used not only as a VTOL vehicle, but also as a multi-function utility vehicle for performing many diverse functions including hovercraft and ATV functions.

Vehicles particularly useful as vtol vehicles

A vehicle, including a vehicle frame, a duct carried by the vehicle frame with the longitudinal axis of the duct perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle frame, a propeller rotatably mounted within the duct about the longitudinal axis of the duct to force an ambient fluid therethrough from its inlet at the upper end of the duct through its exit at the lower end of the duct, and thereby to produce an upward lift force applied to the vehicle, and a plurality of parallel, spaced vanes pivotally mounted to and across the inlet end of the duct about pivotal axes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the duct and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle frame, the vanes being selectively pivotal about their axes to produce a desired horizontal force component to the lift force applied to the vehicle.

Ducted fan vehicles particularly useful as vtol aircraft

Ducted air flow vehicle that includes a fuselage having a longitudinal axis, supporting at least one air flow duct and a prime mover arranged to force surrounding air into the duct through an inlet at an upper end of the duct with normally symmetrical airflow streams, thereby creating a lift force directed substantially along a duct axis; a plurality of vanes extending across the inlet, substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis; and wherein one or more groups of the vanes are selectively pivotable to align with adjacent abnormal asymmetrical airflow streams.

Wall effects on vtol vehicles

A reusable rocket airplane which may be utilized to launch satellites and other payloads into space. The airplane may also be used for rapid surface to surface flight. The reusable rocket airplane may be safely supplied with oxidizer in mid-air, achieve an altitude outside the Earth's atmosphere, and return safely to be used again. The rocket airplane utilizes unique concepts to secure its gas turbine engines for high speed flight, minimize fluid spillage during mid-air oxidizer transfer, as well as employs design features advantageous to the economical building and reuse of the rocket airplane.

Reusable rocket-propelled high altitude airplane and method and apparatus for mid-air oxidizer transfer to said airplane

A reusable rocket airplane (10) which may be utilized to launch satellites (26) and other payloads into space. The airplane may also be used for rapid surface to surface flight. The reusable rocket airplane (10) may be safely supplied with oxidizer in mid-air from a tanker (32), achieve an altitude outside the Earth's atmosphere, and return safely to be used again. The rocket airplane includes inlets (36) to gas turbine engines which are covered (12, 14) for high speed flight. Provision is also made for minimizing fluid spillage during mid-air oxidizer transfer from tanker (32).

Reusable dual propulsion mode rocket airplane

An examination of the feasibility of winged SSTO vehicles utilizing aerial propellant transfer

Reuseable rocket airplane

Aviation's next great leap: the technology is at hand to build rocket-powered aircraft that could travel at hypersonic speeds, whisking you from New York to Paris in an hour

Mitchell Clapp

Papers

Reusable rocket-propelled high altitude airplane and method and apparatus for mid-air oxidizer transfer to said airplane

Reusable dual propulsion mode rocket airplane

An examination of the feasibility of winged SSTO vehicles utilizing aerial propellant transfer

Reuseable rocket airplane

Aviation's next great leap: the technology is at hand to build rocket-powered aircraft that could travel at hypersonic speeds, whisking you from New York to Paris in an hour