GB526104A - Improvements in or relating to motive power means for aircraft - Google Patents

Abstract

526,104. Turbine-driven aircraft. BAYNES, L. E., and MUNTZ & CO., Ltd., A. Feb. 7, 1939, No. 4055. [Class 4] [Also in Group XXVI] An aircraft has a plurality of airscrews and gas turbines, a separate turbine being associated with each airscrew to form a unit mounted on the wing, and conduits connecting one or more gas generators housed in the fuselage to each of the turbines. In the form shown in Fig. 1, two banks of gas generators, for example of the kind described in Specification 515,457, mounted in the bottom of the fuselage 11 have upper and lower manifolds 25 for the supply of compressed air, and a manifold 19 leading the combustion products to a vertical conduit 20 having branch conduits 21 supplying the turbine units which are arranged in casings 17 in the wing. Valves 29, 30 regulate the supply of gas to the port and starboard sides. Each unit comprises an airscrew 16 driven by a turbine through gearing in the casing 17, an auxiliary turbine driven by the exhaust of the main turbine operating a blower which draws in air from the front of the casing and delivers it under pressure to a branch conduit 22 of conduits 23 in the wing, and deliver it through a vertical conduit in the fuselage to the headers on manifolds 25 of the generators. The turbines operating the blowers exhaust to atmosphere and operate more quickly as the external air is more rarified. The air for the generators may be produced by turbine-operated blowers arranged in the fuselage. Auxiliary turbines are provided in the fuselage for generating electricity, for filling a compressed air storage bottle for starting the gas generators, and for supplying compressed air for the fuselage, which may be of the kind described in Specification 526,105. The fuselage 11 has transverse bulkheads 15, and longitudinal girders 13, 14 and contains the generators and other machinery that may require attention during flight. The gas generators are coded by fluid passing through flow and return passages 27, 28, Fig. 6, in the leading edge of the wing, which is thus de-iced. In the form shown in Fig. 8, gas generators 77 are arranged in a watertight fuselage 70, the upper part of the fuselage being provided with tanks for water, fuel, oil, and coolant. The fuselage also contains an air reservoir for starting. The gas is passed through a conduit in a short wing 71 to turbine units mounted in casings 72 pivoted about trunnions 73. The casings carry the land wheels 76 and have watertight compartments, so that the aircraft can alight on water. In the position shown, the aircraft acts as a helicopter. When the aircraft is in the air, the units are rotated to bring the axis of the.propellers in line with the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, which then acts as an aeroplane. The blades 75 of the airscrews are pivoted on their hubs. Specifications 157,927, [Class 4], and 493,439 also are referred to.