GB893330A - Disc-type aircraft - Google Patents

Abstract

893,330. Aircraft. AVRO AIRCRAFT Ltd. July 4, 1956 [July 5, 1955], No. 19459/55. Class 4. [Also in Group XXVI] In an aircraft having a lentiform structure, air is compressed and supplied to ram-jet engines, each located in a radial duct. Air is forced into a plenum chamber 40 by an axialflow compresser 34 driven by an axial-flow turbine 36 with gas collected in a trough 38 after exhaust from three gas turbine engines 26 arranged radially with respect to the aircraft. Air from this chamber 40 is supplied to the gas turbine engines 26 and to ram-jet engines 61, one hundred and forty-four of which are mounted in radial ducts 13 formed by alternate long and short ribs 10 and 12. When the aircraft achieves sufficient air speed, ram air is admitted by flaps 51 and when the pressure of this air exceeds that of the air in the chamber 40, doors 60 close and the ram-jet engines function only on the air forced through the flaps 51. The exhaust gases from the ram-jet engines are vented through seventy-two ports 73, 74 in the upper skin 18 and 144 ports 79, 80 in the lower skin 19 of the aircraft and through seventy-two upper and seventytwo lower rectangular nozzles 91, 92. These ports and nozzles are fitted with louvres to direct the gases and are controlled by moving shutters. For take-off, shutters 75, 76 close the upper ports 73, 74 and lower shutters 81, 82 only open ports 79, 80 having louvres directing the gases downwardly. When the aircraft has risen vertically with the " ground cushion effect " the pilot can assume forward flight by a control which can move gradually to open upper ports 73, 74, to close downwardly ports 79, 80 and to open ports 79, 80 which direct gases rearwardly. During this procedure the aircraft is normally manoeuvred by flow of cold gas from the compresser 34 but for rapid take-off or for a heavily-loaded aircraft the pilot may light the ram-jet engines. Further shutters over port and starboard upper and lower ports give directional control. Flight control is effected by manipulation of a stick 104 linked to the shutters 95, Fig. 5, these being grouped so that six adjacent shutters rotate toegther. A universal mounting having limited movement enables the gyroscopic forces of the large compresser 34 to effect automatic stability through three links 107 connecting the stator ring of the compresser to the control stick 104. In a modification, Fig. 9, four gas turbine engines 200 are employed, with inlets 203 facing outboardly and their exhaust gases driving a radial flow turbine 208 and hence an inward radial flow compresser 202. With this aircraft, all air for the ram-jet engines flows through this compresser. The control is similar, but four arms 226 transmit gyroscopic forces to the control stick. A third arrangement, Fig. 13, includes upward-flow vertical gas turbine engines 300, their exhaust gases driving a turbine 308 and hence a compresser 310. Specification 898,360 is referred to.