Patent ID: 7364118

Claim:
An aircraft propulsion arrangement comprising a plurality of propulsive assemblies substantially located within and about the structure of an aircraft, the propulsive assemblies being electrically driven and configured to generate air flows which are drawn from above an aircraft wing from its boundary layer with principally lateral air flow for propulsion of the aircraft, each propulsive assembly comprising a flow path and a compressor driven by an electric motor, the propulsive assemblies being located in an aircraft wing having two surfaces, a leading and a trailing edge with one surface facing in one direction and the other surface facing generally in the opposite direction to said one direction, each flow path comprising a passage, the passage provides an inlet and an outlet with the compressor between them, an inlet of a passage of at least one propulsive assembly being provided in said one surface of the wing and an outlet of a passage of the at least one propulsive assembly being provided in said one surface of the wing; an inlet of a passage of at least one other propulsive assembly being provided in said one surface of the wing and an outlet of a passage of the at least one other propulsive assembly being provided in said other surface of the wing and an inlet of a passage of at least one further propulsive assembly being provided in said one surface of the wing and an outlet of a passage of at least one propulsive assembly being provided in said trailing edge of the wing.