Patent ID: 6457670
Filing Date: 2002-10-01
Classification: B64C

Abstract:
An aerial vehicle for ground and air transportation comprising:(a) a vehicle body; (b) a cylindrical shaped duct housing centrally located within said vehicle body; (c) a pair of counter rotating propeller blades rotatably mounted within said cylindrical shaped duct housing, a first of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades being positioned within an upper portion of said cylindrical shaped duct housing, a second of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades positioned within a lower portion of said cylindrical shaped duct housing, said pair of counter rotating propeller blades being operative to provide vertical takeoff and landing and translational flight capabilities for said aerial vehicle; (d) a gas turbine engine mounted within said vehicle body at a rear end of said vehicle body behind said duct housing, said gas turbine engine having a drive shaft which extends from said gas turbine engine into said duct housing; (e) a counter rotating transmission mounted within said duct housing between said pair of counter rotating propeller blades, said counter rotating transmission including: (i) a transmission housing; (ii) a transmission shaft which has one end connected to the drive shaft of said gas turbine engine, said transmission shaft having a portion thereof positioned within said transmission housing; (iii) a first ratio gear attached to an opposite end of said transmission shaft within said transmission housing; (iv) an internal shaft positioned adjacent said transmission shaft, said internal shaft being located within said transmission housing; (v) a second ratio gear attached to one end of said internal shaft, said second ratio gear being in rotatable engagement with said first ratio gear; (vi) a first propeller blade drive shaft which extends upward from said transmission housing, said first propeller blade drive shaft being connected to the first of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades; (vii) a second propeller blade drive shaft which extends downward from said transmission housing, said second propeller blade drive shaft being connected to the second of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades; (viii) a first ring gear attached to an opposite end of said first propeller blade drive shaft within said transmission housing; (ix) a second ring gear attached to an opposite end of said second propeller blade drive shaft within said transmission housing; and (x) a pinion gear attached to an opposite end of said internal shaft, said pinion gear being sandwiched between said first and second ring gears, said pinion gear being in rotatable engagement with said first and second ring gears; and (f) a plurality of direction control vane assemblies mounted within said cylindrical shaped duct housing at a bottom end of said cylindrical shaped duct housing, said plurality of direction control vane assemblies controlling directional movement of said aerial vehicle is in a flight mode of operation.