Month in the Patent Office

Abstract

In a jet‐propelled aircraft, take‐off and landing is facilitated by arranging laterally disposed jet‐propulsion units 7, 7a for pivotal movement about transverse axes and by the provision of adjustable deflectors 48, 48a, 49, 49a in the jet nozzle of an engine (not shown) mounted in the fuselage. A pilot‐controlled lever 26 controls through a circuit 27 an electromagnetic valve 28 connected to a hydraulic valve 29 controlling through pipes 30, 30a jacks 18, 18a which rotate the engines 7, 7a respectively. A branch circuit 31 from circuit 27 controls a device (not shown) for operating the deflectors 48–49a. The power output of engines 7 and 7a may be controlled by levers 32, 32a connected through control lines 33, 33a to throttle valves (not shown). The elevator, aileron and rudder controls are conventionally operated from the control column 40 and rudder pedals 37 and servo‐control mechanisms such as electrically operated jacks 45, 46 and 47 are inserted in the control rods 38, 41, 43 and 43a respectively. The deflectors 48, 48a are controlled by an electrically operated jack 51 connected to the rudder control rod 38. Similarly, deflectors 49, 49a are controlled by a jack 55 connected to the elevator control rod 41. For the purpose of automatic stabilization the jacks 51 and 55 are further controlled respectively by amplifiers 50 and 56 which receive signals from gyro references 52, 57 and devices 53, 58 responsive to aircraft speed. Lateral stabilization is obtained by connecting the aileron control rods 43, 43a and the throttle valves for engines 7 and 7a to jacks 63, 63a energized from amplifiers 64, 64a supplied with signals from a gyro reference 65 and an aircraft‐speed responsive device 66. A take‐off platform, FIG. 1a (not shown) is described consisting of a fixed base member and an inclinable platform, operated by a cable winch from a horizontal position in which the aircraft is run on to the platform to an inclined position appropriate for take‐off. Ducts are provided in alignment with engines 7 and 7a when in their vertical positions so that exhaust gases may be re‐directed on to the under‐surfaces of the aircraft wings. A warning lamp placed on the ground in view of the pilot is switched off by a cable connected to the aircraft to give the pilot an indication of height in order that he may rotate with safety, the engines 7 and 7a into their forward‐propulsion positions.

Citation

(1959), "Month in the Patent Office", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 31 No. 7, pp. 215-215. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb033141