Aircraft for Performing Observations in the Stratosphere

Abstract

An aircraft is equipped with a telescope built in the fuselage, with the initial angular mirror installed in the open part of the fuselage and the main mirror installed in the cylindrical part of the fuselage. The open part of the fuselage represents an open observation cavity with the base made of the bottom arc section of the fuselage rigidly connected with the nose of the aircraft. The main mirror is permanently fixed at the end of the cylindrical part of the fuselage at the tail. The initial angular mirror is rotary fixed to the nose. The axis of rotation of the initial angular mirror overlaps the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and the optical axis of the main mirror. The bottom arc section of the fuselage has a recess for observation of the earth, and the lifting surface is releasably fixed to the cylindrical part of the fuselage .

Claims

1. An aircraft for performing observations in the stratosphere equipped with a telescope built in a fuselage of the aircraft with an initial angular mirror installed in an open part of the fuselage and a main mirror installed in a cylindrical part of the fuselage, wherein: the open part of the fuselage represents an open observation cavity with a base made by a bottom arc section of the fuselage rigidly connected with a nose of the aircraft, the top mirror is permanently fixed at an end of the cylindrical part of the fuselage, at a tail of the aircraft, the initial angular mirror is rotary fixed to the nose, an axis of rotation of the initial angular mirror overlaps a longitudinal axis of the aircraft and an optical axis of the main mirror, the bottom arc section of the fuselage has a recess for observation of the earth, and a lifting surface of the aircraft is releasably fixed to the cylindrical part of the fuselage.

2. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the initial angular mirror is rotary fixed in a bearing fixed to a rear part of the nose and is controlled using a servomotor installed to the nose.

3. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the lifting surface is fixed to the fuselage using a split yoke in the shape of a ring, the split yoke comprises a bottom yoke and a top yoke, and the top yoke is permanently fixed to the cylindrical part of the fuselage.

4. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical part of the fuselage is made in the form of double-walled fuel tank connected with an engine supply system of the aircraft.

5. The aircraft according to claim 4, wherein the double-walled fuel tank is connected with a cooling system of the main mirror using a pump.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The invention is presented as an embodiment in the drawing.

[0013] FIG. 1 presents a top view of an aircraft according to the teachings herein.

[0014] FIG. 2 presents a bottom view of the aircraft.

[0015] FIG. 3 presents an isometric view of the aircraft with a partial cross-section of the nose and fuselage.

[0016] FIG. 4 presents an isometric view of a version of the aircraft with a partial cross-section of the nose and fuselage.

[0017] FIG. 5 presents a variation of the aircraft of FIG. 4 with partial cross-section of the tail.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] As presented in FIGS. 1-3, the aircraft has a fuselage 1 connected with the nose 3 and tail 5 as well as lifting surface 6 fixed to the fuselage 1 using a separate yoke in the shape of a ring, consisting of the bottom yoke 8 and top yoke 9. The top yoke 9 is permanently fixed to the fuselage 1 and the bottom yoke 8 is fixed releasably. The fuselage 1 is equipped with subassemblies of the telescope for astronomic observations and observations of the earth. The longitudinal axis 12 of the aircraft overlaps the axis of the cylindrical part of the fuselage 1. An engine is installed in the nose 3.

[0019] The fuselage 1 has a shape of a cylinder with a cut out observation cavity at the front, the basis of which is formed by the bottom arc section of the fuselage 1 rigidly connected with the nose 3 of the aircraft. The arc section of the fuselage 1 has a recess 13. The observation cavity has the initial angular mirror 2 of the telescope rotary installed to the nose 3. The remaining subassemblies of the telescope, including electromagnetic spectrum detector 4 and main mirror 7, shown in FIG. 3, are installed in the cylindrical part of the fuselage 1. The cylindrical part of the fuselage 1 presents a tube of the telescope. The electromagnetic spectrum detector 4 recording optical data, the nose 3, the top mirror 2, the fuselage 1, and the tail 5 are permanently fixed in relation to each other, forming a rigid construction of the airframe. The main mirror 7 is permanently fixed at the end of the cylindrical part of the fuselage 1 at the tail 5. The axis of rotation of the initial angular mirror 2 overlaps the longitudinal axis 12 of the aircraft and the optical axis of the main mirror 7.

[0020] The recess 13 enables observations of the earth surface after rotation of the initial angular mirror 2 by 180°. The initial angular mirror 2 is rotary fixed in a bearing 10 fixed to the rear part of the nose 3 and is controlled using a servomotor 11 installed to the nose 3 construction. The lifting surface 6 consists of a left and a right wing. The releasably installed bottom yoke 8 allows the reconfiguration of the airframe using wings of different elongations adapted to the profile of the mission and facilitates transport of the aircraft itself.

[0021] The version of the aircraft presented in FIG. 4 differs in that the cylindrical part of the fuselage 1 is made in the form of double-walled fuel tank 16 connected with the aircraft engine supply system. Fuel fills the narrow cylindrical space between the external and internal jacket of the tank 16, leaving free space inside the internal jacket for the telescope subassemblies. According to this embodiment, fuel present in the double-walled tank 16 can be used as a cooling medium for cooling the main mirror 7. To this end, the double-walled tank 16 is connected with the cooling system 14 of the main mirror 7, as shown in FIG. 5, using the pump 15. The cooling system 14 and the pump 15 are fixed to the rear non-reflective part of the main mirror 7. Circulation of fuel as a cooling medium is forced by the pump 15.

[0022] Water steam in the atmosphere stops the cosmic infrared radiation that can be observed only at altitudes to 11-12 thousand meters, when 99% of the water steam is present below. Therefore, there is a need to fly at high altitudes while performing astronomic observations in near infrared. During day flights and with the initial angular mirror oriented downwards, it is possible to take aerial photos with high resolution at different electromagnetic spectrum bands for commercial purposes. This kind of a “flying telescope” for the visible band can be used both by amateur astronomers, using the optics of the commercially available Ritchey-Chretien (RC) telescope, as an amateur instrument for performing observations and astrophotography as well as a professional research instrument of the main mirror diameter in the order of meters for various ranges of electromagnetic waves. High resolution capabilities of the telescope allow for performing reconnaissance missions for military and civil purposes such as monitoring of borders, recognition of targets or search and rescue (SAR) operations.