Patent ID: 7410122
Filing Date: 2008-08-12
Classification: B64C

Abstract:
1. A VTOL aircraft, comprising: an elongated fuselage; a pair of forward swept main wings, each having a root end respectively attached at an opposite side of a rear portion of the fuselage and an opposite tip end; a pair of rearward swept canards, each having a root end respectively attached at an opposite side of a front portion of the fuselage and an opposite tip end conjoined with a tip end portion of a corresponding one of the forward swept main wings at position disposed substantially forward of a pitch axis of the aircraft; a thrust-vectoring jet engine disposed along a roll axis of the aircraft and having a thrust outlet disposed substantially aft of the pitch axis thereof; and, a pair of downwardly exhausting ducted lift fans respectively disposed within a tip end portion of a corresponding one of the forward swept main wings such that the fans are located symmetrically with respect to each other on opposite sides of the roll axis and substantially forward of the pitch axis, wherein the thrust-vectoring engine and the ducted lift fans operate in cooperation with each other to define a bilaterally symmetrical, triangular-shaped lift platform having a base extending between the ducted lift fans, an apex coincident with the thrust outlet of the thrust-vectoring jet engine and a centroid coincident with the center of gravity (CG) of the aircraft and upon which the weight of the aircraft is stably supported so as to prevent unstable pitching, rolling and yawing of the aircraft during hovering and low speed operations.