Abstract: A single-cast, thin wall structure capable of withstanding impinging gases at temperatures of 4300.degree. F. and higher, and method of making the same.

Abstract: A supersonic ground vehicle having a housing configured from a pair of back-to-back symmetric housing components, and a shock-reflecting surface which extends in the direction of travel of the housing and which aerodynamically interacts with the housing to form a supersonic biplane, thereby substantially reducing aerodynamic pressure drag.

Abstract: An aircraft structured particularly, as a whole to improve its capacity for accelerating by the means of transforming stored motion of mass into translocational motion of the aircraft; the aircraft is structured particularly, as a whole, to improve its capacities for storing motion of mass and for transforming stored motion of mass into translocational motion of itself; motion preferrably in stored as orbital motion of the aircraft's parts; the stored orbital motion preferrably is transformed by aerodynamic action into translocational motion of the aircraft; the means for storing orbital motion preferrably consists of a rotor, within the periphery of which are situated the aircraft's sustaining, propelling, motion transformation, fuel containment, and landing means; situated within said appended to a generally nonrotating fuselage are, respectively, a pilot area and a means for controlling the source of translocational flight; the preferred motion transforming means comprises a plurality of rotor blades, each

Abstract: A circular wing aircraft in the form of a helicopter comprising a fuselage and a circular wing assembly. A structure is for mounting the circular wing assembly above the fuselage in a stationary manner. An air impeller unit is rotatively carried within the circular wing assembly. A device is for driving the air impeller unit to rotate about a central axis within the circular wing assembly, so as to provide lift and flight movement while yaw control is maintained.

Abstract: A light-duty multipurpose aeroplane has a fuselage having a cabin at its center, a tail portion with a pusher propeller in a ring and a front portion with an all-swiveling horizontal "canard" type empennage. The wings of the aeroplane are articulated with low-mounted and high-mounted wing segments with opposite sweeps. The tips of the wing segments are connected with arrow-shaped pylons provided with heading control rudders.

Abstract: One embodiment of a coaxial transmission/center hub subassembly for a rotor assembly having ducted, coaxial counter-rotating rotors includes a single stage transmission, a transmission housing, and a center hub support structure that are structurally and functionally interactive. The transmission housing includes upper and lower standpipe housings secured in combination with a middle housing. The single stage transmission includes an input pinion gear rotatably mounted in combination with the middle housing, and upper and lower spiral bevel gears rotatably coupled in combination with the input pinion gear to provide counter-rotation thereof. The spiral bevel gears include integral rotor shafts, respectively, rotatably mounted in the standpipe housings.

Abstract: An aircraft capable of sustained flight including a fuselage and a spiral-formed flat-section right hand and left hand wing positioned in generally horizontally opposing relation along either side of the fuselage. Each wing is formed of an elongated flat panel or plate having generally parallel leading and trailing edges, the length of the panel being substantially greater than its width, the width being substantially greater than its thickness. The forward and rearward ends of each wing are movably connected within forward and rearward longitudinal channels of the fuselage. By appropriate controlled linear and rotational movement of the wing ends, in combination with a conventional rudder of an upright rear stabilizer fin of the fuselage, all aerodynamic flight path variable control is accomplished. Both single and multiple spiral-turned wings are provided.

Abstract: An elongate helicopter body including an orthogonally mounted rotatable and pivotally positionable rotor shaft fixedly mounting a solid, annular, convex blade member defined by a parabolic convex curve and terminating in an annular rim, wherein the rim is aligned generally orthogonal to the rotor shaft. Propulsion is provided by an enclosed CO2 cartridge, or alternatively a propulsion propeller in alignment with the body of the helicopter. Modifications of the instant invention include a lift propeller mounted underlying or overlying the solid blade and is of a generally equal diameter to that defined by the blade.

Abstract: A method and means for generating a force. A flared body is enclosed in a shroud to form one or more ducts of axially diminishing cross-section for accelerating and directing the discharge of a fluid introduced into the ducts under pressure. A cambered vane is positioned at the exit of each duct, in the path of the accelerated fluid discharge. Fluid passing over and under each vane produces a force aligned axially with the body and in the direction of flow of the fluid in the associated duct. In a preferred embodiment a conically-shaped body and surrounding shroud form an annular duct for air delivered to the mouth of the duct by a compressor. The vane is an annular airfoil.

Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle having a toroidal fuselage that surrounds a pair of coaxial, multi-bladed, counter-rotating rotors. The toroidal fuselage has an airfoil profile that is optimized to provide high hover efficiency and produce a pressure distribution that provide high lift forces. The airfoil profile is further optimized to counteract the undesirable nose-up pitching moments experienced by ducted rotary-type UAVs in forward translational flight.

Abstract: A radial force sail (22) for propelling land or water craft includes a continuously curved anhedral section (24) having its tip portions interconnected with substantially rigid, dihedrally disposed struts (26) and (28) that converge towards each other and preferably intersect together at approximately the apex or center of curvature of the anhedral section. A manually manipulatable control bar (22) is secured to the struts (26) and (28) at their intersection with each other. Through the control bar, the sail may be rotated in the pitch, yaw and roll directions to control and quickly change the lifting and/or driving forces generated by the sail (22) substantially independently of each other or in unison.

Abstract: The craft is for hovering flight, vertical takeoff and landing, and horizontal forward flight. It has a tail-sitting fuselage and a ducted fan mounted to the fuselage aft to provide propulsion in both (a) hovering and vertical flight and (b) horizontal forward flight. At each side is a floating wing, supported from the fuselage for passive rotation (or an actuator-controlled optimized emulation of such rotation) about a spanwise axis, to give lift in forward flight. The fuselage attitude varies between vertical in hovering and vertical flight, and generally horizontal in forward flight. Preferably the fuselage is not articulated; there is just one fan, the sole source of propulsion, rotating about only an axis parallel to the fuselage; and thrust-vectoring control vanes operate aft of the fan.

Abstract: A rigid airship is disclosed herein having an annular or toroidal airfoil fuselage in front elevation for housing several elongated gas cells containing a buoyant gas such as helium. The fuselage includes at least two longitudinal and a plurality of transverse structural members for supporting the cells. A covering is provided about the fuselage comprising a multiplicity of fitted panels joined by retainer straps and locking nodes. The fuselage defines a central venturi having an annular intake and a contracted exit through which an elongated tapered tail cone extends in coaxial relationship with the fuselage. Boundary layer control is effected via manifolds associated with the fuselage panels and a variable geometry venturi passageway is effected by longitudinal movement of a control compartment and adjoining tapered tail cone.

Abstract: A flying ring of symmetrical cross section featuring a normal leading edge with triangular cross section. The triangle is isosceles and the sides of the triangle may be concave. As the ring is symmetrical, it may be used with "either side up".

Abstract: A VTOL aircraft having a fuselage with fixed ring wings on either side thereof. Each ring wing has a rearwardly extending nacelle associated with it. Each nacelle has a ring tail empennage at its after end and a propulsor fan in its nose operating in the bore of its associated ring wing. The propulsor fans provide propulsion thrust for conventional flight in which the flow created over the lifitng surfaces due to forward velocity of the aircraft generates lift for flight. The propulsor fans operate to induce a flow over the lifting surfaces to generate lift for VTOL flight without a requirement for forward velocity by the aircraft. Aerodynamic control means such as spoilers are provided in the ring wings and empennages for pitch, roll, and yaw control in conventional flight.

Abstract: An aerial toy comprising a body having a leading edge and a trailing edge, and comprising a flexible, resilient, thin wall sail or airfoil extending forward from the trailing edge; a relatively thick, relatively rigid peripheral ring at the leading edge, the toy having a ratio of body length to body diameter of between 1:1.25 and 1:1.35; a ratio of body diameter to leading edge thickness of about 30:1; a ratio of ring length to overall body length of about 1:3.66; and a ratio of leading end weight to trailing end weight of 2.2:1.

Abstract: A towed decoy system is disclosed characterized by use of a rotating tow line spool having an axial bore therethrough adapted to receive a pyrotechnic charge adjacent one end thereof and communicate gas pressure upon detonation of the charge to the decoy to deploy the decoy from an aircraft. The pryotechnic charge may be externally loaded into the system without the need to disassemble the decoy system and the use of the axial bore through the spool results in desired space economies.

Abstract: A sailing craft has a circular linked rotating structure mounted on a vertical support or mast and within the circular structure are a plurality of parallel thin foils. The entire circular structure may be rotated in two axes to achieve directional control of the sailing craft as well as to adjust the angle of the foils to the wind.

Abstract: A gliding ring toy comprised of a closed-figure airfoil with a narrow separator lip on the outer perimeter of the upper surface in order to balance the aerodynamic lift, fore and aft, over a wide range of velocities in gliding flight.

Abstract: A hand propelled air glider type aerodynamic toy. The toy includes an elongated fuselage, a nosepiece which acts as a balance weight, a flat plastic or styrofoam member with an offset cutout which acts as the wings of the device, and a wing adjuster which secures the wing to the fuselage. The wing adjuster slidably accepts the fuselage to provide adjustments of the wing for different flight characteristics. The plastic fuselage passes through the cutout of the wing member thereby causing a slight upturn of the rear portion of the wing. The combination of the wing cutout and the angle of the wing construction with respect to the fuselage gives the device its aerodynamic properties.

Abstract: A gliding ring toy comprised of an annular airfoil angled in order to compensate for air downwash effects and to balance the aerodynamic lift, fore and aft, in gliding flight.

Abstract: A kite or flying device comprising a substantially ring-shaped body member formed of foam plastic, the normally upper surface of said body member being flat, the normally lower surface of said body member being part of the surface of a sphere, the ring-shaped body member being bounded by a radially outer circumference and by a radially inner circumference, diametrically opposite portions of said outer circumference respectively defining the leading edge and the trailing edge of the kite body, an open area bounded by and lying radially inwardly of said radially inner circumference, a bar-like member carried by the kite body and lying on a diameter of said kite body, said diameter extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge, the bar-like member being in bridging relation to the open area, the bar-like member being provided with apertures permitting attachment of a kite string or towline to the bar-like member, and rudders carried by the kite body contiguous the trailing edge of the kite body.

Abstract: A rotary wing device adapted to be rotated about its longitudinal axis and to be propelled forwardly with its longitudinal axis having a small upward pitch angle relative to the forward flight direction in order to generate an upward lifting force on the device. The rotary wing device has a plurality of laterally spaced-apart cylindrically disposed wing segments. Preferably, the wing segments are parallel to each other, are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device, and have streamlined edges. Preferably, the wing segments are mounted for rotation about the longitudinal axis of the device by front and rear mounting rings which engage and stabilize the front and rear tips of the wing segments. The mounting rings are perpendicular to the wing segments and have streamlined edges. The preferred embodiment is a throwable aerial toy having its center of mass located on the forward half of its longitudinal axis and being statically and dynamically balanced relative to said longitudinal axis.

Abstract: An annular wing particularly suited for use in supporting in flight an aircraft characterized by the absence of directional stabilizing surfaces. The wing comprises a rigid annular body of a substantially uniformly symmetrical configuration characterized by an annular positive lifting surface and cord line coincident with the segment of a line radiating along the surface of an inverted truncated cone whereby a decalage is established for the leading and trailing semi-circular portions of the body, relative to instantaneous line of flight, and a dihedral for the laterally opposed semi-circular portions of the body, relative to the line of flight, the direction of flight and climb angle or glide slope angle being established by selectively positioning the center of gravity of the wing ahead of the aerodynamic center along the radius coincident with an axis for a selected line of flight.

Abstract: A toss-type flying toy has at least one tubular aerodynamic member positioned adjacent the plane of a mid fuselage planar generally circular horizontal wing. The flying toy also includes a forwardly positioned horizontal circular lifter, upper and lower vertical guide fins, a horizontal guide fin and a vertical rudder with a generally horizontal stabilizer. Positioning of certain of the aerodynamic control elements enable a flight path to be determined prior to launch.

Abstract: A flight vehicle comprises a vehicle body with a duct having a longitudinal axis extending through the body, and a fan for inducing a flow of ambient air through the duct from an inlet end to an outlet end to provide a thrust acting along the axis of the duct. A system of control is provided for varying the attitude of the vehicle without re-directing or substantially re-directing the thrust whereby the vehicle is capable of controlled flight from a take-off mode in which the axis of the duct is vertical or substantially vertical, to a forward flight mode in which the axis of the duct is inclined to the vertical. A pair of wings are provided on the outer surface of the body, the wings being on opposite sides of the body and having no or substantially no dihedral.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improvement in an aircraft driven by a ducted fan and having a displaceable louver at the end of the flow channel for vertical flight, hovering flight, transition, and high-speed flight, the improvement comprising a vertical separating surface dividing the flow channel into two flow channels, and at least one vertical flap, pivotal about a vertical axis, mounted on the forward edge of said separating surface, whereby roll control may be effected.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improvement in an aircraft having a tail-mounted, shrouded pusher-type propeller and an engine mounted in front of the shroud, the improvement comprising exhaust pipe running from the engine to the shroud.

Abstract: The craft is for hovering flight, vertical takeoff and landing, and horizontal forward flight. It has a tail-sitting fuselage and a ducted fan mounted to the fuselage aft to provide propulsion in both (a) hovering and vertical flight and (b) horizontal forward flight. At each side is a floating wing, supported from the fuselage for passive rotation (or an actuator-controlled optimized emulation of such rotation) about a spanwise axis, to give lift in forward flight. The fuselage attitude varies between vertical in hovering and vertical flight, and generally horizontal in forward flight. Preferably the fuselage is not articulated; there is just one fan, the sole source of propulsion, rotating about only an axis parallel to the fuselage; and thrust-vectoring control vanes operate aft of the fan.