Patent ID: 8505846

Claim:
An aircraft, comprising: a fuselage having a front end, a rear end, and a longitudinal axis; a lifting free wing pivotally connected to the fuselage with a lifting wing pivot that allows rotation around a lifting wing span wise axis; a nose section pivotally mounted on the front end of the fuselage, the nose section having a pair of engines, and a pair of counter-rotating propellers each operably connected with one of the pair of engines, for generating thrust along a thrust axis for propelling the aircraft, the nose section pivoting about a nose section span wise axis; a canard free wing pivotally connected to the nose section with a canard wing pivot to allow rotation around a canard span wise axis; wherein the lifting free wing span wise axis is rearward of the nose section span wise axis; a pair of vertical stabilizers mounted on the rear end of the fuselage, each of the pair of vertical stabilizers having a rudder and a pair of landing gear, the landing gear of the pair of vertical stabilizers being positioned for supporting the fuselage in a takeoff and landing position wherein the longitudinal axis is generally vertical; a cockpit formed in the fuselage; and wherein in the takeoff and landing position in which the longitudinal axis of the fuselage is vertical and the aircraft rests upon the landing gear of the vertical stabilizers, the nose section is positioned such that the pair of counter-rotating propellers generate thrust directed along the longitudinal axis of the fuselage, and the pair of vertical stabilizers are positioned within the thrust so that the rudders are operably positioned to provide control of the aircraft during takeoff and landing, and wherein the aircraft may also be reconfigured to a parked position wherein the nose section is pivoted so that the longitudinal axis of the fuselage is generally horizontal, the thrust axis is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the fuselage, and wherein a nose wheel gear operably mounted on the nose section to support the aircraft, along with two of the landing gear mounted on the vertical stabilizers, the two of the landing gear mounted on the vertical stabilizers being mounted on struts that are angled away from the longitudinal axis of the fuselage so that the landing gear may operatively contact the ground in either the takeoff and landing position, and also in the parked position.