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A New Flying Machine
by jlawren3 » Wed Jan 21, 2009 5:50 am
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jlawren3 - White Belt
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Hi All,
My first post.
I believe I have stumbled on a GREAT IDEA. It is a VTOL aircraft concept that offers better cruise efficiency than fixed-wing aircraft. You can see my patent application at http://tinyurl.com/a6otu5. The HTML side of this website needs some work, but if you click on DOCUMENTS you can see or download the PDF version and that works.
It is a tail-sitter which is strange, I know. This works well for UAV's but how can it carry people? Give them seats that remain upright while the craft changes orientation. Or group them in small spherical pods that remain upright.
The technical side was reviewed by an Aeronautical Engineer named Ray Prouty. He more or less affirmed my rudimentary calculations. I say more or less because my calculations were 10% to 20% more optimistic than his. If you search on his name plus helicopter you will see that he is well known and teaches courses in helicopter design.
I want to find funding so I can change from my day job as an EE and pursue building and testing a prototype very like the one shown in the patent drawings.
My first post.
I believe I have stumbled on a GREAT IDEA. It is a VTOL aircraft concept that offers better cruise efficiency than fixed-wing aircraft. You can see my patent application at http://tinyurl.com/a6otu5. The HTML side of this website needs some work, but if you click on DOCUMENTS you can see or download the PDF version and that works.
It is a tail-sitter which is strange, I know. This works well for UAV's but how can it carry people? Give them seats that remain upright while the craft changes orientation. Or group them in small spherical pods that remain upright.
The technical side was reviewed by an Aeronautical Engineer named Ray Prouty. He more or less affirmed my rudimentary calculations. I say more or less because my calculations were 10% to 20% more optimistic than his. If you search on his name plus helicopter you will see that he is well known and teaches courses in helicopter design.
I want to find funding so I can change from my day job as an EE and pursue building and testing a prototype very like the one shown in the patent drawings.
<p align="center">
<strong><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial">The important thing is not to stop questioning.<br />
<br />
Albert Einstein</span></strong>
</p>
<strong><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial">The important thing is not to stop questioning.<br />
<br />
Albert Einstein</span></strong>
</p>
Re: A New Flying Machine
by davh12 » Thu Oct 28, 2010 8:05 am
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I could not open your patent docs, but if you design is similar to your avatar or photo on your profile, there are a couple of UAVs and manned platforms that have been designed already, but if it's not........don't worry about this email.
http://www.vectorsite.net/twuav_09.html
Bets Regards,
David
http://www.vectorsite.net/twuav_09.html
Bets Regards,
David
Re: A New Flying Machine
by jlawren3 » Thu Oct 28, 2010 8:43 am
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jlawren3 - White Belt
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Hi David,
I just checked and I was able to view my website at http://www.tiltplane.com.
An exhaustive patent search was done by my patent attorney's firm, so I am not aware of any flight concepts similar to mine. Please let me know what concept that you have seen that looks similar.
The concept I propose features vertical takeoff and landing with a high speed cruise efficiency which can be better than that of fixed-wing aircraft. A much-respected aeronautical engineering consultant, Ray Prouty, reviewed it and wrote programs to evaluate the concept in hover, transition and cruise.
Sincerely,
John Lawrence, jlawren3
I just checked and I was able to view my website at http://www.tiltplane.com.
An exhaustive patent search was done by my patent attorney's firm, so I am not aware of any flight concepts similar to mine. Please let me know what concept that you have seen that looks similar.
The concept I propose features vertical takeoff and landing with a high speed cruise efficiency which can be better than that of fixed-wing aircraft. A much-respected aeronautical engineering consultant, Ray Prouty, reviewed it and wrote programs to evaluate the concept in hover, transition and cruise.
Sincerely,
John Lawrence, jlawren3
Re: A New Flying Machine
by Roger Brown » Fri Oct 29, 2010 5:45 am
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Roger Brown - Black Belt
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See if you can contact Richard Branson of Virgin airlines. He is very deeply invested in a number of flight projects including the http://www.virgingalactic.com/
He has the money and foresight to try new revolutionary challenges.
He has the money and foresight to try new revolutionary challenges.
Come visit my sites at http://www.RogerBrown.net
or http://www.looking2license.com
I have gotten 9 products licensed spending less than $100 on each, you can too.
or http://www.looking2license.com
I have gotten 9 products licensed spending less than $100 on each, you can too.
Re: A New Flying Machine
by davh12 » Fri Oct 29, 2010 9:33 am
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Jlawren3,
I ran across a couple of CAD prototype drwaings that had a tail sitter type airframe with an oversized coaxile rotor-prop set up for vertical take off and high cruise. I'm not trashing your idea/design or attempting to discourage you. Lord knows I do not just think outside the box, I camp there for extended periods of time and apply myself there in my approach to practical application of my ideas. I'll dig around more to find it, further, I will look at you designs in the web address in your last post. I would take up Roger's advice about virgin galatic............he rubs elbows with Burt Rutan at scaled composites...............a remarkable outside the box innovator...........he does not listen to people tell him that he cannot do something............he finds a way and makes it happen. I'll get back to you.
Rgards,
Dave
I ran across a couple of CAD prototype drwaings that had a tail sitter type airframe with an oversized coaxile rotor-prop set up for vertical take off and high cruise. I'm not trashing your idea/design or attempting to discourage you. Lord knows I do not just think outside the box, I camp there for extended periods of time and apply myself there in my approach to practical application of my ideas. I'll dig around more to find it, further, I will look at you designs in the web address in your last post. I would take up Roger's advice about virgin galatic............he rubs elbows with Burt Rutan at scaled composites...............a remarkable outside the box innovator...........he does not listen to people tell him that he cannot do something............he finds a way and makes it happen. I'll get back to you.
Rgards,
Dave
Re: A New Flying Machine
by davh12 » Fri Oct 29, 2010 11:21 am
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Jlawren3,
I apologize...the rotor-props ar both up front on the CAD drawing that I found. NASA is working a "Puffin" VTOL, but it has stubby wings and 2 sets orcoaxile rotor-props. How does your VTOL stay aloft in horizontal flight? I did not have alot of time to sift through your web site.....
CAD drawing web site:
http://www.rotaryeng.net/VTOL.html
NASA Puffin VTOL:
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/technology/f ... uffin.html
I apologize...the rotor-props ar both up front on the CAD drawing that I found. NASA is working a "Puffin" VTOL, but it has stubby wings and 2 sets orcoaxile rotor-props. How does your VTOL stay aloft in horizontal flight? I did not have alot of time to sift through your web site.....
CAD drawing web site:
http://www.rotaryeng.net/VTOL.html
NASA Puffin VTOL:
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/technology/f ... uffin.html
Re: A New Flying Machine
by jlawren3 » Fri Oct 29, 2010 12:38 pm
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jlawren3 - White Belt
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Davh12,
It is supported by the rotors in horizontal flight.
Most people are not aware that propellers can carry side loads. Here is how. First imagine that the axis of the craft is horizontal and the rotor blades of my craft have no twist, are not turning, and are oriented so that the airflow is in streamlines over them. They would then introduce some air drag related to their surface area, but no lift. If now the whole craft were to assume a small nose-up pitch angle, those rotor blades which were not vertical would produce some lift. If a rotor blade happened to be horizontal, it would experience the maximum lift. Now imagine that the rotor blades have small pitch angles compared to the previous case and are turning. They would still produce lift, first on one side then on the other as they turn. Normally the fuselage would be oriented to be parallel to the air flow but the rotor blades would be given appropriate angles of attack.
OK?
It is supported by the rotors in horizontal flight.
Most people are not aware that propellers can carry side loads. Here is how. First imagine that the axis of the craft is horizontal and the rotor blades of my craft have no twist, are not turning, and are oriented so that the airflow is in streamlines over them. They would then introduce some air drag related to their surface area, but no lift. If now the whole craft were to assume a small nose-up pitch angle, those rotor blades which were not vertical would produce some lift. If a rotor blade happened to be horizontal, it would experience the maximum lift. Now imagine that the rotor blades have small pitch angles compared to the previous case and are turning. They would still produce lift, first on one side then on the other as they turn. Normally the fuselage would be oriented to be parallel to the air flow but the rotor blades would be given appropriate angles of attack.
OK?
Re: A New Flying Machine
by davh12 » Sat Oct 30, 2010 12:05 pm
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Jlawren3,
Sounds good to me. So the fuselage flies with a slight nose up angle? As log as there is thrust it can fly horizontal. I'm warm and fuzzy w/ the concept now. Look forward to seeing a prototype. Ihave you done any small scale RC?
Dave
Sounds good to me. So the fuselage flies with a slight nose up angle? As log as there is thrust it can fly horizontal. I'm warm and fuzzy w/ the concept now. Look forward to seeing a prototype. Ihave you done any small scale RC?
Dave
Re: A New Flying Machine
by jlawren3 » Sat Oct 30, 2010 1:08 pm
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jlawren3 - White Belt
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Dave,
The craft could be made to fly horizontally nose high, but it can also fly with the fuselage horizontal and with the rotor blades picking up lift by increasing their angles of attack relative to the approaching air. This would mean that when rotor blades are moving down their leading edges would be given a small pitch-up angle relative to the approaching air and, on the other side, their angles would also be increased relative to the approaching air, but in that case the angular change would be in the opposite direction compared to the down-going side.
I am designing a flying model now. The nose cone and tail cones will be 6" in diameter and the rotor diameter will be 30". The 4-bladed rotors will have to be custom made. They will be made from wood and they will have twist and taper from 60% width at their tips to 100% width at their bases.
J. Lawrence
The craft could be made to fly horizontally nose high, but it can also fly with the fuselage horizontal and with the rotor blades picking up lift by increasing their angles of attack relative to the approaching air. This would mean that when rotor blades are moving down their leading edges would be given a small pitch-up angle relative to the approaching air and, on the other side, their angles would also be increased relative to the approaching air, but in that case the angular change would be in the opposite direction compared to the down-going side.
I am designing a flying model now. The nose cone and tail cones will be 6" in diameter and the rotor diameter will be 30". The 4-bladed rotors will have to be custom made. They will be made from wood and they will have twist and taper from 60% width at their tips to 100% width at their bases.
J. Lawrence
Re: A New Flying Machine
by davh12 » Sun Oct 31, 2010 11:40 am
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J. Lawrence,
I had to use a carbon fiber blade to replace the AP plastic blades which had too much flex causing excessive blade coning and lose of lift. I used a Mavrrik G3 Pro "Wide chord" blade. I had to trim them down and re-balance, but it turned out ok. They have a metal leading edge spar for chord wise balance. I got the new bearings for the mast, because I had to switch to titanium rod for a thicker mast, causing me to replace the gear and bearings. 3rd power up hopfully this week. Good luck with your endeavor.
Regards,
Dave
I had to use a carbon fiber blade to replace the AP plastic blades which had too much flex causing excessive blade coning and lose of lift. I used a Mavrrik G3 Pro "Wide chord" blade. I had to trim them down and re-balance, but it turned out ok. They have a metal leading edge spar for chord wise balance. I got the new bearings for the mast, because I had to switch to titanium rod for a thicker mast, causing me to replace the gear and bearings. 3rd power up hopfully this week. Good luck with your endeavor.
Regards,
Dave
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