Aircraft control methods

申请号 US37442973 申请日 1973-06-28 公开(公告)号 US3831887A 公开(公告)日 1974-08-27
申请人 ROCKWELL INTERNATIONAL CORP; 发明人 FOSNESS J;
摘要 Method of apparatus operation are disclosed for advantageously developing fluid-reaction lift control and also attitude control in improved manners in aircraft systems of the type capable of vertical, hovering, transitional, and conventional modes of flight operation. The apparatus consists of an aircraft system having an airframe with right and left primary airfoils and right and left canard airfoils, spaced-apart forward and after rotatable flap members in each airfoil which define a lift ejector diffuser section having a divergence angle, an engine operable at different rotational speeds to produce different corresponding high-energy primary fluid flows and a duct system for selectively distributing the total primary fluid flow from the engine to the lift ejector diffuser sections in each airfoil. The method of operating the control system comprises the steps of: operating the engine at a constant rotational speed and output power to produce a total primary fluid flow; distributing the total primary fluid flow to the lift ejector diffuser sections in proportions divided equally between said right and left airfoils; and changing the altitude or attitude of the aircraft by rotating the forward and after flap members in opposite directions with respect to each other in each of the airfoils to change the lift ejector divergence angles while the rotational speed, output power and total primary fluid flow of the engine and the proportional distribution of the total primary fluid flow remains constant.
权利要求
1. In a method of operating an aircraft system having an airframe with attached right and left airfoil means, spaced-apart forward and after rotatable flap members in each airfoil means that define a lift ejector diffuser section having an included divergence angle, power plant means operable at different rotational speeds to produce different corresponding high-energy primary fluid flows, and duct means selectively distributing primary fluid flows from the power plant means to the lift ejector diffuser sections defined by said flap members in said airfoil means, the steps of varying the operating condition of the aircraft system in flight comprising: operating the aircraft system to an airframe flight condition; operating said power plant means at a constant rotational speed and output power to produce a corresponding total primary fluid flow; distributing said total primary fluid flow to said lift ejector diffuser sections in proportions divided equally between said right and left airfoil means; and thereafter changing the flight condition of the aircraft system and said airframe by rotating said forward and after flap members in opposite directions with respect to each other in each said airfoil means to change the divergence angles of the lift ejectors defined thereby and maintaining the rotational speed, output power, and total primary fluid flow of said power plant means and the proportional distribution of said total primary fluid flow to said lift ejectors in said right and left airfoil means constant.
2. The method of operating an aircraft system defined by claim 1 wherein the steps of varying the condition of the aircraft system in flight involves changing the aircraft system flight altitude condition, said step of changing the flight condition comprising rotating said forward and after flap members in said right airfoil means in opposite directions with respect to each other to change the divergence angle of the lift ejector diffuser section defined thereby in a first sense, simultaneously rotating said forward and after flap members in said left airfoil means in opposite directions with respect to each other to change the divergence angle of the lift ejector diffuser section defined thereby in a like sense and at a like rate thereby changing the altitude condition of the aircraft system, and maintaining the rotational speed, output power, and total primary fluid flow of said power plant means and the proportional distribution of said total primary fluid flow to said lift ejector in said right and left airfoil means constant.
3. The method of operating an aircraft system defined by claim 1 the steps of varying the condition of aircraft system flight involves changing the aircraft system flight attitude condition, said step of changing of the flight condition comprising rotating said forward and after flaps in said right airfoil means in opposite directions with respect to each other to change the divergence angle of the lift ejector diffuser section defined thereby in a first sense, simultaneously rotating said forward and after flap members in said left airfoil means in opposite directions with respect to each other to change the divergence angle of the lift ejector diffuser section defined thereby in a second sense opposite said first sense thereby changing the lateral attitude of the aircraft system about the system longitudinal axis, and maintaining the rotational speed, output power, and total primary fluid flow of said power plant means and the proportional distribution of said total primary fluid flow to said lift ejectors in said right and left airfoil means constant.
4. In a method of operating an aircraft system having an airframe with attached right and left principal airfoil means producing principal aerodynamic lift during system forward flight aLong the system longitudinal axis and with right and left secondary airfoil means positioned more distant from the system center of gravity than said principal airfoil means and producing stabilization aerodynamic lift during said forward flight, spaced-apart forward and after rotatable flap members in each airfoil means and defining a lift ejector diffuser section having an included divergence angle, power plant means operable at different rotational speeds to produce different corresponding high-energy primary fluid flows, and duct means selectively distributing primary fluid flows from the power plant means to the lift ejector diffuser sections defined by said flap members in said airfoil means, the steps of varying the operating condition of the aircraft system in flight comprising: operating the aircraft system to an airframe flight condition; operating said power plant means at a constant rotational speed and output power to produce a corresponding total primary fluid flow; distributing said total primary fluid flow to said lift ejector diffuser sections in proportions divided equally between said right principal and secondary airfoil means and said left principal and secondary airfoil means; and thereafter changing the flight condition of the aircraft system and said airframe by rotating said forward and after flap members in opposite directions with respect to each other in each said airfoil means to change the divergence angles of the lift ejectors defined thereby and maintaining the rotational speed, output power, and total primary fluid flow of said power plant means and the proportional distribution of said total primary fluid flow to said lift ejectors in said principal and secondary right and left airfoil means constant.
5. The method of operating an aircraft system defined by claim 4 wherein the steps of varying the condition of the aircraft system in flight involves changing the aircraft system flight altitude condition, said step of changing the flight condition comprising rotating said forward and after flap members in said right principal and secondary airfoil means in opposite directions with respect to each other to change the divergence angles of the lift ejector diffuser sections defined thereby in a first like sense, simultaneously rotating said forward and after flap members in said left principal and secondary airfoil means in opposite directions with respect to each other to change the divergence angles of the lift ejector diffuser sections defined thereby in a like sense identical to said first like sense thereby changing the altitude condition of the aircraft system, and maintaining the rotational speed, output power, and total primary fluid flow of said power plant means and the proportional distribution of said total primary fluid flow to said lift ejectors in said right and left airfoil means constant.
6. The method of operating an aircraft system defined by claim 4 the steps of varying the condition of aircraft system flight involves changing the aircraft system flight attitude condition, said step of changing of the flight condition comprising rotating said forward and after flaps in said right principal and secondary airfoil means in opposite directions with respect to each other to change the divergence angles of the lift ejector diffuser sections defined thereby in a first like sense, simultaneously rotating said forward and after flap members in said left principal and secondary airfoil means in opposite directions with respect to each other to change the divergence angles of the lift ejector diffuser sections defined thereby in a second like sense opposite said first like sense thereby changing the lateral attitude of the aircraft system about the system longitudinal axis, and maintaining the rotational speed, output power, and total primary fluid flow of said power plant means and the proportional distribution of said total primary fluid flow to said lift ejectors in said right and left primary and secondary aIrfoil means constant.
7. A method of operating an aircraft system defined by claim 4 wherein the steps of varying the condition of aircraft system flight involves changing the aircraft system flight attitude condition about the system center of gravity, said step of changing the flight condition comprising rotating said forward flaps in said principal airfoil means in opposite directions with respect to said after flaps in said principal airfoil means to change the divergence angles of the lift ejector sections defined thereby in a first like sense, simultaneously rotating said forward flap members in said secondary airfoil means in an opposite direction with respect to said after flap members in said secondary airfoil means to change the divergence angles of the lift ejector diffuser sections defined thereby in a second like sense opposite said first like sense thereby changing the longitudinal attitude of the aircraft system about the system center of gravity, and maintaining the rotational speed, output power, and total primary fluid flow of said power plant means and the proportional distribution of said total primary fluid flow to said lift ejectors in said right and left primary and secondary airfoil means constant.
说明书全文
QQ群二维码
意见反馈