Patent ID: 6488232
Filing Date: 2002-12-03
Classification: B64C

Abstract:
A single passenger, vertical take-off and landing aircraft, comprising:an airframe configured to support a pilot in a standing position toward a front portion of the airframe, the airframe having essentially an A-shaped configuration and being symmetric about a medial plane and comprising three legs arranged in a tripod configuration for supporting the airframe upright, with a pilot alignment line defined as extending from about the feet of the standing pilot and passing through his head, the pilot alignment line lying in the medial plane; a pair of fans mounted on an upper end of the airframe above the pilot, the fans each being tiltable about a common axis, wherein the fans are positioned symmetrically with respect to the medial plane and wherein each of the fans are rotatably mounted within a fan duct comprised of a first material, the fan duct including an annular strip of material surrounding the corresponding fan, wherein the annular strip of material comprises a material softer than the first material; an engine mounted on the airframe to the rear of the pilot, the engine drivingly coupled to each of the pair of fans and the engine being mounted at a height about even with the torso of the standing pilot so that the center of gravity of the aircraft lies in the medial plane at about the height of the torso of the standing pilot; a movable control on the airframe, the control coupled to the pair of fans so that the fans tilt about the axis in response to movement of the control; and a powertrain system drivingly coupling the engine to each of the fans, the powertrain system comprising a first drive axle extending upwardly behind the pilot within the medial plane and a second drive axle extending above the pilot transverse to the medial plane, the engine and the first drive axle being longitudinally aligned and defining an engine alignment line in the medial plane from the engine along the first drive axle, the engine alignment line being angled slightly toward the front portion of the airframe and forming an acute angle with said pilot alignment line.