Abstract: A lift control device actively controls the lift force on a lifting surface. The device has a protuberance near a trailing edge of its lifting surface, which causes flow to separate from the lifting surface, generating regions of low pressure and high pressure which combine to increase the lift force on the lifting surface. The device further includes an arrangement to keep the flow attached around the protuberance or to modify the position of the protuberance in response to a command from a central controller, so as to provide an active control of the lift between a maximum value and a minimum value.

Abstract: The invention relates to an aircraft designed as a compound helicopter with an aircraft fuselage, a main rotor arranged on the aircraft fuselage, and cyclogyro rotors which protrude laterally from the aircraft fuselage and which comprise an outer end surface. An improved torque compensation is achieved in that the cyclogyro rotors are connected to the aircraft fuselage by means of a suspension device which holds the cyclogyro rotors at the outer border of the rotors, and each cyclogyro rotor can be controlled individually and independently of the other. A torque compensation function of the main rotor can be carried out by the cyclogyro rotors.

Abstract: An STOL and/or VTOL aircraft comprises (1) a fuselage having a front end, a rear end and two lateral sides, the fuselage defining a substantially horizontal central longitudinal axis of the aircraft; (2) an aircraft tail arranged at the rear end of the fuselage and including a rudder and an elevator on each side of the fuselage with movable surfaces for controlling the aircraft; and (3) a wing on each side of the fuselage having a front edge, a trailing edge and an upper surface extending from the front edge to the trailing edge. A device for controlling the airflow over the upper surfaces of the wings comprises openings in these upper surfaces for the egress of air from interior spaces within the wings and air pump apparatus for pressurizing such interior spaces.

Abstract: A hybrid rotor for an aircraft includes a Magnus rotor rotatable around a Magnus rotor axis and a transverse flow rotor that is kept rotating around an axis of rotation and has a number of axially extending rotor blades that are actuatable to rotate around the axis of rotation and are configured stationary relative to the tangential angle position. The Magnus rotor is located within the transverse flow rotor and has an axis extending in the direction of the axis of rotation. The guide mechanism has a housing segment partially surrounding the transverse flow rotor in the circumferential direction. The housing segment has an adjustment mechanism and is deflectable relative to the Magnus rotor axis. The housing segment is aligned such that the transverse flow rotor generates a propulsion force and causes a transverse flow onto the Magnus rotor to generate lifting force by way of a Magnus effect.

Abstract: An aircraft that has a set of wings which spin about respective axes that are laterally spaced apart in a horizontal plane of the aircraft, parallel to each other, and positioned adjacent respective frame portions, each of said frame portions defining a continuous surface, having a semi-circular cross-section means being provided to drive the sets of wings so that, as they spin, each wing of said sets of wings moves sequentially upwards inside its respective frame portion, and downwards outside its respective frame portion so as to provide lift to the aircraft.

Abstract: The present invention provides a wing-flapping flying apparatus, which can fly by moving its wings similar to a bird hovering or flying in the air by flapping its wings. The wing-flapping flying apparatus comprises: a body; a rotating shaft rotatably joined to the body; driving means for rotating the rotating shaft; and wings reciprocated between two points and connected to the rotating shaft so as to be rotated together with the rotating shaft and to be relatively torsionally rotated with respect to the rotating shaft. The wing-flapping flying apparatus generates lift throughout an entire wing-flapping movement without generating lift only throughout the half of a wing-flapping movement or offsetting the generated lift by the other half of the wing-flapping movement. Therefore, the wing-flapping flying apparatus can provide not only a stable flight but also a softly hovering or ascending and descending flight.

Abstract: The invention relates to an aircraft comprising a fuselage and at least two substantially hollow cylindrical lifting bodies which are applied to the fuselage and comprise a plurality of rotor blades which extend over the periphery of the lifting bodies, the periphery of the lifting bodies being partially covered by at least one tail surface. The aim of the invention is to provide an aircraft with an extremely high degree of maneuverability, compact dimensions and economy of fuel. To this end, the lifting bodies are driven by at least one drive unit and respectively comprise a cylindrical axis which is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis (1a) of the aircraft.

Abstract: A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft comprises (1) a fuselage having a front end, a rear end and two lateral sides, the fuselage defining a substantially horizontal central longitudinal axis of the aircraft; (2) an aircraft tail arranged at the rear end of the fuselage and including a rudder and an elevator on each side of the fuselage with movable surfaces for controlling the aircraft; and (3) a wing on each side of the fuselage having a front edge, a trailing edge and an upper surface extending from the front edge to the trailing edge. Means are provided for increasing the speed of an airstream flowing over the upper surface of each wing.

Abstract: An STOL or VTOL winged aircraft comprises a fuselage and a fixed wing attached to the fuselage and extending outward from the two lateral sides thereof, forming one wing component extending outward from one side of the fuselage and a second wing component extending outward from the opposite side of the fuselage. At least one “thruster” is disposed in each wing component to provide vertical lift to the aircraft when the aircraft is stationary or moving forward only slowly. The thruster includes a shaft mounted for rotation in the respective wing component and extending substantially parallel to the wing axis and a plurality of fan blades attached to the shaft for movement of air. A shroud is preferably arranged in each wing component, adjacent to the fan blades, for directing the airflow downward or rearward. Ducted fans a preferably arranged on both sides of the aircraft for providing additional vertical thrust.

Abstract: A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft comprises (1) a fuselage having a front end, a rear end and two lateral sides, the fuselage defining a substantially horizontal central longitudinal axis of the aircraft; (2) an aircraft tail arranged at the rear end of the fuselage and including a rudder and an elevator on each side of the fuselage with movable surfaces for controlling the aircraft; and (3) a wing on each side of the fuselage having a front edge, a trailing edge and an upper surface extending from the front edge to the trailing edge. According to the invention, means are provided for increasing the speed of an airstream flowing over the upper surface of each wing, and an air deflector is disposed on each side of the fuselage between the trailing edge of each wing and the aircraft tail.

Abstract: An STOL or VTOL winged aircraft comprises a fuselage and a fixed wing attached to the fuselage and extending outward from the two lateral sides thereof, forming one wing component extending outward from one side of the fuselage and a second wing component extending outward from the opposite side of the fuselage. At least one “thruster” is disposed in each wing component to provide vertical lift to the aircraft when the aircraft is stationary or moving forward only slowly. The thruster includes a shaft mounted for rotation in the respective wing component and extending substantially parallel to the wing axis and a plurality of fan blades attached to the shaft for movement of air. A shroud is preferably arranged in each wing component, adjacent to the fan blades, for directing the airflow downward or rearward.

Abstract: An aircraft comprises first and second wings positioned on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis with each of the first and second wings including an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein no control surfaces are attached to the lower surface of the wings. A first forward opening control surface is attached by a first hinge to an upper surface of the first wing and a second forward opening control surface being attached by a second hinge to an upper surface of the second wing. Each of the first and second hinges is canted with respect to a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. A method of yaw control performed by the aircraft is also included.

Abstract: Detection of the overstepping of design loads of an aircraft tailplane may include determining current bending and twisting moments applied to the aircraft. The determined bending and twisting moments are compared with a safety envelope to determine the risk of developing permanent deformations on the tailplane. A determination is made as to whether a structural inspection of the tailplane should be performed based on the comparison result.

Abstract: A rotary wing aircraft is provided with longitudinally oriented counter-rotating rotors with circumferentially spaced variable pitch elongated rotor blades connected at their opposite ends to rotatable support rings mounted on the aircraft fuselage. Rotor downwash may be guided laterally and longitudinally by respective sets of moveable guide vanes. Propulsion may be obtained by an engine providing thrust and power take-off for driving the rotors. An auxiliary or second engine may be drivingly connected to the rotors.

Abstract: A “wing in ground effect” aerial vehicle includes a wing mounted on a fuselage, and two cycloidal propulsion units for providing lift, thrust and longitudinal control. Additional lift is provided by a lighter-than-air gas such as helium contained in the fuselage. Operationally, the two cycloidal propulsion units and the volume of lighter-than-air gas are concertedly regulated to achieve “wing in ground effect” flight. Importantly, the two cycloidal propulsion units may operate in one of several modes, to include a curtate mode, a prolate mode, and a fixed-wing mode. Additionally, the vehicle may hover. Also, a thruster unit is mounted on the fuselage for providing forward thrust in combination with, or in lieu of, the two cycloidal propulsion units.

Abstract: A system and method for moving an aerial vehicle along a flight path includes rotatable hubs mounted on opposite sides of the vehicle. Elongated airfoils are mounted on the hubs parallel to a common hub axis for rotation about the hub axis on a blade path. Each airfoil defines a chord line and the system includes a gear assembly changeable, during hub rotation, between a first modality wherein airfoil chord lines remain tangential to the blade path (curtate flight), and a second modality wherein airfoil chord lines remain parallel to the flight path of the vehicle (prolate flight). Also, rotation of the hub can be stopped and the airfoils used for fixed wing flight.

Abstract: In order to continuously rotate an impeller having an axis parallel to a ground surface in one direction to generate lift, a cover close to a periphery in an opposite lift side is provided within a half of an outer periphery of the impeller, and a cylindrical scroll wheel integrally and concentrically rotating with the impeller is provided in a cavity portion near a root of the impeller, whereby a balance between the lift side and the opposite lift side is broken aerodynamically.

Abstract: A helicopter can't moor to a wall or land on slope surface. Maneuvering a helicopter changes angle positions and loses targets. Its screw closes operating space above. Here is given the design of a flying and soaring device (rotopter) free from these problems. It uses side circulating wings whose quasi-horizontal paths of circulation provide necessary thrust for hovering, lifting and flying.

Abstract: An aircraft has its wing defined as a wing-like body with a tangential flow rotor in the leading edge. A shroud, under the lower part of the tangential flow rotor, terminates in at least one movable flap defining a lift-generating lip when the rotor is rotating such that the upper part of the rotor, projecting above the level of the upper surface of the wing-like body, is moving rearwardly. Differential adjustment of the flaps in the wings to either side of an aircraft centerline allows directional control and control of banking of the aircraft.

Abstract: A method and system for propelling or sustaining marine vessels and aircraft. A propulsive force is developed in a gaseous or liquid fluid as a result of rotation of two pairs of generally parallel blades around two perpendicular intercrossed axes with the same speed. The blades are mounted with variable angles of incidence in the planes of rotation around one of the axis and are rotated together with this axis around the second axis. As a result, the blades work simultaneously both in a paddling manner and as a screw propeller with both sides of the blades being used consecutively as working surfaces. In preferred embodiments of the propulsion apparatus, the blades are mounted on a rotated gearbox which is mounted on a hollow driving shaft. The gearbox includes planetary bevel gear engagement with sun gears mounted on a support coaxially to the hollow driving shaft.

Abstract: A method and system for developing a propulsive force which can be utilized for driving different types of water, air or land vehicles. The propulsive force is developed by rotating a driving shaft with four blades which are simultaneously rotated with the same speed around two perpendicular intercrossed axes in different directions not interfering with each other. Each blade lies generally in a plane perpendicular to the intercrossed axis around which it is rotated. Preferably, the blades have airfoil sections. During such double rotation the radial extensions of the propeller blades relative to the driving shaft are changed as a function of the angle of rotation. The rotated blades can work simultaneously both in a paddling manner and as a screw propeller with the angle of incidence of each of the blades in the plane of rotation around an intercrossed axis changed automatically depending on the position of the blade relative to the driving shaft.

Abstract: An aircraft lifting member (wing) comprises a crossflow rotor 2 formed of a core 4 having rotor vanes 5 mounted around it, disposed in a trough 3 at the front upper part of a wing-like body 1. Rotation of the rotor induces a downwardly and rearwardly directed airflow over the upper surface 6 of the wing-like body 1 generating both lift and thrust. The upper part of the rotor vane path projects above the upper surface 6 and the lift-generating member is open at the leading edge to expose the cross-flow rotor 2 to the incident airflow.

Abstract: A method and system for developing a propulsive force which can be utilized for driving different types of water, air or land vehicles. The propulsive force is developed by rotating a propeller shaft with four generally flat propeller blades mounted on two perpendicular intercrossed axles, which are fixed to the propeller shaft in a plane perpendicular to its axis. The surface of each blade is lying in a plane perpendicular to the axle on which it is mounted and the blades are rotated in these planes around these intercrossed axles with the same speed in different directions, so that the adjacent propeller blades are rotated clockwise and counterclockwise not interfering with each other.

Abstract: A STOL aircraft has a fuselage 22 vertical 26 and horizontal 27 rear stabilizers and at least one wing made up of a lower primary airfoil 10 and an upper complementary airfoil 11 which, between them, form the inlet 12 and exhaust 14 air ducts. The craft is propelled by one or more cross flow fans 13 contained in a housing(s) 63 (FIG. 7) between the primary 10 and complementary 11 airfoils. The primary 10 and complementary 11 airfoils can be extended and flexed downwardly, by various means.

Abstract: A flying apparatus has a body; power means; and lifting force generating units, the lifting force generating units being arranged parallel to a plane of symmetry of the body and turnable in a vertical plane, each of the lifting force generating units is formed as a rotor including a plurality of aerodynamic blades arranged uniformly on a disk and at equal distances from an axis of rotation so as to be turnable.

Abstract: A mechanism and method for generating lift with the Bernoulli Effect. A pair of cylindrical impellers create a pair of counter rotating forced linear vortices. Fast moving, low pressure air surrounding the forced vortices comes into contact with the upper sides of semicylindrical lifting surfaces. Higher pressure, slower moving air is in contact with the lower sides of the lifting surfaces. The velocity differentials between the upper and lower sides of the lifting surfaces cause a pressure differential that produces lift.

Abstract: An aircraft having vertical takeoff and landing capability having at least first and second laterally extending paddle wheels rotatable on a central axis generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and between its nose and tail. Each of the paddle wheels has a plurality of blades pivoted by a system of linear actuators to a determined optimum blade pitch angle. One paddle wheel is positioned adjacent the port side of the aircraft and the other paddle wheel is positioned adjacent the starboard side. The pilot is able to operate the aircraft in all regimes of flight by differentially adjusting the pivot angle of each of the blades. In one embodiment utilizing only a pair of paddle wheels, differential operation of the blades provides lift, thrust, roll, and yaw control of the aircraft, while an aircraft pitch control rotor rotatable about a vertical axis distant from the paddle wheels is provided for controlling pitch of the aircraft.

Abstract: The invention relates to a rotor able to develop in a fluid lifting and/or propelling forces and its process for control. Said rotor comprises several profiled blades (9) with axes parallel to the drive axis (3); the incidence of each profiled blade is controlled in real time as a function of its angular azimuth and the flight conditions, for obtaining the desired lift and propulsion forces.

Abstract: A lift generating mechanism includes a plurality of airfoils each having first and second end surfaces, first and second side surfaces, and a centerline extending between the first and second side surfaces. The airfoil section lying between the first end surface and the centerline is a mirror image of the airfoil section lying between the second end surface and the centerline. A coupling link extends outward from each of the side surfaces of each airfoil. Each connecting link is coupled to an oval shaped guide track and to a larger oval shaped drive chain. The guide tracks and the drive chains are positioned such that first and second transition regions are provided at opposite ends of the oval path through which the airfoils are translated.

Abstract: A rotary wing device has a circular stabilizer disc and, secured normally thereto, a bilaterally symmetrical wing member having a first symmetry axis intersecting the center of the stabilizer disc. The ends of the wing member at the first symmetry axis are connected through pin connections to a string harness whereby the device functions as a kite when the wing member rotates about the first symmetry axis. At least one guy wire connects the frame of the stabilizer disc to the frame of the wing member in each quadrant of the device. The same device may function in free flight without the string harness. The device preferably is fabricated from rod or tube frames covered with plastic films.

Abstract: A propulsive lifting rotor for an aircraft comprises two wings pivotally mounted about axes parallel to their leading edges. The wings (rotary airfoils) are located at respective sides of a plane at right angles to the rotor axis.

Abstract: A lift augmenting device to provide a vertical take-off capability in aircraft which includes a pair of rotor assemblies with independently individually pivoted rotor vanes so that the attitude of the vanes can be changed at different positions along the circumferential rotational path of the vanes as they rotate with the rotor assemblies to pump air therethrough and selectively generate lift on the aircraft.

Abstract: An aircraft comprised of a pair of spaced apart interconnected air-frame members and a cargo compartment supported therewithin is provided with a plurality of expansible airfoils mounted for peripheral movement around the air-frame members as driven by a motor and associated drive, movement of the airfoils along the frontmost perimeters of the air-frame members providing the aircraft with forward thrust, and movement thereof along the uppermost perimeters of the air-frame members accentuating the lift provided by the airfoils.

Abstract: An aircraft having a body on which is mounted an integrated lift, propulsion and steeing system inclusive of cycloidal propellers having horizontal axes of rotation capable of developing net thrust forces at any given angle in a vertical plane. Each propeller is externally driven and is formed with a circular array of blades at the periphery of a common rim and the blades can be turned to vary the angle of thrust by operation of a common control head.