Float ducts and floor panel
An aircraft includes a float which provides buoyancy when the aircraft floats on a surface of water. The aircraft also includes a rotor where the rotor is configured to rotate in a horizontal plane and blow a wake across a side of the float. The rotor and the float are positioned relative to each other such that there is no aerodynamic separation between the wake blown by the rotor and the side of the float.
1. An aircraft, comprising:
a first float which provides buoyancy when the aircraft floats on a surface of water, wherein the first float includes:
a planar bottom surface; and
a side surface that is inwardly sloping within a range of 0 to 7 degrees, inclusive, for at least some part of the side surface;
an unshielded rotor, wherein:
the unshielded rotor is configured to rotate in a horizontal plane and blow a wake across a side of the first float; and
the unshielded rotor and the first float are positioned relative to each other such that there is no aerodynamic separation between the wake blown by the unshielded rotor and the side of the first float;
an arm configured to hold the unshielded rotor such that the unshielded rotor and the first float overlap in a horizontal direction and the unshielded rotor and the first float have a separation in a vertical direction, wherein the unshielded rotor is a downward-facing, unshielded rotor where a portion of the arm that extends horizontally outward from the aircraft is above the unshielded rotor; and
a floor panel configured to form a pocket which captures a reflected wake after the wake is reflected off of the surface of the water, wherein the first float, a second float, and the floor panel are coupled such that a first side wall of the pocket includes the first float, a second side wall of the pocket includes the second float, and a ceiling of the pocket includes the floor panel.
2. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein the unshielded rotor is connected to the arm at a fixed position and the aircraft maneuvers by adjusting a rotational speed of the unshielded rotor.
3. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein the side of the first float across which the wake is blown includes one or more of the following:
a concave portion across which the wake is blown or a convex portion across which the wake is blown.
4. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein:
The first float includes an original float and a float attachment; and
the wake is blown across the side of the float attachment.
5. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the first float includes an original float and a float attachment;
the wake is blown across the side of the float attachment; and
the original float and the unshielded rotor do not overlap in a horizontal direction.
6. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the first float includes an original float and a float attachment;
the wake is blown across the side of the float attachment; and
the float attachment includes a slit which points toward an interior of the aircraft.
7. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the floor panel is a floor panel attachment which is connected to a float attachment;
the first float includes an original float and the float attachment; and
the wake is blown across the side of the float attachment.
8. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the floor panel is a floor panel attachment which is connected to a float attachment;
the first float includes an original float and the float attachment;
the wake is blown across the side of the float attachment; and
the original float and the unshielded rotor do not overlap in the horizontal direction.
9. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the floor panel is a floor panel attachment which is connected to a float attachment;
the first float includes an original float and the float attachment;
the wake is blown across the side of the float attachment; and
the float attachment includes a slit which points toward an interior of the aircraft.