GB871470A - Improvements relating to aircraft incorporating vertical thrust generators - Google Patents

Abstract

871,470. Direct-lift aircraft. FAIREY CO. Ltd. Sept. 19, 1957 [Sept 20, 1956], No. 28814/56. Class 4. [Also in Group XXVI] An aircraft comprises a horizontal propulsion thrust generator, a wing having a downwardly converging duct with a spanwise elongated inlet in the wing upper surface and a spanwise elongated discharge aperture in the wing lowersurface, a conduit extending longitudinally within the duct, fed by a source of high velocity gas, and discharging through a nozzle in the lower wall of the conduit, and two blade like flaps movable between a withdrawn position in which they are located within the duct on either side of the conduit, and an operative position in which they project downwardly below the wing lower surface and form an elongated nozzle forming an extension of the duct. Each wing 10 is provided with one or more downwardlyconvergent ducts 13 formed by spanwise panels located between the spars 31. The inlet of each duct in the upper surface of the wing is closable by a pair of doors (one only, 32, of each pair being shown in Fig. 3) mounted on chordwise axes for operation by jacks 34, from the open positions shown to positions flush with the wing surface. The lower part of each duct may be extended by blade-like flaps 16 each mounted by arms 36 for rotation about spanwise axes by a jack 37 from the inoperative position shown by full lines in Fig. 2 to the extended position indicated by chain-dotted lines, where their cambered surfaces form a slightly divergent extension of the main duct. Each duct contains a spanwiseextending horseshoe section distribution con-' duit 20 having an elongated orifice 21, each conduit being connected to an extension pipe (not shown) branched from a main jet pipe. The jet pipe and each extension pipe carries a valve whereby the efflux from the engine may initially be prevented from passing into the jet pipe and directed to the extension pipes for discharge from orifices 21 to provide direct lift during landing and take-off. For forward flight, and at a suitable altitude, the valves in the extension pipes are closed and that in the jet pipe opened to provide a gradual transfer from vertical to forward flight. Fuel may be burned in the extension pipes and/or in the combustible mixture formed by the efflux from orifices 21 and the entrained air drawn through duct 13 by the ejector effect of the nozzles. According to the Provisional Specification, the thrust generator may be mounted in the fuselage. The aircraft may be mounted for take-off on a carriage with its fore-and-aft axis vertical, the thrust generator then being at the rear of the fuselage.