A propulsion system for an aircraft includes an engine (e.g., piston engine, or turbine) having an axis made to be nonparallel with the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. This is enabled using an electrical, hydraulic, or other system to transfer energy generated by the engine (e.g., via electrical wiring, fluid conduits, etc.) to remotely power a motor used to drive a thrust-creating device (e.g., propeller or ducted fan). That the engine is able to be freely oriented allows for it being positioned without regard to any mechanical restraints existing in conventional arrangements.

A propulsion system for an aircraft having a nacelle and a fuselage is provided. The nacelle has a gas flow path and a nacelle interior region. The system includes a compressor section, an intermittent IC engine, a turbine section, a fan, and an IC cooling system. A first electric motor powers the compressor section. The compressor section produces a flow of elevated pressure compressor air. The intermittent IC engine selectively intakes the compressor air flow and produces an exhaust gas flow. The turbine section powered by exhaust gas in turn powers a first electric generator. The fan is driven by a second electric motor. The IC engine cooling system has a heat exchanger disposed within the gas flow path, coolant, coolant piping, and a pump. The heat exchanger is disposed in the nacelle.

A propulsion system for an aircraft having a nacelle and a fuselage is provided. The nacelle has a gas flow path and a nacelle interior region. The system includes a compressor section, an intermittent IC engine, a turbine section, a fan, and an IC cooling system. A first electric motor powers the compressor section. The compressor section produces a flow of elevated pressure compressor air. The intermittent IC engine selectively intakes the compressor air flow and produces an exhaust gas flow. The turbine section powered by exhaust gas in turn powers a first electric generator. The fan is driven by a second electric motor. The IC engine cooling system has a heat exchanger disposed within the gas flow path, coolant, coolant piping, and a pump. The heat exchanger is disposed in the nacelle.

A turboprop engine assembly for an aircraft, including an internal combustion engine having a liquid coolant system, an air duct in fluid communication with an environment of the aircraft, a heat exchanger received within the air duct having coolant passages in fluid communication with the liquid coolant system and air passages air passages in fluid communication with the air duct, and an exhaust duct in fluid communication with an exhaust of the internal combustion engine. The exhaust duct has an outlet positioned within the air duct downstream of the heat exchanger and upstream of an outlet of the air duct, the outlet of the exhaust duct spaced inwardly from a peripheral wall of the air duct. In use, a flow of cooling air surrounds a flow of exhaust gases. A method of discharging air and exhaust gases in an turboprop engine assembly having an internal combustion engine is also discussed.

A turboprop engine assembly for an aircraft, including an internal combustion engine having a liquid coolant system, an air duct in fluid communication with an environment of the aircraft, a heat exchanger received within the air duct having coolant passages in fluid communication with the liquid coolant system and air passages air passages in fluid communication with the air duct, and an exhaust duct in fluid communication with an exhaust of the internal combustion engine. The exhaust duct has an outlet positioned within the air duct downstream of the heat exchanger and upstream of an outlet of the air duct, the outlet of the exhaust duct spaced inwardly from a peripheral wall of the air duct. In use, a flow of cooling air surrounds a flow of exhaust gases. A method of discharging air and exhaust gases in an turboprop engine assembly having an internal combustion engine is also discussed.

The invention relates to the field of aviation, particularly to designs for vertical take-off and landing aircraft. A convertiplane comprises a fuselage, a pair of wings (a fore wing and an aft wing), propulsion systems comprising engines and propellers, a vertical stabilizer, a landing gear, and rotatable pylons. Two lifting propulsion systems are disposed on pylons having two degrees of freedom relative to the yaw and pitch angle on each side of the fuselage so as to be capable of being fixed in position and of retracting forward or backward into fuselage niches during horizontal flight. A marching propulsion system is installed on a pylon having one degree of freedom relative to the pitch angle so as to be capable of being fixed in position, or is completely fixed, and is capable of being disposed in either the nose part or the tail part of the fuselage, and likewise on the leading edge or the trailing edge of the vertical stabilizer. The invention allows for increasing reliability and service life, increasing flight distance, and decreasing production costs for the convertiplane.

An aircraft propulsion system for an aircraft having a nacelle that includes a pylon structure is provided. The system includes compressor and turbine sections, an IC engine, a fan, and an IC engine cooling system. The compressor section is powered by a first electric motor. The turbine section is configured to power a first electric generator configured to produce electrical power. The first fan is rotationally driven by a second electric motor. The fan has a hub and a plurality of fan blades extending radially outward from the hub. The hub is disposed in the pylon interior region and the fan blades are configured to extend outside of the pylon structure. The fan is positioned downstream of the compressor section. The IC engine cooling system has a heat exchanger and a pump configured to provide coolant communication between the IC engine and the heat exchanger.

An aircraft propulsion system for an aircraft having a nacelle that includes a pylon structure is provided. The system includes compressor and turbine sections, an IC engine, a fan, and an IC engine cooling system. The compressor section is powered by a first electric motor. The turbine section is configured to power a first electric generator configured to produce electrical power. The first fan is rotationally driven by a second electric motor. The fan has a hub and a plurality of fan blades extending radially outward from the hub. The hub is disposed in the pylon interior region and the fan blades are configured to extend outside of the pylon structure. The fan is positioned downstream of the compressor section. The IC engine cooling system has a heat exchanger and a pump configured to provide coolant communication between the IC engine and the heat exchanger.

A vertical take-off and loading (VTOL) rotary aircraft or helicopter has eight propellers in a quad propeller arm configuration where each propeller arm has two counter-rotating propellers. Folding propeller arms are designed to allow storage in a single car sized garage. Each propeller may be powered by a three-phase alternating current motor. The main power plant for the aircraft is a gas combustion engine that generates electricity. If the gas engine fails, a battery backup system will safely bring the aircraft down for a controlled landing. The direct current bus is redundant in that even with a gas combustion engine failure the direct current bus battery pack will safely bring down the aircraft. Various embodiments of this invention may also include a landing gear crumple zone designed to soften a hard landing.

A vertical take-off and loading (VTOL) rotary aircraft or helicopter has eight propellers in a quad propeller arm configuration where each propeller arm has two counter-rotating propellers. Folding propeller arms are designed to allow storage in a single car sized garage. Each propeller may be powered by a three-phase alternating current motor. The main power plant for the aircraft is a gas combustion engine that generates electricity. If the gas engine fails, a battery backup system will safely bring the aircraft down for a controlled landing. The direct current bus is redundant in that even with a gas combustion engine failure the direct current bus battery pack will safely bring down the aircraft. Various embodiments of this invention may also include a landing gear crumple zone designed to soften a hard landing.