Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter Company

Other

John W Rutherford

William Randall McDonnell

James K Wechsler

Brian T Smith

Matthew O'Rourke

An apparatus that permits a rotatable wing to be operated in three modes: a first orientation mode, a second orientation mode, and a mode in which the wing rotates (called the rotating mode). The apparatus permits the wing to be stowed and used in both fixed-wing flight and rotary wing flight. The apparatus may be a component of an aircraft capable of fixed-wing flight with a fuselage oriented generally in the direction of flight. In the first orientation mode, the wing is generally parallel to the orientation of the fuselage, providing a relatively compact stowage configuration. In the second orientation mode, the wing is generally perpendicular to the orientation of the fuselage. The first orientation mode thus facilitates stowage of the wing during stowed flight of such an aircraft under power of a host aircraft, the second orientation mode facilitates fixed-wing flight, and the rotating mode facilitates rotating-wing flight. The wing may be started into auto-driven (i.e., autogyro) operation after operating in fixed-wing flight. Once in the wing has fully engaged in self-powered rotation, no torque needs to be applied. Since the motor of the aircraft needs only to move the aircraft's wing between the first and second orientation modes, and into a self-powered rotating mode, the motor may have relatively simple structure.

Apparatus for operating a wing in three modes and system of use

A dual-mode high speed rotorcraft is disclosed which combines the efficiency of a helicopter with the high-speed capability of a fixed wing aircraft. The rotorcraft includes a rotor for propulsion during low-speed flight and hover, which is stopped and locked to function as a fixed wing during a high-speed flight. Also included are a canard and a high-lift tail, which together function to provide substantially all of the lift for the rotorcraft during the transition between low and high-speed flight, so that the rotor may be unloaded while starting and stopping.

Canard rotor/wing

A tiltwing aircraft, capable of in-flight conversion between a hover and forward cruise mode, employs a counter-rotating proprotor arrangement which permits a significantly increased cruise efficiency without sacrificing either the size of the conversion envelope or the wing efficiency. A benefit in hover is also provided because of the lower effective disk loading for the counter-rotating proprotor, as opposed to a single rotation proprotor of the same diameter. At least one proprotor is provided on each wing section, preferably mounted on the wingtip, with each proprotor having two counter-rotating blade rows. Each blade row has a plurality of blades which are relatively stiff-in-plane and are mounted such that cyclic pitch adjustments may be made for hover control during flight.

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Scottsdale, AZ, United States of America

John W Rutherford