US1294389A - Hydroaero-machine. - Google Patents

Description

W. S. BURGESS.

HYDROAERG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. 2B. 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

'mmwtoz WHLIAMSTARLING Buraeess @btozwmg Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

W. S. BURGESS.

HYDROAERO MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28. ms.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WM 14 94a UNITED STATES PATENT o WILLIAM STARLING BURGESS, OF MARBLEHEAD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CUBTISS AEROPLAN E AND MOTOR CORPORATION, .A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

HYDROAERO-MACHINE;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, ieia.

Application filed October 28, 1916. Serial No. 128,338.

To all whom it mm concern Be it known tiiat I, WILLIAM STARLING BURGESS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marblehead, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydroaero-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hydroaircraft and the objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description and drawings. The features of theinven- -tion and the combination of parts constituting the invention will be hereinafter described andshown in their preferred form and particularly pointed out in the claims. Seaplanes and hydroaeroplanes, as known in the art, are generally, if not always, characterized by the support of the body of the craft, at rest or in traveling upon the'surface of the water, by one or more pontoons. Unlike hydroaeroplanes flying boats depend for water support, not upon pontoons, but a boat-like body having the characteristics of a hydroplane. In hydroaeroplanes it is customary to locate the power plant interiorly ofthe fuselage or nacelle and in flying boats exteriorly of the hull and preferably (although not infrequently it is located in the hull of the boat) intermediate the supporting or sustaining planes. .These features of construction rimarily distinguish the two ty es of mac ine.

caring in mind such distinguishing features, the resent invention may be designated a hybrid machine, that is, a machine havin the characteristics of both a hydroaerop ane and a flying boat. The nacelle or fuselage of the hydroaeroplane is eliminated and the pontoon (there being but one) retained. In this latter respect the machine is likened to the hydroaeroplan'e, Forwardly of and upon the pontoon a decked cabin structure is erected to inclose the landingor chassis struts, control mechanism and flying crew, but not the power plant. In this re-' spect the'machine is similar to the flying boat. p

In adn'achine thus characterized the resistant surfaces are appreciably reduced; the

speed increased without a corresponding increase in propulsive force; the chassis struts .vinclosed and removed from View reduct on cost minimized; and ingress an egress respectively to and from the cabin space made possible without necessitating a climb elther up and into the fuselage or nacelle or into the cockpit of the hull.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, of which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a front end elevation, a portion of dthe-wing surfaces having been removed, an

Fig. 3 is a top plan view.

In its preferred embodiment the machine may be generally described as comprising swept back supporting surfaces 10 and 11 having a varying angle of incidence throughout (of the Dunne. type), a main flotatlon body or central pontoon 12, end or wing pontoons 13, and a housing or false decking 1i constructed to inclose and remove from view the pontoon mounting.

Interwing stabilizin planes 15, Vertical,

trailing, wing-tip rud ers 16 and ailerons 17 additionally characterize the machine. Directional control isv obtained through manipulation of the rudder 16 and elevational control through manipulation of the ailerons 17. The wing formation insures inherent stability.

From the extreme forward end the bot tom of the central pontoon 12 is extended on a gradual curve rearwardly and downward-1y as indicated at 18 and thence rearwardly more horizontally as indicated at 19 for abrupt rearward termination at a planing step 20 formed in the pontoon bottom at a point in the vicinity of a transverse line projected verticall through the center of gravity designated G. From the step rearwardly the pontoon bottom extends slightly upwardly or at a salient angle to the forward hydroplaning bottom 1819..

Chassis struts 21, inclined forwardly, interconnect the lower supporting surface 11 and the pontoon 12. The usual fuselage or nacelle, characteristic of hydroaeroplanes, is eliminated and the decked cabin structure 14: provided instead. This cabin structure 14-. is erected forwardl of and upon the pontoon 12 to inclose t e chassis struts 21, the control mechanism (not shown) and the aviator or flying crew. To cut down the head resistance the false decking is given astreamline form.

lfpon reference to Fig. 1 it will be noted that the false decking ll extends rearwardly beneath the lower supporting plane 11 to a point in the transverse vertical plane of the planing step 20, and that ample cabin space is thus provided for occupancy by the flying crew. If used as a pleasure craft (and the machine is primarily designed with this in view) sleeping quarters and other accommodations may be provided interiorly of tho decked cabin structure or housing 14.

Inwardly converging standards 22 are erected upon the pontoon 12 immediatel aft of the cabin structure 1% for the support of the power unit- '23 without the cabin and in a horizontal plane intermediate the supporting planes l0 and 11. It is intended to locate the center of thrustin the approximate horizontal plane of the center of resistance by the arrangement just disclosed.

The wing pontoons 1?; constitute with the main or central pontoon 12 a substantially triangular support for the machine while hydroplaning. Both of these pontoons are constructed to provide a hydroplaning bottom 2% which at its forward end extends upwardly and forwardly for termination forwardly beyond the forward end of the pontoon itself. liangers :25 cross wired as at, 26 support the end pontoons as desired.

It will be noted upon reference to Fig. 1, assuming that the machine is at rest upon the surface of the water. that the line of thrust is so inclined with respect to the horizontal that a tendency is created to rise, in hvdroplaning. by the forward end. The dearta behavior innnediately preceding aerial flight is in this way quickcned. Tie wires 2T. symmetrically arranged at opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the machine, brace the opposed wings constituting the lower supporting plane and take up drift strains incident to flight. Preferably these wires interconnta-t the respective wings and the central pontoon. the wires in one instance. engaging at one end the forward wing spar (not shown) of each wing at the foot of one of the wing posts 28 which interconnect the wings and the pontoon 12 at the foot of one of the forward diagonal chassis struts 21, and in the other instance, the rear wing spar of each wing at the foot of one of said posts and the pontoon at the foot of the mentioned chassis struts 21. Continuing wires or cables :29 tie the respective wings aft and at the foot of the. standards 22.

The machine, as intimated. being particularly adaptable as a sportsmans or pleasure craft, provision should be made for ingress and egress respectively to and from the cabin without necessitating a climbing up and into the fuselage or nacelle or into the cockpit of the hull as heretofore. This unnecessary and objectionable feature is avoided by the formation of a door (not shown) at the aft end of the decking ll.

'hile in the foregoing there has been illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification such combination and arrangement of elements as constitute the preferred construction or embodiment of this invention, it is nevertheless desired to emphasize the fact that interpretation of the invention should only be conclusive when made in the light of the subjoincd claims.

\Vhat is claimed is:

1. In an aircraft, a main flotation body, supporting surfaces, struts directly interconnecting said surfaces and said body, and a decked cabin structure built up around the struts to collectively inclose them. the height of the cabin structure being equal to the gap between the body and the lower supporting surface.

2. In an aircraft. a main flotation body, supporting surfaces, and a decked cabin structure erected upon said body for occupancy by the flying crew, the height of the cabin structure being equal to the gap between the body and the lower supporting surface.

3. in an aircraft. a main flotation body, supporting surfaces. straight substantially vertically extending struts interconnecting said surfaces and said body, and a decked cabin structure erected upon said body to inclose said struts.

i. In an aircraft, a pontoon, supporting surfacesstruts interconnecting said pontoon and said surfaces. and a decked cabin structure. erected forwardly of and upon said pontoon to inclose said struts and afford cabin space for occupancy 'by the flying crew. that portion of the pontoon deck extended to the rear end of the decked cabin structure constituting a platform for use by the crew in entering and leaving the cabin space.

5. In an aircraft, a main flotation body, supporting surfaces extended intcrmediately across the body in a transverse horizontal plane vertically removed from it, strut-s directly interconnecting said body and said surfaces, a propelling power plant, and supports for the propelling power plant erected upon said body aft of said surface-support ing struts.

G. In an aircraft. a main flotation body, supporting surfaces extended intermcdiately across the body in a transverse horizontal plane vertically removed from it, struts directly interconnecting said body and said surfaces. a power plantsupport erected on said body aft of said surfaco-supporting struts, and a propelling power plant mounted on said support nearer the rear end than the forward end of said body.

7. In an aircraft, a main flotation body, superposed supporting surfaces extended intermediately across said body in a transverse horizontal plane vertically above it, a propelling power plant disposed in a horizontal plane intermediate the horizontal planes of said supporting surfaces and without said body, and supports for the propelling power plant erected on said body nearer its rear end than its forward end.

8. In an aircraft, a ontoon, swept-back supporting surfaces, a power plant support erected upon the pontoon nearer its rear end than its forward end, a propelling power plant mounted on said support within the angle formed by the swept back supporting surfaces, struts erected upon the pontoon forwardly of the power plant support for mounting the supporting surfaces and a decked cabin structure inclosing the last mentioned struts.

9. In an aircraft, supporting surfaces, a pontoon, struts interconnecting said surfaces and said pontoon, a decked cabin structure erected forwardly of and upon said pontoon to inclose said struts and afford cabin space for occupancy by the flying crew, a power plant support erected upon said pontoon aft of said struts, and a propelling power plant mounted on said support for disposition entirely without said decked cabin structure.

10. In an aircraft, a pontoon, a wing structure extending intermediately across the pontoon in a horizontal plane vertically above it, chassis struts erected on the pontoon to support the wing structure, and a decked cabin structure inclosing the chassis struts, the deck of the pontoon affording a floor for the cabin.

11. In an aircraft, a pontoon, a supporting surface, struts directly interconnectin the supporting surface and the pontoon and a decked cabin structure erected upon the pontoon to collectively inclose the struts, the cabin floor and cabin roof being formed by the deck of the pontoon and the supporting surface respectively. I

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM ST ARLING BURGESS.

\Vi'tnesses L. J. DARMODY, CATHERINE L. FLANAGAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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