Abstract:
A personal aircraft device (“PAD”) and a powered personal aircraft device (“PPAD”) configured to be ridden and/or releasably connected to a person or user. The personal aircraft device can be configured to provide a large array of maneuvers during sky diving or free fall, and perform somewhat as a lifting device requiring a parachute landing and/or alternatively can be configured to glide to a safe landing. The personal aircraft device and powered personal aircraft device according to the present invention provide for high performance, speed and/or maneuvering of a person or user during free fall, and can provide increased or significantly increased gliding capability versus free falling or deployment of a high performance parachute.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention is directed to a personal aircraft device (“PAD”) and a powered personal aircraft device (“PPAD”). Specifically, the present invention is directed to an aircraft device configured to be ridden by a person or user, and/or cooperate and releasably connect to a user&#39;s body.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The concept of an aircraft or glider for accommodating a person so as to fly in air is old. The initial aircraft tended to be unpowered gliders, and/or otherwise configured to be launched from a higher elevation to a lower elevation. For example, a glider could be launched from a tower, wall, hill, rooftop, mountain, cliff, plateau or other suitable higher elevation. These original gliders and even the gliders of today are configured to have high glide ratios to provide a slow and safe descent from one higher elevation to a lower elevation, and land unassisted. Typically, gliders have wings with a high aspect ratio for providing the high glide ratio.  
           [0003]    A powered aircraft capable of gaining altitude was invented, developed and flown by the Wright brothers at the famous site in Kitty Hawk, N.C. Other powered aircraft had been invented and created over the decades in the twentieth century into a wide array of aircraft for numerous applications from civilian aviation, commercial aviation, military aviation into all aspects of aerospace applications. There still exists new and commercially viable conceptual platforms and applications of aerospace, and the present invention is to provide a new aircraft platform and novel applications for a personal aircraft device (“PAD”) and a powered personal aircraft device (“PPAD”).  
           [0004]    Ganev (U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,859) discloses a sail board configured for use both on waves and in the air. The board has a substantially fixed configuration, similar to existing fiberglass surf boards, and relies on the sail for maneuverability.  
           [0005]    Further, sky diving including free falling and parachuting have been popular in past years. High performance parachutes have been developed for providing controlled turning, increased maneuverability and/or gliding.  
           [0006]    The ability to provide increased performance, new maneuvers and/or completely new applications for a sky diving and flying with the personal aircraft device according to the present invention will become apparent based on the description of the present invention to be provided hereinbelow. Further, the concept of a FLYING BOARD™ or AIR BOARD™ will be described hereinbelow.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    An object of the present invention is to provide a personal aircraft device (“PAD”) or a powered personal aircraft device (“PPAD”).  
           [0008]    A second object according to the present invention is to provide a personal aircraft device including a support and/or board provided with a wing, and configured to be ridden and/or cooperate and releasably connect to a user.  
           [0009]    A third object according to the present invention is to provide a personal aircraft device including a support and/or board provided with at least one movable control surface, and configured to cooperate and releasably connect to a user.  
           [0010]    A fourth object according to the present invention is to provide a personal aircraft device including a support and/or board configured to cooperate and releasably connect to a person, a wing connected to and extending from the board, and at least one movable control surface associated with the board and/or wing.  
           [0011]    A fifth object according to the present invention is to provide a personal aircraft device including a support and/or board configured to cooperate and releasably connect to a user, and a wing connected to the board. The wing configured to be deployed from a substantially non-operational configuration to an operational configuration.  
           [0012]    A sixth object according to the present invention is to provide a personal aircraft device including a board configured to cooperate and releasably connect with a user, and a wing connected to the board, the wing configured to move from one configuration to another configuration.  
           [0013]    A seventh object according to the present invention is to provide a personal aircraft device including a board configured to cooperate and releasably connect with a user, at least one wing connected to the board, the device configured to descend at a substantially steep glide ratio.  
           [0014]    An eighth object according to the present invention is to provide a personal aircraft device including a board configured to cooperate and releasably connect with a user, and a wing connected to the board, the device configured to provide at least two (2) different glide ratios.  
           [0015]    A ninth object according to the present invention is to provide a personal aircraft device, including a board configured to cooperate and releasably connect with a user, and a wing connected to the board, the wing configured to change from one aspect ratio to another aspect ratio.  
           [0016]    A tenth object according to the present invention is to provide a personal aircraft device, including a board configured to cooperate and operationally connect with a user, and a wing, the device configured to be controlled by movement of at least one body part of the user.  
           [0017]    The present invention is directed to a personal aircraft device to be ridden by a person or user, and/or configured to be releasably connected to the user. Preferably, the connection, coupling and/or linkage between the personal aircraft device according to the present invention and one or more body parts of the user creates an operational arrangement or system where the personal aircraft device and user become one and operate as a single aircraft unit. Thus, it is preferable that the personal aircraft device according to the present invention utilizes a board, board-like or board-type support configured to cooperate with a user&#39;s body in a particular configuration (e.g. laying down, serpentine, or other suitable orientation of the user&#39;s body). However, it is to be understood that other supports other than a board can be utilized in some embodiments of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention.  
           [0018]    The personal aircraft device according to the present invention can be utilized in a wide variety of applications. However, preferred embodiments of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention are configured to be relatively small in size, easy to store, easy to deploy, highly maneuverable, provide high performance free fall or flight and in some embodiments can obtain a suitable glide ratio for potential safe unaided landing. Preferred embodiments of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention can be configured for use from exiting the top of a tall building, for example, during an emergency, or being deployed from another aircraft the same or similar currently used for sky diving or parachuting. Thus, it is important that the personal aircraft device when releasably connected to a person can manage to exit through a doorway or exit way of civilian, military or potentially some type of commercial aircraft.  
           [0019]    Regarding deployment from aircraft, winged embodiments of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention preferably have wings that are stowed in a manner to substantially reduce the overall width of the personal aircraft device when connected to a user to allow exiting the aircraft, and then subsequent deployment of the wing after exiting the aircraft. It is somewhat desirable that the wings are deployed rapidly after exiting the carrier aircraft while the personal aircraft device has not yet accelerated to free fall velocity to reduce stress on the user and personal aircraft device when deploying the wings. However, certain embodiments of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention, particularly those having low aspect ratio wing or short wing span configurations, can be designed to allow deployment at any time, even during free fall, or redeployment after wings are stowed in midair after a previous deployment.  
           [0020]    The embodiments of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention utilizing a board or board type aircraft platform can be configured so that the board provides very little aerodynamic effect (e.g. lift), or can be configured so that the board provides a significant aerodynamic effect (e.g. board acting as a lifting body or wing itself, or configured to provide other aerodynamic effects to provide roll, pitch and/or yaw of the aircraft). Preferred embodiments of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention provide a high to very high level of maneuverability of the personal aircraft device to allow rolls, loops, spirals, gliding maneuvers, high speed diving maneuvers, front or side sliding or backward sliding maneuvers, etc.  
           [0021]    The personal aircraft device according to the present invention can be configured to provide a wide variety of different types of glide ratios. For example, the aspect ratio of the board and/or wing or combination can be selected and designed for particular applications and can have a fixed or variable geometry. For sport applications, the personal aircraft device according to the present invention can be configured to provide a substantially low glide ratio to provide a wide variety of maneuvers the same or similar to free falling sky divers. The personal aircraft device according to the present invention can be configured so that the glide ratio is such that a user would be required to wear a parachute that would necessarily be deployed prior to landing, since the personal aircraft device would not provide enough glide ratio to land safely without a parachute. Alternatively, the personal aircraft device according to the present invention can be configured to be highly maneuverable in free fall, however, provides enough of a glide ratio to safely land. In any event, it is desirable that either the user and/or the personal aircraft device is provided with a parachute (preferably redundant parachutes) in case of an emergency such as an equipment failure, personal distress, user passing out to be unconscious or configured to provide a variety of other failsafe measures. For other sports applications, the personal aircraft device according to the present invention can be configured to provide a substantial glide ratio to significantly extend air-time or flight-time for the user in the air, and may allow maneuvering and gliding to an extent to allow the user to reach a particular designated position or zone on the ground (e.g. near take off airport, particular landing field, or other desired landing zone or spot). For emergency applications, the personal aircraft device according to the present invention would be configured or designed to minimize or eliminate the need for any flight experience (e.g. like a parachute), however, provide some maneuverability, for example to avoid the side of a building or other buildings or obstructions when jumping from the top of a high building to increase the chances of a safe landing with a later deployed parachute.  
           [0022]    For military applications, the personal aircraft device according to the present invention, can be configured to provide high speed free falls from significant altitudes to avoid detection and/or avoiding contact with enemy fire while also providing a significant glide ratio to allow the user to reach a designated landing zone. For example, a winged personal aircraft device according to the present invention can have the wing deployed immediately after exiting the carrier aircraft to allow the user to glide towards the designated landing zone at high altitude, then the wing stowed to allow very rapid speed descent to drop a significant portion of the altitude, and then redeployment of the wing to finalize gliding to the landing zone with or without a final parachute drop for the remainder of the altitude depending on the configuration of the personal aircraft device and/or the particular application or mission.  
           [0023]    In some embodiments of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention, the personal aircraft device is configured to transform from one configuration to another configuration to provide different glide ratios to increase the flight envelope and/or performance of the personal aircraft device. For example, the personal aircraft device can be provided with a shorter or stubby set of deployable wings for high speed maneuverability, and a second set of high aspect ratio wings to allow gliding with a high glide ratio. In some configurations, both wing sets would sometimes be deployed and in other configurations and/or applications only one set of wings would be deployed at a time. In embodiments of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention having variable geometry wing configurations, the wings can be deployed, stowed and/or changed in configuration by a wide variety of methods, including but not limited to manual operation by the user (e.g. pushing, pulling, twisting, separating, etc. with one or more fingers and/or hands, arms, legs and/or other body parts or movements), mechanical actuator (e.g. levers, wires, bell cranks, cables, fulcrums, gears, cams, torsion bars, etc.), hydraulics, pneumatics and/or use of aerodynamic forces. A particularly suitable actuator would be the use of aerodynamic forces applied on parts or surfaces of the personal aircraft device in combination with other mechanical components including springs, dampers, fictional resistance devices to control, damp and/or limit movement. Further, the personal aircraft device can be provided with one or more air scoops designed to utilize differential air pressure to acuate air surfaces and/or pneumatics actuators. As further examples, the personal aircraft device can be flown in certain manners (e.g. sidewise or backwards or frontwards) to deploy and/or stow wing portions to change the direction of airflow relative to the personal aircraft device. The personal aircraft device can also be provided with hydraulic actuators powered by manually operated controls to provide maneuverability of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention.  
           [0024]    The personal aircraft device according to the present invention can be configured to provide a wide variety of different types of stability depending on the particular applications thereof. The stability can be fixed or variable and be set by the configuration and design of the board, wing and/or other aerodynamic surfaces of the personal aircraft device. Optionally, the personal aircraft device according to the present invention can be provided with a flight stabilizing system. For example, the personal aircraft device according to the present invention can be provided with a computerized control and stabilizing system utilizing feedback from the user and/or sensors or detectors provided on the personal aircraft device to automatically control particular movable control surfaces and/or wing configurations to provide flight stability in use (e.g. fly-by-wire). The system can be partially manual or can be completely fly-by-wire and independent of any manual control of the user. The system may utilize one or more gyroscopes, GPS, satellite transreceiver or other navigation transreceiver, or other electronics for governing the control and stability of the personal aircraft device. In some applications, the control and stability system can be completely preprogrammed and/or variably programmed and controlled from a remote location (e.g. satellite, command center and/or field, for example, by painting a landing zone with a laser) so that the flight of the personal aircraft device is totally hands free from start to finish. However, the system is preferably or necessarily provided with a manual override in the event of unexpected circumstances, mechanical failure, emergency or other destabilizing factors.  
           [0025]    The personal aircraft device according to the present invention can optionally be powered. For example, the board and/or wings can be provided with a small or miniaturized power plant and/or propulsion unit (e.g. propeller, duct fan, solid rocket booster, turboshaft, turbojet, turbofan or other suitable power plant or and/or propulsion unit) to increase the performance of the personal aircraft device. For example, by providing power, the personal aircraft device can transcend a greater horizontal distance from the drop zone, can attain higher speed both horizontally and/or vertically, can climb, and can provide a powered landing even with a relatively low aspect ratio of the board and/or wing combination thereof.  
           [0026]    The personal aircraft device according to the present invention again preferably utilizes a board, board-like or board-type support or aircraft platform. The board platform of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention provides numerous advantages over other types of supports in that the board platform is configured to cooperate with a user&#39;s body, allows a user to grip the board with arms and/or legs, and provides a sense of protection and stability to the user. Thus, the use of a board as the basic structure or platform for the personal aircraft device according to the present invention is important. Variations and/or modifications of a basic board arrangement or platform can include recesses for body parts, gripping elements or protrusions for cooperating with the user&#39;s body parts (e.g. partial or full harness portion over user&#39;s shoulders, hand gripping portions, leg gripping portions, waist gripping portions, chest gripping portions, neck gripping portions), helmet, shield, bubble, canopy for partially or fully protecting the head of the user, in particular for providing a windshield to enhance the person&#39;s vision and/or reduce noise levels. Further, the personal aircraft device can be configured to provide one or more compartments for stowage of at least one parachute, personal gear, food and water, snacks, clothing, weapons, ammunition, explosives, hardware, first aid, medical supplies and potentially any other necessary or desirable packages or products depending on the particular application or mission. The personal aircraft device can be provided with GPS to provide positional data to the user and/or a transreceiver or transponder for providing remote tracking of the location of the personal aircraft device and/or control thereof for rescue and/or recovery of the user and/or personal aircraft device. Thus, the personal aircraft device according to the present invention can become a very sophisticated sport or military conceptual platform for numerous variable applications and operations, providing capabilities not available in current sport and military aircraft. Conceptually, the personal aircraft device according to the present invention becomes a highly maneuverable personnel carrier greatly increasing performance and capability in comparison with current sky diving or paratrooping capabilities today.  
           [0027]    A more advanced embodiment of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention may include a body control unit (e.g. handheld) electrical cord (e.g. umbilical) or remote control device for operating the wings and/or movable control surfaces of the personal aircraft device. This device can be ergonomically designed to cooperate and couple with the hand, fingers, wrist, anus, mouth, neck, eyes, legs, ankles, feet, toes of the operator user. In versions of the personal aircraft device having a hood, helmet and/or canopy, a heads-up display and/or control can be implemented so that the user can simultaneously view data in controlling the device by eye movement to move in the direction the pilot is viewing (i.e. movement of pupil provides control signal for moving wings and/or control surfaces of personal aircraft device). In this manner, the pilot can operate the device completely hands free allowing the pilot to grip or hold onto portions of the personal aircraft device without interfering with the control thereof. However, in some embodiments control may be achieved by multiple inputs, for example, by both the eyes and hands and possibly the feet of the operator.  
           [0028]    The personal aircraft device according to the present invention can be configured to accommodate a single rider or multiple riders.  
           [0029]    The personal aircraft device according to the present invention can be made of aircraft quality metal (e.g. aluminum, titanium, steel components), or more preferably is made of a composite construction including one or more plastics, resins, molded plastic, laminated plastic, glass fibers, carbon fibers, Kevlar, ceramic fibers, ceramic sheets, wood, or other suitable base materials. It is highly desirable to make the personal aircraft device according to the present invention as light and as strong as possible (e.g. preferable in the range of two (2) pounds to one hundred fifty (150) pounds unpowered, more preferably in the range of two (2) pounds to seventy-five (75) pounds unpowered, and most preferably in the range of two (2) pounds to fifty (50) pounds unpowered), and almost indestructible during operation and use. Further, the entire personal aircraft device or components thereof can be designed and tailored to be flexible or resilient to allow the pilot to control the device by moving or bending aerodynamic surfaces (e.g. wing bending, elevator bending, horizontal stabilizer bending) without causing structural damage to components or the device itself. Due to the small size of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention, the personal aircraft device can be designed and constructed to withstand high aerodynamic and/or G-forces well beyond those tolerable by a human operator, and rugged enough to withstand hard landings, operational abuse during transportation and/or storage to provide significant reuse thereof to provide years of service. However, some versions could be designed for one time use or be disposable. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0030]    [0030]FIG. 1 is a first embodiment of a personal aircraft device (“PAD”) according to the present invention.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the personal aircraft device shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the personal aircraft device shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 4 is a top planar view of the personal aircraft device shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a person or user shown in ghost image riding the personal aircraft device shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic top view of the personal aircraft device shown in FIG. 1 (without canard wing) showing the wings swept forward and the personal aircraft device in a diving mode.  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic top view of the personal aircraft device shown in FIG. 1 (without canard wing) showing the wings swept rearward and the personal aircraft device in a diving mode.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic top view of the personal aircraft device shown in FIG. 1 (without canard wing) showing the wings swept rearward and the personal aircraft device in a back end first diving mode.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic top view of the personal aircraft device shown in FIG. 1 (without canard wing) showing the wings swept forward and the personal aircraft device in a back end first diving mode.  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic top elevational view of a personal aircraft device shown in FIG. 1 modified with an additional set of shorter wings with both sets of wings swung forward and the personal aircraft device in a diving mode.  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic top elevational view of a personal aircraft device shown in FIG. 1 modified with an additional set of shorter wings with the longer wings swept forward in a stowed position and the shorter wings are swept rearward in an operational position and the personal aircraft device in a diving mode.  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic top elevational view of a personal aircraft device shown in FIG. 1 modified with an additional set of shorter wings with the longer wings swept rearward in an operational position and the shorter wings are swept forward in a stowed position and the personal aircraft device in a diving mode.  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic top elevational view of a personal aircraft device shown in FIG. 1 modified with an additional set of shorter wings with both sets of wings are swept rearward in operational positions and the personal aircraft device in a diving mode.  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention.  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention.  
         [0045]    [0045]FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention.  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention.  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a seventh embodiment of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention.  
         [0048]    [0048]FIG. 19 is a perspective view of an eighth embodiment of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention.  
         [0049]    [0049]FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a ninth embodiment of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention.  
         [0050]    [0050]FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a tenth embodiment of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention.  
         [0051]    [0051]FIG. 22 is a perspective view of an eleventh embodiment of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention.  
         [0052]    [0052]FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a twelfth embodiment of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention.  
         [0053]    [0053]FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention as shown in FIG. 1, however modified with a pusher type propeller and power plant to become a powered personal aircraft device (“PPAD”) according to the present invention.  
         [0054]    [0054]FIG. 25 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of the powered personal aircraft device according to the present invention.  
         [0055]    [0055]FIG. 26 is a front elevational view of the powered personal aircraft device shown in FIG. 25.  
         [0056]    [0056]FIG. 27 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a person or user riding a personal aircraft device according to the present invention in a laying down headfirst position.  
         [0057]    [0057]FIG. 28 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a person or user riding a personal aircraft device according to the present invention in a serpentine position with the head rearward.  
         [0058]    [0058]FIG. 29 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a person or user fitted with a personal aircraft device on his or her back.  
         [0059]    [0059]FIG. 30 is a diagrammatic perspective view of another embodiment of a personal aircraft device fitted on the back of a person or user.  
         [0060]    [0060]FIG. 31 is a perspective view of a fifteenth view of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0061]    A personal aircraft device (“PAD”)  10  according to the present invention is shown in FIGS.  1 - 5 .  
         [0062]    The personal aircraft device  10  includes a board  12  and a wing  14 . Specifically, the wing  14  includes a pair of separate wing portions  14   a  and  14   b  connected to and extending from opposite sides of the board  12 . The wing portion  14   a  and wing portion  14   b  are hinged to the board  12  by pivotal connectors  16   a  and  16   b , respectively, to allow the wing portions to swing forwardly and/or rearwardly. The wing portions  14   a  and  14   b  are provided with ailerons  16   a  and  16   b  respectively. The board  12  is provided with a pair of slots  15   a  and  15   b  to accommodate inboard portions of the wing portions  14   a  and  14   b  to allow hinged movement or swinging thereof.  
         [0063]    The board  12  is provided with a tail  12   a  (e.g. boom) provided with a vertical stabilizer  20  having a movable rudder portion  22 . The board  12  is also provided with another vertical stabilizer or boom  24  supporting a canard type wing  26 . The wing  26  is connected to the boom  24  by a pivot connection  28  to allow the wing  26  to pivot or hinge relative to the boom  24 . The wing  26  is provided with through holes  30   a  and  30   b  to provide handgrips  32   a  and  32   b.    
         [0064]    The board  12  is provided with a pad (e.g. foam or rubber pad) on an upper surface of the board  12  to provide improved gripping and/or cushioning for a person laying down on the board  12  with his or her stomach or abdomen contacting the pad  34  when riding the personal aircraft device  10 . The vertical stabilizer  20  is provided with another pad  36  to provide a seat rest for the user.  
         [0065]    The flight of the personal aircraft device  10  according to the present invention can be controlled in various manners. For example, the pivoting movement of the canard wing  26  by use of the arms and hands of the person riding the device  10  can be coupled to the movement of the ailerons  16   a  and  16   b  and/or rudder portion  22 . The flight control system can include mechanical drives, shafts, pulleys, cables, hydraulics, pneumatics or any other suitable coupling or mechanical components to connect and coordinate movement of the movable air surfaces. Alternatively, the movements can be controlled by an electrical system having electrical actuators to move controlled surfaces or a hybrid between mechanical and electrical systems for this purpose. In some embodiments, the canard wing  26  is connected to the boom  24  to provide a second tilt access, as shown in FIG. 2 so that the canard wing  26  also acts as a horizontal stabilizer and/or elevator to provide pitch for the personal aircraft device  10  to dive or climb. The wing portions  26   a  and  26   b  can be setup to tilt together and/or independently to allow further types of maneuverability of the personal aircraft device  10 . In a sophisticated version of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention, all movable aerodynamic surfaces can be configured to be moved independently and/or dependently based upon a preprogrammed or variable program control system that can be mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, aerodynamic and/or electrical. For example, an onboard fly-by-wire electrical control system can be preprogrammed and/or variably programmed for changing the program before and/or during flight to control the flight dynamics of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention.  
         [0066]    The deployment of the wings can be achieved through various configurations or designs of the personal aircraft device  10 . To simplify the configuration or design of the personal aircraft device  10 , it is preferred that the wing portions  14   a  and  14   b  are deployed by use of aerodynamic forces thereon. For example, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, after the personal aircraft device  10  exits a carrier aircraft (not shown) and dives downwardly, the wing portions  14   a  and  14   b  are unlatched or decoupled from the configuration shown in FIG. 6, and then aerodynamic force moves the wing portions  14   a  and  14   b  to the deployed configuration shown in FIG. 7. Instead of using a latch or coupling system, the personal aircraft device  10  can be configured or designed so that the wings automatically deploy at a particular air velocity eliminating the need for a latch or coupling. Further, the wing portions  14   a  and  14   b  may be connected to the board with springs and/or dampeners to control the movement of the wing portions  14   a  and  14   b  from the stowed position (FIG. 6) to the deployed configuration (FIG. 7) so that both the angular rate or movement of the wing portions  14   a  and  14   b  is greatly reduced for operator safety and/or to reduce dynamic loads on the wing portions  14   a  and  14   b  and their connections to the board  12  during deployment. As an alternative method, the wing portions  14   a  and  14   b  are deployed rearwardly as shown in FIG. 8, and the wing portions  14   a  and  14   b  are deployed when the personal aircraft device  10  is initially dropped from the carrier aircraft and maneuver rear end first downwardly.  
         [0067]    In another embodiment of the personal aircraft device  10 ′ according to the present invention, as shown in FIGS.  10 -  13 , the personal aircraft device  10 ′ is provided with an additional set of wing portions  15   a  and  15   b . The shorter set of wing portions  15   a  and  15   b  allow for high speed maneuverability while the longer set of wings  14   a  and  14   b  allow for lower speed maneuvering. In some operations both sets of wings can be deployed to provide even greater lift (e.g. like biplane) to potentially allow a low speed unassisted landing without parachute deployed. For example, in FIG. 10 the personal aircraft device  10 ′ has just exited a carrier aircraft and in FIG. 1 the smaller set of wing portions  15   a  and  15   b  are then deployed for high speed maneuverability. In FIG. 12 the smaller set of wing portions  15   a  and  15   b  have been stowed and the larger set of wing portions  14   a  and  14   b  have been deployed for lower speed maneuverability during a last portion of the flight, and in FIG. 13 both set of wing portions are deployed for landing the device itself. Due to the small size of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention, the personal aircraft device can be designed and constructed to withstand high aerodynamic and g-forces well beyond those tolerable by a human operator, and rugged enough to withstand hard landings, operational abuse during transportation and/or storage to provide significant reuse thereof to provide years of service.  
         [0068]    Another embodiment of the personal aircraft device  110  according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 14.  
         [0069]    The personal aircraft device  110  includes a board  112  provided with a wing  114 . The wing  114  includes wing portions  114   a  and  114   b  extending from opposite sides of the board  112 . The wing portions  114   a  and  114   b  are connected to the board  112  by pivotal connections  116  to allow the wings to hinge or swing from a stowed position to a deployed position (as shown). For example, the wing portions  114   a  and  114   b  may swing forward to a position similar to that of the personal aircraft device  10  shown in FIG. 6. The wing portions  114   a  and  114   b  are provided with handgrip portions  116   a  and  116   b  to allow a user to manually move the wing portions  114   a  and  114   b  during operation. For example, the wing portions  114   a  and  114   b  can be moved differentially at different positions to cause turning or spiraling.  
         [0070]    A vertical stabilizer or boom  118  extends from the board  112  and supports a canard wing  120  having wing portions  120   a  and  120   b . The wing portions  120   a  and  120   b  are provided with movable elevator portions  122   a  and  122   b  to provide turning capability. For example, the movement of the wing portions  114   a  and  114   b  can be coupled to the movement of the elevator portions  122   a  and  122   b . A vertical stabilizer  122  extends downwardly from the wing  120  and is provided with a rudder portion  124 . Optionally, the wing portions  120   a  and  120   b  can be configured to tilt as indicated and the wing  120  can be configured to yaw as indicated by a user gripping the wing  120  and manually moving these wing surfaces.  
         [0071]    Another embodiment of the personal aircraft device  210  is shown in FIG. 15.  
         [0072]    The personal aircraft device  210  includes board  212  provided with a wing  214  having wing portions  214   a  and  214   b  extending from opposite sides of the board  212 . The wing portions  214   a  and  214   b  are provided with handgrip portions  216   a  and  216   b , and the wing portions  214   a  and  214   b  are configured to tilt as indicated to cause turning and/or spiraling.  
         [0073]    The board  212  includes a stationary portion  212   a  and a movable portion  212   b  connected by a hinge  212   c  together. The movement of the board portion  212   b  upwardly and downwardly causes the board to act like a horizontal stabilizer provided with an elevator to cause climbing or diving of the personal aircraft device  210 .  
         [0074]    A boom  218  extends from the rear portion of the board  212  to support a tailor combined horizontal stabilizer  220  and vertical stabilizer  222 . The horizontal stabilizer  220  and vertical stabilizer  222  can have a fixed configuration as shown, or can be provided with elevator portions and/or rudder portions, respectively, to provide additional flight control. The board  212  is provided with pad portions  224   a  and  224   b  for increasing the grip and/or providing comfort to the user.  
         [0075]    Another embodiment of the personal aircraft device  310  according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 16. The personal aircraft device  310  includes a board  312  provided with a wing  314  having wing portions  314   a  and  314   b  extending from opposite sides of the board  312 . The wing  314  is connected to the board by a pivotal connector  316  to provide a pivoting wing configuration.  
         [0076]    A boom  312   a  extends rearwardly from the board  312  and is provided with a vertical support  318  provided with a seat pad  320 . A vertical stabilizer  322  extends downwardly from the boom  312   a . The vertical stabilizer  322  is provided with a rudder portion  324 . A boom  326  extends forwardly from the board  312  and supports a canard wing  328  having wing portions  328   a  and  328   b . The ends of the wing portions  328   a  and  328   b  are provided with handgrips  330   a  and  330   b , respectively. The wing  328  is connected to the boom  326  by pivotal connector  332  to allow yaw movement thereof, and the wing portions  328   a  and  328   b  are configured to tilt as indicated.  
         [0077]    The movement of the wing  328  can be coupled to the movement of the wing  314  to allow a user to push and pull on the handgrips  330   a  and  330   b  for turning the personal aircraft device  310 . The movement of the wing  328  can pivot in the same direction as the wing  314 , however, during some operations the wings may be coupled to pivot opposite to each other. Further, movement of the wing  328  can be coupled to movement of the rudder portion  324  of the vertical stabilizer  322 .  
         [0078]    Another embodiment of the personal aircraft device  410  according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 17.  
         [0079]    The personal aircraft device  410  includes a board  412  provided with a wing  414  having a pair of wing portions  414   a  and  414   b  extending from opposite sides of the board  412 . The wing  414  is provided with an inner set of handgrips  416   a  and  416   b  and an outer set of handgrips  418   a  and  418   b . A pad  420  is provided on an upper surface of the board  412 . The wing portions  414   a  and  414   b  are configured or designed to allow a user to warp the wing portions  414   a  and  414   b  by gripping the outer handgrips  418   a  and  418   b  and applying manual force upwardly and/or downwardly thereon. Specifically, the wing portions  414   a  and  414   b  are configured or designed to be fairly flexible and resilient so that the tips of the wing portions  414   a  and  414   b  can be twisted, raised upwardly, lowered downwardly simultaneously or differentially to allow various flight maneuvers.  
         [0080]    Another embodiment of the personal aircraft device  510  according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 18.  
         [0081]    The personal aircraft device  510  includes a board  512  provided with a wing  514  having wing portions  514   a  and  514   b  extending from opposite sides of the board  512 . The wing portions  514   a  and  514   b  are provided with extendable and/or retractable wing tip portions  516   a  and  516   b . The wing portions  514   a  and  514   b  are also provided with handgrips  518   a  and  518   b.    
         [0082]    A boom  520  extends rearwardly from the board  512  and includes a vertical support  522  provided with a seat pad  524 . A boom  526  extends forwardly from the board  512  and supports a canard wing  528  having a pair of wing portions  528   a  and  528   b  provided with handgrips  530   a  and  530   b . The wing  528  is connected to the boom  526  by a pivotal connector  532  to allow yaw movement thereof. The wing portions  528   a  and  528   b  are configured to tilt as indicated. Further, the boom  526  is configured to be moved forwardly and rearwardly relative to the board  512 . In one embodiment, the movement of the wing  528  by the hand operation of the user can be coupled with movement of the wing tip portions  516   a  and  516   b  so that wing portions extend outwardly or retract inwardly together.  
         [0083]    Another embodiment of the personal aircraft device  610  according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 19.  
         [0084]    The personal aircraft device  610  includes a board  612  provided with a wing  614  having wing portions  614   a  and  614   b  extending from opposite sides of the board  612 . The wing  614  is connected to the board  612  by a pivotal connector  616 , and the wing  614  is provided with a pair of handgrips  618   a  and  618   b  to allow a user to grip the wing  614  and manually move the wing to cause swinging and turning the personal aircraft device  610 .  
         [0085]    A vertical stabilizer is connected to the board  612  and extends downwardly there from. The vertical stabilizer  620  is provided with a rudder portion  622 . The movement of the wing  614  can be coupled to the movement of the rudder portion  622  to provide coordinated turns.  
         [0086]    Another embodiment of the personal aircraft device  710  according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 20.  
         [0087]    The personal aircraft device  710  includes a board  712  provided with wing  714  having wing portions  714   a  and  714   b  extending from opposite sides of the board  712 . The board  712  includes a forward board tip portion  712   a , which is bent upwardly, and a rear board tip portion  712   b  which is bent upwardly, which board tip portions  712   a  and  712   b  provide lift depending on the direction of movement of the personal aircraft device  710 . The wing is provided with a set of ailerons  716   a  and  716   b . The wing  714  is connected to the board  712  by the pivotal connector  718 . A vertical spindle  720  extends upwardly from the board  712 , and is provided with a handle  720  having hand grips  722   a  and  722   b . The spindle  720  can be rigidly mounted to the board  712 , or alternatively, can be configured to rotate as indicated and coupled with the movement of the wing  714 . For example, the spindle  720  can be directly connected to the wing  714  to allow a user to twist the spindle  720  by use of the handgrips  722   a  and  722   b  to swing the wing  714  to turn the personal aircraft device  710 . In another example, the spindle  720  is connected to a gear mechanism or electric motor for turning the wing  714 . Further, the spindle  720  can be configured to reciprocate upwardly and downwardly as indicated, for example, to control the movement of the ailerons  716   a  and  716   b . The board  712  is provided with a pair of flipped straps  724   a  and  724   b  to operationally connect the user to the personal aircraft device  710 .  
         [0088]    Another embodiment of the personal aircraft device  810  according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 21.  
         [0089]    The personal aircraft device  810  includes a board  812  provided with a wing  814  having wing portions  814   a  and  814   b  extending from opposite sides of the board  812 . The wing  814  is provided with a set of ailerons  816   a  and  816   b  for turning the personal aircraft device  810 . A vertical stabilizer is connected to the board  812  and extends downwardly therefrom. The vertical stabilizer  818  is provided with a movable rudder portion  820 .  
         [0090]    The wing  814  is connected to the board  812  by a pivotal connector  822  to allow the wing  814  to swing relative to the board  812 . A spindle  824  is connected to the board  812  and extends upwardly therefrom. The spindle  824  is provided with a handle  826  having handle portions  828   a  and  828   b . The spindle  824  can be rigidly connected to the board  812 , or alternatively, can be configured to rotate and be coupled with the movement of the wing  814 . For example, the spindle  824  can be directly connected to the wing  814 , or can be connected indirectly through a set of gears or electrical motor. The spindle can be configured to rotate in the same direction as the wing  814 , or can be configured to rotate opposite to the rotation of the wing  814 . Further, the spindle  824  can be configured to be moved upwardly and downwardly as indicated, for example, to control movement of the ailerones  816   a  and  816   b  to cause the personal aircraft device  810  to turn. The board  812  is provided with set of foot straps  830   a  and  830   b  for operationally connecting a user to the personal aircraft device  810 . Further, the handle  826  and spindle  824  provide a support and grip for the user during operation so that the user can maintain a standing position.  
         [0091]    An eleventh embodiment of the personal aircraft device  910  according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 22.  
         [0092]    The personal aircraft device  910  includes a board  912  provided with wing tip portions  914   a  and  914   b  extending from opposite ends of the board  912 . The wing tip portions  914   a  and  914   b  can be configured to be stationary with the board  912 , or alternatively, can be configured to move relative to the board  912  (e.g. providing a hinge  916   a  and  916   b  between the wing tip portions  914   a  and  914   b  and the board  912 ).  
         [0093]    A spindle  918  is connected to the board  912  and extends upwardly therefrom. The spindle  918  can be rigidly connected to the board  912 , or as shown, can be configured to be rotated relative to the board  912  by providing a pivotal connection  920  therebetween. The spindle  918  is provided with a handle  922  having a set of handgrips  924   a  and  924   b.    
         [0094]    The board  912  is provided with a set of ailerons  912   a  and  912   b , and a set of foot straps  926   a  and  926   b  to operationally connect a user with the personal aircraft device  910 . The spindle  918  can be configured to move the ailerones  912   a  and  912   b  by rotation thereof as indicated and move the wing tip portions  914   a  and  914   b  by up and down movement of the spindle  918  as indicated. Alternatively, the rotation of the spindle  918  can actuate the wing tip portions  914   a  and  914   b  and rotation of the spindle can actuate the ailerons  912   a  and  912   b , or the personal aircraft device  910  can be configured to switch from one mode to the other mode back and forth.  
         [0095]    A twelfth embodiment of the personal aircraft device  1010  according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 23.  
         [0096]    The personal aircraft device  1010  includes aboard  1012  provided with wing  1014  having wing portions  1014   a  and  1014   b  extending from opposite sides of the board  1012 . The wing  1014  is provided with a pair of handgrip actuators  1016   a  and  1016   b  coupled to a set of ailerones  1018   a  and  1018   b . The handgrip actuators  1016   a  and  1016   b  can be pushed or pulled to actuate at least one of the ailerones  1018   a  and/or  1018   b . The board  1012  is provided with a pad  1020  to provide increased grip and/or comfort to the user.  
         [0097]    A thirteenth embodiment of a powered personal aircraft device  1110  according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 24.  
         [0098]    The powered personal aircraft device  1110  (“PPAD”) is substantially the same or similar to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, however, is provided with a power plant (not shown) for powering a high efficiency propeller  1138 . Specifically, the power plant is located within a lower portion of the board  1112 , and is connected to the propeller  1138  by a drive shaft  1140  supported by an outer support shaft  1142 . The power plant can be a small air breathing power plant such as a small internal combustion engine or turbo shaft engine.  
         [0099]    A fourteenth embodiment of a powered personal aircraft device  1210  according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. 25 and 26.  
         [0100]    The powered personal aircraft device  1210  is substantially the same or similar to the embodiment of the personal aircraft device shown in FIG. 1, however, is provided with a small turbojet or turbo fan jet engine  1238  disposed within a nacelle  1240  located at a lower portion of the board  1212  with a nozzle portion  1242  extending from the rear thereof.  
         [0101]    The powered personal aircraft device (“PPAD”) according to the present invention include both flight controls and controls for operating and controlling the power plants. The controls for the power plant can be located on portions of the board, boom, wing, canard wing and/or provided on a control panel located on or extending from any of the components of the powered personal aircraft device to allow easy access to the user. The power plant control can be hardwired and/or can include one or more remote controls held, worn or otherwise located or associated with the user of the powered personal aircraft device. For example, a handheld wrist strapped remote control unit can be worn by the user so that the user can both grip portions of the personal aircraft device or powered personal aircraft device during certain operations and/or actively control the power plant by finger, hand, arm, shoulder, abdomen, leg, ankle, foot, toe movement, eye movement, mouth movement or a wide variety of other types of interactive control with the users body portions. Further, the power plant can potentially be preprogrammed prior to deployment and/or controlled by another operator located at a remote location through radio, cell, microwave and/or satellite transmissions, for example, via a transreceiver. Further, the personal aircraft device or powered personal aircraft device according to the present invention can be provided with communications to allow one-way, two-way or multiple-way communications locally or remotely. For example, a plurality of separate operators operating in close proximity would potentially have communications between each personal aircraft device or powered personal aircraft device during a mission along with communications to one or more remote locations to monitor and evaluate a particular mission.  
         [0102]    The personal aircraft device (“PAD”) and powered personal aircraft device (“PPAD”) according to the present invention are preferably made from cutting edge materials and methods of construction to enhance strength, durability and performance while minimizing cost and weight. It is particularly preferable that the devices are constructed to be reusable, and rugged and durable to withstand high G forces, high aerodynamic forces, withstand rough landings, withstand rough handling and transportation, and otherwise maintain operability with minimum maintenance throughout their operational life. For example, the personal aircraft device and powered personal aircraft device according to the present invention are preferably made of composite materials, including fiberglass, KEVLAR, carbon fiber, beryllium fiber, wood composite and/or aircraft quality metals such as aluminum, steel and titanium. Most likely, the board and air surface, including the wings, ailerones, horizontal stabilizer, elevator, vertical stabilizer, rudder will be made of resin type composite materials such as KEVLAR and/or carbon fiber. The wing may include one or more transverse metal spars located along the length of the wing to enhance overall strength and the booms may include metal bars, rods, and/or tubing wrapped with resin composite, again to increase overall strength of these particular components. The pad material made be made from a foam, rubber or neoprene type material. The moveable control surfaces and internal control components such as cables, hinges, cams, gears, push rods, pull rods, bell cranks, and other types of mechanical, hydraulic and/or pneumatic actuators can be made some of metal and/or plastic components depending upon the engineering and specifications resulting therefrom. In any event, the state of the art building materials and construction methods for state of the art fighter jets, cruise missiles, air-to-surface missiles, surface-to-air missiles, rockets and/or space shuttle technology should be applied to produce a highly reliable, safe, user friendly, lightweight, durable, inexpensive, reusable and high performance personal aircraft or powered personal aircraft device according to the present invention.  
         [0103]    A person or user of the personal aircraft device according to the present invention can ride and/or be releasably connected to the personal aircraft device or powered personal aircraft device in a variety of different manners, as shown in FIGS.  27 - 30 .  
         [0104]    As shown in FIG. 27, a person lays on top of the board of the personal aircraft device to ride same. The person is shown holding onto the wing of the personal aircraft device with his or her legs wrapping around the rear tail boom of this particular personal aircraft device. In addition to just physically gripping and holding onto the personal aircraft device, the personal aircraft device can be fitted with releasable straps, shackles, mechanical couplers or other types of restraint devices to releasably connect or secure the person during operation to the personal aircraft device. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 27, the person is laying down on the board with his or her stomach in contact with the board of the personal aircraft device.  
         [0105]    In the embodiment shown in FIG. 28, the person rides on top of the board of the personal aircraft device in a serpentine position. The person&#39;s feet are positioned on an inclined footrest while his hands grip handgrips extending from opposite sides of the board. In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 27 and 28, preferably the person or user independently wears a parachute on his or her back and a reserve chute on the front of his or her chest or abdomen. In addition, the personal aircraft device itself can be provided with a separate parachute or recovery chute. For example, the person or user can detach him or herself in midair from the personal aircraft device, and then deploy his or her parachute and a recovery chute can be manually or automatically deployed or set for deployment to allow the personal aircraft device to parachute itself. However, preferably, the person or user in combination with the personal aircraft device can remain connected together and safely land together by the parachute connected to the user and/or gliding to a secure landing for embodiments having a sufficient glide ratio for such safe landings.  
         [0106]    In the embodiment shown in FIG. 29, the personal aircraft device is worn on the back of the person or user, and can be releasably secured to the person by releasable belts or couplings. Alternatively, the board of the personal aircraft device can be fitted or provided with a substantially rigid over the shoulder harness for releasable connection with the personal aircraft device. The personal aircraft device is shown with an external parachute configured for safe landing of both the personal aircraft and person connected together. Alternatively, or in addition, the person or user wears a separate parachute and potentially an additional safety chute worn on his or her chest.  
         [0107]    In the embodiment shown in FIG. 30, the personal aircraft device is worn on the back of the person or user, and the personal aircraft device is provided with an internal parachute deployed through exit doors provided on an upper surface of the board of the personal aircraft device. Again, the person or user can also wear a separate parachute on his or her back and a safety chute on his or her chest.  
         [0108]    A fifteenth embodiment of the personal aircraft device  1310  according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 31.  
         [0109]    The personal aircraft device  1310  includes a board  1312  provided with wing  1314  having wing portions  1314   a  and  1314   b . The wing portions  1314   a  and  1314   b  are connected to the board  1312  by pivotal connectors  1316   a  and  1316   b . The wing  1314  is provided with a set of ailerons  1318   a  and  1318   b . The board  1312  is provided with a tail portion  1312   a  which is provided with a vertical stabilizer  1320  having a rudder portion  1322  and a horizontal stabilizer  1324  provided with elevator portions  1326   a  and  1326   b . A boom or vertical stabilizer  1328  extends forward from the board  1312  supporting a canard wing  1330  having wing portions  1330   a  and  1330   b  provided with handgrip portions  1332   a  and  1332   b , respectively. The wing  1330  is connected to the boom  1328  by pivotal connection  1334 , and the wing portions  1330   a  and  1330   b  can be configured to tilt as indicated.  
         [0110]    The board  1312  is provided with a see-through canopy  1336  provided with notches  1338   a  and  1338   b  to accommodate the shoulders and upper arms of the person or user of the personal aircraft device  1310 . The canopy, can optionally be provided with a heads-up display  1340  mounted on or a portion of the see-through canopy  1336 . The heads-up display can provide a variety of control and guidance to the personal aircraft device  1310 . Further, the canopy  1336  protects the person&#39;s or user&#39;s head, reduces aerodynamic drag, reduces noise level to the person or user, and eliminates air stream or wind on the user&#39;s head and face.