Rotorcraft with variable incident wing
A twin-rotor side-by-side compound rotorcraft has a fuselage and variable incident wing assembly that pivots relative to fuselage. The aircraft also has landing gear assembly and a tail fin assembly. The variable incident wing assembly is pivotally attached to the fuselage, and includes wing members, engines fixedly mounted to the wing members or another area of the rotorcraft, and a mast attached at a fixed angle relative to the wing members. Then engines may also be located near the fuselage or another area of the rotorcraft. The variable incident wing assembly is capable of pivoting about a pivot axis, thereby allowing mast orientation in at least a hover mast position and a forward flight mast position. The rotors provide additional forward thrust and the wings provide additional lift, when the mast is in the forward flight mast position.
1. An aircraft, comprising:
a fuselage;
a landing gear assembly attached to the fuselage;
a tail fin assembly attached to the fuselage; and
a variable incident wing assembly pivotally attached to the fuselage by being capable of pivoting about a pivot axis, the variable incident wing assembly comprising:
wing members pivotally connected to the fuselage, the wing members having a wing chord;
engines fixedly mounted to the wing members;
a mast attached to each engine via a transmission, each mast being fixed at an angle relative to the wing chord of the wing members, the mast being fixedly positioned relative the wing members such that when the wing chord is oriented substantially horizontal, the mast is tiltedly positioned forward from vertical at said angle, but when the mast is oriented vertically, the wing chord is rotationally oriented upward by said angle from horizontal; and
a rotor attached to each mast.
2. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein said angle is approximately 25 degrees.
3. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the aircraft is a troop transport type rotorcraft.
4. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the aircraft is a military gunship type rotorcraft.
5. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the aircraft is a commercial transport type rotorcraft.
6. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the engines are mounted near tips of the wing members.
7. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the rotors provide propulsive forward thrust when the mast is in a forward flight mast position.
8. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the wing members provide lift augmentation when the mast is in a forward flight mast position.