Patent ID: 11912405
Assignee: EMBRAER S.A.
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A vertical and short takeoff and landing (VSTOL) aircraft comprising:
an elongate aircraft fuselage which includes a transparent canopy cover moveably mounted to the fuselage between open and closed conditions and defines a longitudinal axis of the aircraft;
a cabin component for aircraft occupants having a transparent occupant canopy, the cabin component being detachably mounted to the aircraft fuselage so as to allow separation of the cabin component and the occupant canopy thereof from the fuselage when the transparent canopy cover operatively associated with the aircraft fuselage is moved into the opened condition thereof; and
a wheeled cradle assembly removably attachable to a forward portion of the cabin component to allow the cabin component and the occupant canopy to be roadable following separation from the fuselage in a forward direction along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft,
a vertical stabilizer positioned at an aft region of the aircraft fuselage;
port and starboard airfoil assemblies extending outwardly from the fuselage; and
port and starboard propulsion units, wherein each of the port and starboard airfoil assemblies comprises:
(i) primary airfoils extending outwardly from a forward region of the aircraft fuselage, and
(ii) secondary empennage airfoils extending outwardly from an aft region of the aircraft fuselage and separated from the primary airfoils along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft so as to define a space therebetween, and wherein

each of the port and starboard propulsion units comprises an engine and propellers operably driven by the engine to provide thrust to the aircraft along a thrust line, and wherein
the engine and propellers are mounted for pivotal movement within the defined space between the primary airfoil and the secondary empennage airfoils so as to achieve a first operational position wherein the thrust line of the propellers is orientated substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fuselage and a second operational position wherein the thrust line of the propellers is oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, and wherein
each of the port and starboard airfoil assemblies further comprises winglets connecting respective terminal ends of the primary airfoils and secondary empennage airfoils so as to provide a lateral boundary to the space defined therebetween, and wherein
each of the port and starboard airfoil assemblies further comprises an intermediate airfoil extending in the defined space between the primary airfoil and secondary empennage airfoil, wherein
each intermediate airfoil is pivotally connected at proximal and distal ends thereof to the fuselage and a respective winglet so as to be capable of reciprocal pivotal movements about a substantially horizontal pivot axis, and wherein
each of port and starboard propulsion units is operably supported by a respective intermediate airfoil so as to pivotable therewith between the first and second operational positions, and wherein
the cradle assembly includes a pair of driven wheels to propel the cabin along a surface when the cabin component is separated from the fuselage and is roadable, and wherein
the detachably mounted cabin component includes retractable aft road wheels which are deployable to allow the cabin component to be moved forwardly away from the aircraft fuselage along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, and wherein
a forward portion of the fuselage includes a ramp which is moveable to a lowered condition to allow the aft road wheels of the cabin component to be rolled along the ramp when the cabin component is moved forwardly away from the aircraft fuselage thereby allowing the cabin component to separate from the aircraft.