Patent ID: 8496200

Claim:
A ducted air flow vehicle comprising: a fuselage having a longitudinal axis, supporting at least one forward duct and one aft duct, said ducts having respective lift producing propellers arranged to force surrounding air through said ducts thereby creating a lift force, said forward duct having side openings and a front opening, said aft duct having side openings and a rear opening, each of said openings selectively movable between open and closed positions; a plurality of adjustable control vanes extending across inlets to said ducts, in a direction substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis; a pair of thrusters supported in an aft location on said fuselage; and control means for: a. effecting motion in a first horizontal direction in a first degree of freedom of the vehicle in a primary mode of operation through varying of thrust output of said thrusters, and in a secondary mode of operation through tilting of the vehicle in pitch, thereby creating a horizontal and longitudinal vector component of said lift force in said first horizontal direction; b. effecting motion in a second horizontal direction substantially perpendicular to said first horizontal direction, in a second degree of freedom of the vehicle in a primary mode through deflecting said control vanes, and in a secondary mode of operation through tilting of the vehicle in Roll, thereby creating a horizontal and lateral vector component of said lift force in said second horizontal direction; and c. effecting motion in a vertical direction substantially perpendicular to said first and second horizontal directions in a third degree of freedom of the vehicle in a primary mode through direct variation of said lift force generated by said lift-producing propellers, and in a secondary mode through adjusting said control vanes, or adjusting said openings, thereby affecting flow of air through said ducts and the vertical lift force in said vertical direction.