Embodiments are directed to a selectable drive system that allows a rotor gearbox to send torque to a proprotor assembly and/or through a multiplier planetary gear set to a pylon-mounted ducted fan thrust unit. The rotor drive system may be a stop-fold system in which rotor blades can be folded when not rotating. This allows a normally idle lift engine to provide additional aircraft thrust during cruise where an aircraft is typically using only a dedicated thrust engine for high speed flight. An inline engage/disengage actuator or “shift fork” on the rotor gearbox is used to select the torque-output direction. The multiplier planetary gear set increases the output RPM that is received from the rotor gearbox and that is applied to the thrust fan unit.
LIFT ENGINE AUXILIARY THRUST SYSTEM FOR STOP FOLD AIRCRAFT
2021-08-19
Patent
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch
IPC: | B64C AEROPLANES , Flugzeuge |
Lift engine auxiliary thrust system for stop fold aircraft
Europäisches Patentamt | 2022
|Extensions of lift/thrust engine principle in V/STOL aircraft
Engineering Index Backfile | 1962
|Optimum Lift/Thrust System for ESTOL Aircraft
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2008
|Thrust response -- Lift engine problem
Engineering Index Backfile | 1966
|