Ultra-rapid air vehicle and related method for aerial locomotion

1. An air vehicle including a fuselage (F), a gothic delta wing (A) distributed on either side of the fuselage, and a system of motors (TB 1 , TB 2 , ST 1 , ST 2 , Mf) able to propel the air vehicle, wherein:

the fuselage contains a tank (Rv) of hydrogen, wherein the hydrogen is liquid or in the state of slush, and one or more liquid oxygen tanks (RO 1 , RO 2 );

the gothic delta wing (A) has a flat upper surface and a flat lower surface, and a wing root which starts roughly in an area where a forward part of the fuselage broadens;

a fin (a 1 , a 2 ) is attached to each outer end of the trailing edge of the delta wing using a cylindrical part the axis of which is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the fuselage, where each fin consists of two roughly identical trapezoid-shaped elements attached to the cylindrical part and located in the same plane, on either side of the cylindrical part, wherein each cylindrical part is able to rotate around its axis such that both trapezoid-shaped elements which are attached to the cylindrical part are positioned either in a plane parallel to the plane of the gothic delta wing, or in a plane perpendicular to the gothic delta wing; and

the system of motors includes at least one turbojet (TB 1 , TB 2 ) positioned in a forward portion of the fuselage and able to be retracted into the fuselage, at least one fixed-geometry ramjet (ST 1 , ST 2 ), and one rocket motor (Mf) positioned within a rear part of the fuselage, wherein a door (D) located in the rear part of the fuselage is able to be opened or closed, respectively to expose the rocket motor to the exterior, or to isolate the rocket motor from the exterior.

2. The air vehicle according to claim 1 , in which the fuselage (F) consists of a front segment or nose, which extends a cabin segment and has a section which gradually broadens from the cabin segment, and of a rear segment, which gradually narrows towards the rear of the air vehicle.

3. The air vehicle according to claim 1 , in which the centre of mass of each liquid oxygen tank (RO 1 , RO 2 ) is positioned, whether empty or full, close to the centre of mass of the air vehicle.

4. The air vehicle according to claim 1 , in which the rocket motor consists of a single motor or of a main motor accompanied by one or more auxiliary motors.

5. The air vehicle according to claim 1 , in which the at least one fixed-geometry ramjet (ST 1 , ST 2 ) comprises two ramjets that are located under the gothic delta wing, on either side of the fuselage.

6. The air vehicle according claim 1 , in which the vehicle has a leading edge sweep of roughly between 70° and 75°.

7. The air vehicle according to claim 1 , in which the rocket motor (Mf) is a motor with continuously variable thrust or a fractional-thrust motor.

8. A method for aerial locomotion using the air vehicle in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the method includes a phase of takeoff of the vehicle, wherein the takeoff phase includes the following steps:

a step of taxiing of the vehicle on the ground, during which the vehicle is propelled by the at least one turbojet (TB 1 , TB 2 ) to reach a point of alignment (p 1 ), where both trapezoid-shaped elements of both fins (a 1 , a 2 ) are positioned in a plane parallel to the gothic delta wing;

a step of opening or of verification of a state of opening of the door (D) located at the rear of the vehicle; and

a step of takeoff, during which the air vehicle is propelled simultaneously by the at least one turbojet (TB 1 , TB 2 ), and by the rocket motor (Mf), wherein the vehicle is gradually brought into a phase of near-vertical ascending flight by a thrust deployed by the rocket motor (Mf), such that the vehicle reaches and exceeds MACH 1 speed during the ascending flight phase, wherein the at least one turbojet (TB 1 , TB 2 ) is shut down and withdrawn into the fuselage (F) before the MACH 1 speed is reached, and wherein the positions of both trapezoid-shaped elements of both fins (a 1 , a 2 ) of the air vehicle are gradually brought into a plane perpendicular to the plane of the gothic delta wing after the vehicle reaches and/or exceeds MACH 1 speed.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further including a step during which the vehicle is gradually brought into a level flight, and in that, with the rocket motor shut down and made streamlined by complete closure of the door, and at least one ramjet ignited, the vehicle enters into a cruising flight phase after it reaches the level flight.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the vehicle accomplishes, in the level flight, a loop turning back towards a point of departure before entering into the cruising flight phase.

11. A method for aerial locomotion using the air vehicle in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the method includes a phase of landing of the air vehicle from a cruising flight corridor in which the air vehicle is propelled by a thrust of the at least one fixed-geometry ramjet, wherein the positions of both trapezoid-shaped elements of both fins (a 1 , a 2 ) are brought into a plane perpendicular to the gothic delta wing, wherein the air vehicle's landing phase includes the following steps:

shutdown of the at least one fixed-geometry ramjet (ST 1 , ST 2 );

the air vehicle comprising split flaps, gradual deployment of said split flaps which bring the air vehicle into a descent phase in a steep gradient with a reducing transonic near-vertical speed;

modification of the position of both trapezoid-shaped elements of both fins (a 1 , a 2 ) so as to position the said elements in a plane parallel to the plane of the gothic delta wing, after the speed of the air vehicle reaches and/or becomes less than MACH 1 speed;

gradual closure of said split flaps and deployment of the at least one fixed-geometry ramjet, after the speed of the air vehicle becomes less than MACH 1; and

insertion of the air vehicle into standard air traffic.

12. The method according to claim 11 , in which the phase of descent with a steep gradient is accomplished either with an angle of attack, or with a near-zero angle of attack.

13. The method according to claim 9 , in which the cruising flight is characterised by:

an altitude of the aircraft relative to the ground of roughly between 30000 m and 35000 m;

a dissipation distance of a shockwave of a nose of the air vehicle of roughly between 110 km and 175 km;

a speed of the aircraft of between Mach 4 and Mach 4.5; and

a aperture angle (α) of a Mach cone of roughly between 11° and 15°.