Abstract: An aircraft features a nose mounted propeller on a fuselage having a typical helicopter rotor assembly. By reducing the amount of forward thrust needed from the main rotor, the propeller allows greater forward speeds as the angle of attack on the rotor's blades can be kept low to avoid the stalling and violent vibration experienced by conventional helicopters at relatively high speeds. By reducing the maximum angle of attack experienced by the main rotor during its rotation during forward cruising from that of a conventional helicopter but still using the main rotor to generate lift, the addition of wings extending from both sides of the fuselage can be avoided. The aircraft may be flown in a forward direction in a generally horizontal orientation, as the nose does not have to be pitched downward to create thrust from the main rotor.

Abstract: A method of the invention for controlling the pitch of the blades of a tail rotor of a rotary-wing aircraft includes the following operations: a) generating a main control for the pitch of the blades of the tail rotor as a function of a control member for controlling the pitch of the blades of the tail rotor that is actuated by a pilot of the aircraft; b) generating a collective pitch and yaw decoupling control as a function of the collective pitch of the rotary wing; c) generating a bias control that is variable as a function of the flying speed of the aircraft and of the position of the control member; and d) adding the bias control to the decoupling control and to the main control in order to obtain an overall control, thereby controlling the pitch of the blades of the tail rotor.

Abstract: A helicopter has a main rotor with propeller blades which is driven by a rotor shaft and which is hinge-mounted to this rotor shaft. The angle between the surface of rotation of the main rotor and the rotor shaft may vary. A swinging manner on an oscillatory shaft is essentially transverse to the rotor shaft of the main rotor and is directed transversally to the longitudinal axis of the vanes. The main rotor and the auxiliary rotor are connected to each other by a mechanical link. The swinging motions of the auxiliary rotor controls the angle of incidence (A) of at least one of the propeller blades of the main rotor.

Abstract: A helicopter has a main rotor with propeller blades which is driven by a rotor shaft and which is hinge-mounted to this rotor shaft. The angle between the surface of rotation of the main rotor and the rotor shaft may vary. A swinging manner on an oscillatory shaft is essentially transverse to the rotor shaft of the main rotor and is directed transversally to the longitudinal axis of the vanes. The main rotor and the auxiliary rotor are connected to each other by a mechanical link. The swinging motions of the auxiliary rotor controls the angle of incidence (A) of at least one of the propeller blades of the main rotor. There are wings from the body and a stabilizer at the tail.

Abstract: An air-based thrust recovery system for use in a powered lift platform utilizing fixed-pitch propellers is provided. The system utilizes an air compressor coupled to the drive motor of the platform and an on-board, high pressure tank for air storage. The fixed-pitch propellers are coupled to the primary drive system with over-running clutches, thus allowing the thrust recovery system to rotate the propellers faster than if driven solely by the primary drive system. Preferably the propellers are surrounded by air ducts. The thrust recovery system uses individually, or in combination, cold air jets mounted at the tips of the propellers, a circulation control system which blows out the leading or trailing edge of the propellers, and one or more perforated tubing segments surrounding at least a portion of the platform's air ducts.

Abstract: A rotary-wing aircraft comprises a main rotor, a tail boom extending through an area of downwash from the main rotor, and first and second linear nozzles fixedly coupled to the tail boom. The first nozzle is adapted to discharge a sheet of fluid in a direction substantially tangential to an outer surface of the tail boom to divert the rotor downwash and thereby produce a force that counteracts the biasing torque of the main rotor. The rotary-wing aircraft further comprises a yaw-control member movably coupled to the tail boom. The second nozzle is adapted to discharge a sheet of fluid in a direction substantially tangential to an outer surface of the yaw-control member to further divert the rotor downwash and thereby increase the force that counters the main-rotor torque.

Abstract: A spring component for support bearings of helicopter tail rotors or for support structures for use in outer space encompasses at least two contact support components (11a, 11b) for connecting with the members that are to be supported (e.g. a belt and a control sleeve of a helicopter tail rotor), as well as a web plate (20), which extends between the contact support components (11a, 11b) and which includes a pair of lengthwise webs (21a, 21b) extending in a longitudinal direction. The lengthwise webs are connected to each other by first connecting webs (22a, 22b). Respectively, a further connecting web (23a, 23b) is arranged at a section of the two lengthwise webs (21a, 21b) positioned between the first connecting webs (22a, 22b), wherein each further connecting web extends outwardly toward one of the support components (11a, 11b). In connection with a transverse bending moment acting on the spring component, a twisting of the lengthwise webs (21a, 21b) takes place.