Integrated float-wing
An aircraft which includes a float-wing having a leading edge, a trailing edge, and an airfoil shape to produce aerodynamic lift when the float-wing flows through air at a lift-producing angle of attack in a forward flight mode of operation. The float-wing further includes a submersible portion that includes at least the trailing edge and which is constructed of materials and in a shape selected to produce a buoyancy force sufficient to prevent at least a non-submersible portion of the aircraft from being submersed under conditions in which the aircraft is in a waterborne non-flight position in which at least the trailing edge of the float-wing is submersed but at least the non-submersible portion of the aircraft is not submersed.
1. An aircraft, comprising:
a float-wing having a leading edge and a trailing edge, the float-wing further having an airfoil shape to produce aerodynamic lift when the float-wing flows through air at a lift-producing angle of attack in a forward flight mode of operation; and
the float-wing further includes a submersible portion of the float-wing that includes at least the trailing edge and which is constructed of materials and in a shape selected to produce a buoyancy force sufficient to prevent at least a non-submersible portion of the aircraft from being submersed under conditions in which the aircraft is in a waterborne non-flight position in which at least the trailing edge of the float-wing is submersed but at least the non-submersible portion of the aircraft is not submersed;
wherein the float-wing is a rotatable wing configured to rotate about a fuselage of the aircraft to transition between the forward flight mode of operation and a hovering mode of operation.
2. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein the float-wing is one or more of the following: a bi-plane wing, an annular wing, or an H-shaped wing.
3. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , further comprising a fixed tail wing.
4. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein:
in the hovering mode of operation, one or more rotors connected to the rotatable wing are positioned to rotate in a horizontal plane;
in the forward flight mode of operation, the rotors connected to the rotatable wing are positioned to rotate in a vertical plane; and
the float-wing transitions between the hovering mode of operation and the forward flight mode of operation by rotating about a bearing coupling the float-wing to the fuselage.
5. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein:
in the hovering mode of operation, one or more rotors connected to the rotatable wing are positioned to rotate in a horizontal plane;
in the forward flight mode of operation, the rotors connected to the rotatable wing are positioned to rotate in a vertical plane; and
at least some of the rotors are connected to the leading edge of the rotatable wing.
6. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the float-wing is a rotatable bi-plane wing;
in the hovering mode of operation, one or more rotors connected to the rotatable bi-plane wing are positioned to rotate in a horizontal plane;
in the forward flight mode of operation, the rotors connected to the rotatable bi-plane wing are positioned to rotate in a vertical plane; and
at least some of the rotors are connected to the leading edge of the rotatable bi-plane wing.
7. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the float-wing is a rotatable annular wing;
in the hovering mode of operation, one or more rotors connected to the rotatable annular wing are positioned to rotate in a horizontal plane;
in the forward flight mode of operation, the rotors connected to the rotatable annular wing are positioned to rotate in a vertical plane; and
at least some of the rotors are connected to the leading edge of the rotatable annular wing.
8. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the float-wing is a rotatable annular wing having a crossbar;
in the hovering mode of operation, one or more rotors connected to the rotatable annular wing are positioned to rotate in a horizontal plane;
in the forward flight mode of operation, the rotors connected to the rotatable annular wing are positioned to rotate in a vertical plane; and
at least some of the rotors are connected to a leading edge of the crossbar.
9. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the float-wing is a rotatable annular wing having a crossbar and a ring-shaped part;
in the hovering mode of operation, one or more rotors connected to the rotatable annular wing are positioned to rotate in a horizontal plane;
in the forward flight mode of operation, the rotors connected to the rotatable annular wing are positioned to rotate in a vertical plane;
at least some of the rotors are connected to the leading edge of the crossbar; and
at least some of the rotors are connected to the leading edge of the ring-shaped part.
10. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the float-wing is a rotatable H-shaped wing;
in the hovering mode of operation, one or more rotors connected to the rotatable H-shaped wing are positioned to rotate in a horizontal plane;
in the forward flight mode of operation, the rotors connected to the rotatable H-shaped wing are positioned to rotate in a vertical plane; and
at least some of the rotors are connected to the leading edge of the rotatable H-shaped wing.
11. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein the float-wing includes an inflatable exterior with drop stitching between a first surface and a second surface of the inflatable exterior.
12. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein the float-wing includes:
an inflatable exterior with drop stitching between a first surface and a second surface of the inflatable exterior; and
an insert which is inserted into the inflatable exterior.
13. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein the float-wing includes:
an inflatable exterior with drop stitching between a first surface and a second surface of the inflatable exterior; and
an insert which is inserted into the inflatable exterior, wherein:
in the hovering mode of operation, one or more rotors connected to the rotatable wing are positioned to rotate in a horizontal plane;
in the forward flight mode of operation, the rotors connected to the rotatable wing are positioned to rotate in a vertical plane; and
at least some of the rotors are connected to the leading edge of the rotatable wing.
14. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein the float-wing includes:
an inflatable exterior with drop stitching between a first surface and a second surface of the inflatable exterior; and
an insert which is inserted into the inflatable exterior, wherein:
the float-wing is a rotatable bi-plane wing;
in the hovering mode of operation, one or more rotors connected to the rotatable bi-plane wing are positioned to rotate in a horizontal plane;
in the forward flight mode of operation, the rotors connected to the rotatable bi-plane wing are positioned to rotate in a vertical plane; and
at least some of the rotors are connected to the leading edge of the rotatable bi-plane wing.
15. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein the float-wing includes:
an inflatable exterior with drop stitching between a first surface and a second surface of the inflatable exterior; and
an insert which is inserted into the inflatable exterior, wherein:
the float-wing is a rotatable annular wing;
in the hovering mode of operation, one or more rotors connected to the rotatable annular wing are positioned to rotate in a horizontal plane;
in the forward flight mode of operation, the rotors connected to the rotatable annular wing are positioned to rotate in a vertical plane; and
at least some of the rotors are connected to the leading edge of the rotatable annular wing.
16. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein the float-wing includes:
an inflatable exterior with drop stitching between a first surface and a second surface of the inflatable exterior; and
an insert which is inserted into the inflatable exterior, wherein:
the float-wing is a rotatable annular wing which in turn includes a crossbar;
in the hovering mode of operation, one or more rotors connected to the rotatable annular wing are positioned to rotate in a horizontal plane;
in the forward flight mode of operation, the rotors connected to the rotatable annular wing are positioned to rotate in a vertical plane; and
at least some of the rotors are connected to the leading edge of the crossbar.
17. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein the float-wing includes:
an inflatable exterior with drop stitching between a first surface and a second surface of the inflatable exterior; and
an insert which is inserted into the inflatable exterior, wherein:
the float-wing is a rotatable annular wing which in turn includes a crossbar and a ring-shaped part;
in the hovering mode of operation, one or more rotors connected to the rotatable annular wing are positioned to rotate in a horizontal plane;
in the forward flight mode of operation, the rotors connected to the rotatable annular wing are positioned to rotate in a vertical plane;
at least some of the rotors are connected to the leading edge of the crossbar; and
at least some of the rotors are connected to the leading edge of the ring-shaped part.
18. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein the float-wing includes:
an inflatable exterior with drop stitching between a first surface and a second surface of the inflatable exterior; and
an insert which is inserted into the inflatable exterior, wherein:
the float-wing is a rotatable H-shaped wing;
in the hovering mode of operation, one or more rotors connected to the rotatable H-shaped wing are positioned to rotate in a horizontal plane;
in the forward flight mode of operation, the rotors connected to the rotatable H-shaped wing are positioned to rotate in a vertical plane; and
at least some of the rotors are connected to the leading edge of the rotatable H-shaped wing.