Abstract
The invention relates to the field of aviation, and specifically to aircraft structures. The present hybrid aircraft comprises an aerostat with a rigid frame, ballonets with helium, a suspension system, and a bearing platform with a cargo/passenger cabin. The cabin includes controls, engines, electrical equipment and measurement devices. The aerostat is composed of two envelopes connected by a cylindrical hinge and provided with affixing elements, controlling the rotation of which allows for changing and securing the aerostat in the form of a wing or in the form of an A-shape with an opened fairing. The suspension system includes rigid and flexible connections and is capable of being transformed and secured. The stationing and securing of the device in a stable position can be carried out on a sloped solid ground surface, on a water surface, or on a vertical structure.
Claims
1.-4. (canceled)
5. A hybrid aircraft, comprising: an aerostat with a rigid frame, ballonets with helium, a suspension system, a bearing platform with a cargo/passenger cabin, controls, engines, an electrical equipment and measurement devices stationed at aerodromes with a help of maintenance staff; the aircraft differs in that the aerostat is composed of two envelopes connected by a cylindrical hinge and provided with affixing elements, controlling rotation of which allows changing and securing the aerostat in a form of a wing with an airfoil section or in a form of a A-shape with an opened fairing; wherein a suspension system includes rigid and flexible connections and is capable of being transformed and secured; and the engines are able to set a direction of thrust vectors from 180 to +180 in relation to a rolling axis of the platform; and a stationing and the securing of the device in a stable position is carried out by a pilot on different surfaces and structures without any maintenance staff.
6. A stationing of the device according to claim 5, wherein the stationing is performed on various surfaces of water, earth or structures.
3. The stationing of the device according to claim 5, wherein the stationing is on the water surface is characterized by the bearing platform touching the water surface, and the aerostat envelopes are turned, downward until a portion thereof is submerged in water.
4. The stationing of the device according to claim 2, wherein the stationing is on surfaces of earth or structure with slope 0-45 is characterized by the bearing platform touching a base surface and being secured to reinstalled anchors, bulging out of the base surface, and the aerostat envelopes are turned downward until they come into contact with the sloped surface.
5. The stationing of the device according to claim 2, wherein the stationing is on surfaces of earth or structure with slope 45-90 is characterized by mooring, hooks additionally installed on an end of the envelope, Which is a front envelope, and secured to anchors bulging out from a base structure at a level of the aerostat while the bearing platform touches the base structure and rigidly fixed to other anchors bulging out from the base structure at a level of the platform.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0029] FIGS. 1, 2 demonstrate the profile and frontal planes of the vestaplan in the initial position: [0030] aerostat is fixed in the form of a wing; [0031] rotary racks are fixed vertically and perpendicular to the bearing platform horizontal frame; [0032] engine thrust vectors are directed parallel to rolling axis, towards the leading edge.
[0033] FIG. 3 shows the gap fairing between the envelopes.
[0034] FIG. 4 shows horizontal plane of the vestaplan bearing platform horizontal frame with the pilot cabin bottom with slings channels, winches for slings controls and insulated vessels in the form of semi-spheres on the lower surface of the bearing platform.
[0035] FIG. 5 demonstrates profile plane of the vestaplan in flight with the offset of center of gravity.
[0036] FIG. 6 shows profile plane of the vestaplan stationed on a horizontal solid surface.
[0037] FIG. 7 demonstrates profile plane of the vestaplan stationed on a water surface.
[0038] FIG. 8 shows profile plane of the vestaplan stationed on a vertical wall with a lug, anchors and landing on the horizontal surface.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0039] The transformable aerostat consists of front 1 and rear 2 envelopes (see FIG. 1, 2). The envelopes have rigid frames made from composite materials and covered with parachute fabric, and ballonets with helium are located inside. The frames model the envelopes as straight cylinders bases of which have the form of the first and second quadrants of ellipse which is prolate in horizontal direction and rounded at ends. On the outside on the cylinder bases there are containers filled with helium and rounding off the flat cylinders' bases to semi-round form. The ends have front 4 and rear 5 bumpers in the form of frames made of aluminum alloy. Bumpers are rigidly attached to the frame. The envelopes are connected by cylinder hinge 6 with axis on line AA and electromechanical controllable lock 7 on the other side of the envelopes' which consists of the front 7.1 and rear 7.2 pans, Lock control is performed remotely similar to car door lock control. If the lock is open, envelopes can rotate around the hinge axis 6 with the fairing opening above the gap which is formed between the envelopes. (see FIG. 3). The fairing consists of two identical parachute fabric stripes 8 and 9 each of which is attached by one side to the appropriate envelope and by the other side it is attached to the upper end of the rigid frame 10 made from carbon fiber. The frame 10 lower end is fixed hingedly on the hinge 6 axis. If the envelopes are tightly pressed against each other, the fairing is pressed between them in a folded position. With lock closed, the envelopes are fixed in the form of a straight cylinder with bases forming semi-ellipses with rounded front and rear ends which are protected with front and rear bumpers 4 and 5 and containers 3 on the right and on the left. In this case the aerostat represents a cylindrical wing having profile chord (wing length) greater than profile height (wing thickness) and cylinder height (wing width), and profile height is less than cylinder height. Front and rear wing parts on envelopes' frames, transverse beams 11 and 12 are located which have front 13 and rear 14 slings fixed to them with one end, which are designed for the turn of the wing or its envelopes' parts around the hinge 6 axis. Slings 13 and 14 other ends are attached to controls 15 in the cargo-and-passenger cabin 16 with fairing 17.
[0040] From below the aerostat has the bearing platform hanging on the semi-rigid suspension system. Suspension system is composed of: slings of wing 13 and 14 control; rotary racks 18; slings of rotary racks 19 and 20 control. Lower ends of rotary racks are attached with hinges, axes of which are located on line bb, are mounted to the upper horizontal beam of the bearing platform vertical frame, and hinge 6 axis is passing through the racks' upper ends. The racks are turned at the specified angle and are fixed by front 19 and rear 20 slings which are attached with one end to the rotary racks' upper ends and with the other ends are attached to controls 21 in cabin 16.
[0041] The bearing platform is formed by the horizontal lattice frame 22 (see FIG. 4) which has a fixed vertical 23 having 3 gaps. The bearing platform rigidity is ensured by bracing cables 24 and 25. In the middle gap of the vertical frame there is as cargo-and-passenger cabin 16, two end gaps have paramotors 26 and 27 with propellers, diaphragm carburetors and electric starters. The paramotors are installed in bearings, on spinning axes which are located on line BB. They can rotate around these axes and be fixed in the predetermined position so that their thrust vectors directions can be changed independently from each other in the profile plane by 360, from 180 to +180. Zero position is the position when rotation plane of propellers coincides with vertical frame 23 plane, and thrust vectors are directed towards the front part of the vestaplan.
[0042] Cargo-and-passenger cabin 16 has flat transparent side frames from transparent plastic and fairing from transparent plastic which opens upwards. The inner side of the cabin roof has dashboard 28. The cabin bottom (see FIG. 4) has the pilot seat 29, cargo-and-passenger seat 30, aerostat controls 15 and rotary racks' controls 21 and engines' turn controls 31. Controls 15 and 21 are winches, rotating which can change length and respectively change the envelopes rotation angle or rotary racks rotation angle. Besides, the front slings are attached to the front winches, and rear slings are attached to rear winches through slings' channels 38. Engines turn controls 31 represent steering wheels with gear case and catch lock located on middle gap frame of the vertical frame 23 and connected to spinning axes of engines' 26 and 27 housings. Electrical devices of vestaplan are powered by electrical battery. The cabin can accommodate one pilot, one passenger and/or cargo with limited total weight.
[0043] Insulated vessels 32 made from firm plastic and filled with air are fixed on the lower surface of horizontal frame 22. During stationing on a solid surface they serve as chassis, and during stationing on water they play the role of float.
[0044] Transforming the aerostat and suspension system, changing speed and direction of engines' thrust vector, the vestaplan is set the following active (with non-zero engines' thrust vector) and passive movement modes; vertical take-off, horizontal casting off, active straight flight, maneuvering by vector and height, gliding flight, pancaking, wandering, vertical landing, horizontal approach. FIG. 5 demonstrates the profile plane of vestaplan in the mode of straight active flight with gravity center offset towards the leading edge for torque compensation resulting from approach air flow drag.
[0045] For the vestaplan stationing on a solid surface (see FIG. 6) rotary stacks 18 are mounted vertically and perpendicular to the horizontal frame of the platform. The flight height is reduced until insulated vessels 32 come into contact with the base surface, aerostat lock 7 is disconnected, aerostat envelopes are rotated downwards until bumpers 4 and 5 thrust with the base surface and slings 13 and 14, and envelopes are mounted in this position. Then the bearing platform is attached to anchors 34 by ropes 33. At the same time, above the gap which is formed between the envelopes fairing is partially opened which is created by elements 8, 9 and 10.
[0046] For the vestaplan stationing on a water surface (see FIG. 7) rotary stacks 18 are mounted vertically and perpendicular to the horizontal frame of the bearing platform. The flight height is reduced until insulated vessels 32 are partially submersed into water, aerostat lock 7 is disconnected, one should turn the aerostat envelopes until they thrust with the horizontal frame 22 and submerse envelopes' ends and bumpers 4 and 5 into water. Then envelopes should be fixed in this position by slings 13, 14. At the same time, above the gap which is formed between the envelopes fairing is completely opened which is created by elements 8, 9 and 10.
[0047] For the vestaplan stationing on a vertical wall 40 with a lug 41 (see FIG. 8) rotary racks 18 are fixed vertically and perpendicular to the bearing platform horizontal frame. The mooring hooks 35 installed beforehand on bumper 4 are secured to horizontal rods on brackets 36 and by turning the front envelope one should lower the platform until it thrusts with the lugwhere the horizontal surface of the building begins, and then one should attach it to anchors 37 by a vertical rod. Such anchors and lug can be mounted on a blind wall of a multi-storey building, for example on a fire wall for approach directly to a job location or place of residence.
