Rotary Wing Aircraft Split Segmented Duct Shrouded Propeller Tail Assembly

This invention relates to an improved version of a vectored thrust ducted propeller tail assembly, sometimes referred to as a ring tail, for rotary wing aircraft in which a shrouded propeller contained within the tail duct incorporates provisions for deflecting the propeller slip stream emerging from the tail duct transversely of the aircraft for developing the lateral thrust forces necessary to counteract rotor torque and establish directional yaw control of the aircraft. Although highly effective for conventional helicopter types, a vectored thrust ducted propeller tail assembly configuration is particularly effective for use in compound helicopters in which the rotor is unloaded in the high forward speed range with lift being provided by the fixed wing and forward propulsion being provided by the thrust of the shrouded propeller.

The invention of this application is directed to improving the maneuvering agility of ring tail rotary wing aircraft, particularly yaw agility, which is of great importance in military rotary wing aircraft in which the aircraft must be turned to the proper heading in aiming its armament. Under combat conditions the ability to quickly change heading to the direction in which the armament must be aimed is often critical, hence military requirements necessitate military aircraft being able to establish an angular turning acceleration that will turn the aircraft 180 degrees in either direction within a few seconds under all flight conditions including those involving low rotor shaft torque and a power off mode of autorotation. Also, combat maneuvering agility is greatly improved by an ability to establish a high rate of acceleration or deceleration of aircraft speed along the line of flight.

Known shrouded propeller aircraft configurations, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,222,012 and 3,260,482 and the latest configuration of U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,932, incorporate a combination of propeller slip stream deflecting surfaces at the rear of the tail duct as will deflect the emerging propeller slip stream of a required intensity in a direction that the resulting thrust establishes a rotor torque counterbalancing couple of the necessary magnitude to maintain the desired aircraft heading. The torque applied to an aircraft by the rotor being opposite the direction of rotor rotation, in a rotary wing aircraft having a counterclockwise rotating rotor of the nature disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,932, the propeller slip stream is deflected to the left as it emerges from the exit side of the tail duct establishing a starboard thrust creating a rotor torque counterbalancing moment. The magnitude of the transversely directed thrust is established by the propeller pitch, this thrust provides yaw control as the thrust becomes equal to, greater than, or less than that required to counterbalance rotor torque. Initiating a counterclockwise or left turn for the counterclockwise rotating rotor aircraft of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,932 requires the propeller pitch be increased an amount as creates a starboard thrust greater than that required to counterbalance rotor torque. Similarly, a clockwise or right turn requires the propeller pitch be decreased to the degree that the generated starboard thrust is less than that required to counterbalance rotor torque. Therefore, the maximum rate of rotation that can be generated for a clockwise turn to the right is dependent upon the amount of rotor shaft torque that is being created to sustain the aircraft in flight under existing flight conditions. For certain flight conditions the amount of rotor shaft torque might not be sufficiently great to establish the required angular turning acceleration that would be required for combat maneuverability. Obviously, the counterclockwise or left turning maneuverability of a clockwise rotating rotor ring tail aircraft encounters the same limitations. Therefore, to develop angular turning accelerations needed for certain combat situations while the aircraft is in a hover mode under certain flight conditions, turning torque additional to the torque being developed by the rotor shaft can be required.

Combat maneuverability for military rotary wing aircraft also involves an ability to rapidly accelerate or decelerate the forward motion of the aircraft. The ring tail configuration of shrouded propeller ring tail aircraft of the nature of those disclosed in the previously mentioned patents have the capability of rapid acceleration while in the forward high speed mode through rapidly increasing propeller pitch but forward speed deceleration is dependent upon aircraft drag which is a fixed amount and must be supplemented if a retardation rate of speed greater than that provided by the aircraft drag is required for combat maneuvering.

This invention is a variation of prior known vectored thrust ducted propeller tail assemblies which greatly improves the maneuvering agility of rotary wing aircraft with respect to both turning rates in the direction of rotor torque when in the hovering flight mode and speed retardation rate when in the forward high speed flight mode. In lieu of the tail assembly disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,932 having a plurality of pivotally supported arcuate duct extension sectors stowable in a retracted position overlying one lateral sidewall of the duct and rotatable to an extended position forming an array lying rearwardly and obliquely of the duct for deflecting the emerging propeller slip stream to the left, the tail assembly of this invention has a pair of separately rotatable arcuate duct end sectors each stowable in a retracted position overlying a rear end portion of the lateral sidewall of opposite sides of the duct with the sectors being rotatable to alternative extended positions in which both arcuate sectors are positioned in an abutting, juxtaposed array that extends from the duct rear edge portions of either of the duct two opposite lateral sidewalls obliquely and transversely either to the right or the left across the rear of the duct so as to deflect the propeller slip stream either to the left or to the right as it emerges from the rear of the duct. A vertically extending rudder surface is supported from the duct for being swung to fully deflected positions transversely of the duct either to the right or to the left inside the internal diameters of the pair of duct extension sectors in their extended positions. The port thrust created by positioning the duct end sectors and rudder to their alternate positions as will deflect the propeller slip stream to the right supplements rotor torque and increases the rate at which an aircraft with a counterclockwise rotating rotor can turn to the right.

The pair of arcuate duct end sectors are also rotatable to a third extended position in which adjacent end portions of each of the pairs of sectors are in abutting adjacency behind the longitudinal centerline of the duct, thereby deflecting the propeller slip stream transversely of the duct in both directions as will diminish forward thrust and create high additional drag for rapid retardation of the aircraft in forward flight.

The primary object of this invention is to improve the maneuvering agility of shrouded propeller ring tail aircraft.

Another object of this invention is to provide turning torque in the direction of and additional to that of rotor torque of a rotary wing aircraft as will accelerate the turning rate of the aircraft in the direction of rotor torque.

Yet another object of this invention is to improve the rate at which the forward speed of a shrouded propeller ring tail aircraft can be retarded.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a counterclockwise rotor rotating rotary wing aircraft having the improved tail assembly contemplated by this invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation of the tail assembly of the aircraft of FIG. 1 with the tail assembly components positioned for a high cruising speed flight condition.

FIG. 3 is a horizontal cross-section along section lines 3--3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-section along section lines 4--4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a rear elevation of the tail assembly of the aircraft of FIG. 1 with the tail assembly components positioned for normal hovering flight conditions.

FIG. 6 is a horizontal cross-section along section lines 6--6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-section along section lines 7--7 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a rear elevation of the tail assembly of the aircraft of FIG. 1 with the tail assembly components positioned for a high rate right turn during hovering flight.

FIG. 9 is a horizontal cross-section along section lines 9--9 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a side elevation, partially in section, as viewed from the left of FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a rear elevation of the tail assembly of the aircraft of FIG. 1 with the tail assembly components positioned for rapid retardation of the aircraft in the forward flight condition.

FIG. 12 is a horizontal cross-section along section lines 12--12 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a side elevation, partially in section, as viewed from the left of FIG. 11.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of a control system for operating the tail assembly components of this invention.

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a compound rotary wing aircraft 15, generally similar to the shrouded propeller ring tail aircraft of the previously noted patents, in which a single rotor 16 is rotated counterclockwise by a rotor shaft 17 powered by an engine 18, fixed wings 19 extending outwardly from both sides of the fuselage 20 provide lift for forward flight under high speed cruising conditions with the rotor unloaded. The shrouded propeller or ring tail structure 21 comprises an annular duct 22 supported from the rear of the fuselage 20 by a horizontal stabilizer 23 and vertical stabilizer 24 with a controllable pitch propeller 25 powered by the engine 18 being mounted for rotation concentrically within the interior wall 26 of the annular duct 22. The yaw control components of the ring tail structure comprise a vertically extending rudder surface 27 pivotally supported from the duct for swinging motion to the left and right of the duct longitudinal axis rearwardly of the propeller and a pair of arcuate duct end sectors 28, 29 pivotally supported from the duct top and bottom centerlines for rotation about a vertical axis between the stowed position illustrated in FIG. 1 with each sector overlying a rear end portion of the lateral duct sidewall on each side of the duct and extended positions lying transversely and rearwardly of the duct interior as will subsequently be illustrated and described.

The ring tail structure and its slip stream deflecting components of this invention for establishing yaw control are best seen with reference to FIGS. 2-4 in which a pair of arcuate, semi-dome shaped, duct end sectors 28 and 29 each having a configuration and internal diameter as will conformingly overlie the duct rear wall portion 30 and 30a of each of the respective right and left lateral sidewalls of the duct. The duct end sectors are each pivotally connected at their top and bottom ends to the duct by pivotal connections 31 for rotation about a vertical axis between the retracted, stowed position of FIGS. 2-4 and extended positions lying rearwardly of the duct rear wall portion 30 and transversely of the duct interior in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 5-13 to be subsequently discussed. The slip stream deflecting rudder surface assembly 27, comprising a tandemly arranged pair of pivotally connected rudder panels 32, 33 is pivotally supported from the duct for rotation of the forward rudder panel 33 about a vertically extending axis. A middle portion of the forward rudder panel 32 is cut away along the line 34 to clear the propeller hub fairing 35. A linkage arrangement pivotally intercoupling the rudder panels 32, 33, of the nature disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,260,432, establishes relative angular movement between the two pivotally intercoupled rudder panels when the forward panel 32 is rotated, whereby the camber of the rudder surface assembly 27 is changed when the forward rudder panel 32 is rotated in either direction each side of the rudder neutral position of FIG. 2 with the rudder panels in alignment with the duct longitudinal axis.

An aerodynamic control surface comprising one component of the ring tail structure, not evident in FIG. 1, is a horizontal elevator surface assembly 36 comprising a fixed horizontal stabilizing member 37 extending horizontally across the duct interior between the duct rear end portions 30, 30a of opposite lateral sidewalls of the duct. A pair of moveable elevator surfaces 38, 38a are pivotally supported from the rear of the fixed stabilizer member 37 on each side of the propeller hub fairing 35 for rotation upwardly and downwardly to positions establishing aircraft pitching trim moments.

As discussed in considerable detail in prior referenced shrouded propeller aircraft patents, the components of a shrouded propeller ring tail structure which control the aircraft in yaw are positioned and controlled to different degrees by pilot operated controls, dependent upon the particular flight condition in which the aircraft is being sustained in flight, i.e. hovering or high speed cruising flight. For hovering flight the propeller slip stream deflecting surfaces are positioned as will deflect the emerging propeller slip stream in a direction as will establish a transversely directed thrust of the magnitude necessary for yaw control of the aircraft, the magnitude of this thrust being a function of the pitch of the propeller which is conventionally controlled by the amount of deflection of the pilot operated rudder pedals which, in this mode, have no significant effect on the rotative position of the rudder surface. For cruising high speed flight with the rotor unloaded and aircraft lift being largely provided by the fixed wings, the ring tail components are positioned such that the direction at which the propeller slip stream emerges from the duct is largely unaffected, the rudder surface being neutrally centered along the duct longitudinal axis and deflection of the pilot operated rudder pedals moving the rudder sufficiently from the neutral position to establish necessary yaw control. In this cruising mode the propeller pitch control is set in the high pitch range in developing aircraft forward thrust to the point at which the propeller can absorb maximum engine power. The modification of conventional shrouded propeller ring tail structures involved in this invention provides augmented thrust in the direction of rotor torque when an accelerated turn in this direction is needed and also provides augmentation of forward speed retardation when the aircraft is operating in the cruising speed mode in a manner which will improve aircraft maneuvering agility when the modified ring tail structure of this invention is positioned and controlled as explained below by the control system schematically indicated in FIG. 14.

The control system for the disclosed improved shrouded propeller ring tail structure of this invention establishes the positions and movements of the components of the improved ring tail structure relative to each other in coordination with the rotor swash plate pitch setting and positions of the aircraft aerodynamic control surfaces upon the pilot operating the cyclic and collective pitch controls and associated propeller pitch control switches during the full range of flight conditions as will provide a smooth and gradual transition between the hover and high speed cruising flight conditions of the aircraft. The components indicated schematically in FIG. 14 represent control system components equivalent to those described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,332,643 modified to incorporate provisions for coordinating movement of the duct end sectors 28, 29 and the rudder surface 27 along with propeller pitch settings as required to establish a high degree of agility and yaw control of the aircraft for all flight conditions from stationary hovering through high forward cruising speed and rapid speed retardation in the high cruising speed mode.

Referring to FIG. 14, with one exception, the pilot's controls are conventional in nature of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,332,643 comprising a cyclic control stick 39 for control of the aircraft attitude in pitch and roll, a collective pitch control lever 40 for control of the main rotor pitch collectively, a propeller pitch control beeper switch 41 for setting the propeller pitch in the high range required for high speed cruising or the low pitch range required for the hovering mode and normally mounted on the collective pitch control lever 40 and rudder pedals 42 for directional control of the aircraft in yaw. The additional pilot control is an agility maneuvering switch panel 43 for controlling the position of the duct end sectors 28, 29 as will improve maneuvering agility of the aircraft in the manner to be subsequently described. The control system components connected between the pilot's controls and the actuators for the main rotor swash plate, the propeller pitch control mechanism and the aircraft aerodynamic control services could be generally similar to those described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,332,643. In this system a rotor pitch mixing assembly 44 and rotor phase-out assembly 45 in series between the cyclic control stick 39 and the collective pitch control lever 40 transmit signals to the actuators 47, 47a and 47b of the rotor swash plate 46 establishing the cyclic and pitch settings of the main rotor 11. A primary control mixing unit 48, preferably in the nature of a computer which performs the functions of the rudder ratio control unit of U.S. Pat. No. 3,332,643 in establishing a variable ratio of pilot rudder pedal to propeller slip stream deflecting surface movement dependent upon whether the propeller pitch control beeper switch 41 is set in the low pitch range for hover flight or the high pitch range for high speed cruising flight, has an input connection from the propeller pitch control beeper switch 41 and is connected between a rudder pedal deflection indicator 42a and the actuator 49 of the rudder surface 27, the actuator 50 of the duct end sectors 28, 29 and the propeller pitch control actuator 51. The primary control mixing u it 48 also connects to the rotor phase-out assembly 45 to phase out rotor pitch signals received from the rotor pitch mixing assembly 44 and transmit signals to the actuator 52 of the movable elevator surfaces 38, 38a and the actuator 53 for the flaperon (aileron) in shifting aircraft attitude control in pitch and roll to the elevator and flaperon surfaces when the propeller pitch control beeper switch 41 is set in the high pitch range for high speed cruising flight. The pilot's agility maneuvering switch panel 43, the function of which will be subsequently explained and includes an actuating switch 55 and a sector decelerating switch 56, is connected between an accelerating right turn switch assembly 57 and the primary control mixing unit 48.

FIGS. 2-4, 5-7, 8-10 and 11-13 each illustrate different positions to which the propeller slip stream deflecting surfaces, comprising the duct end sectors 28, 29 and the rudder surface assembly 27, are deployed by the control system of FIG. 14 for establishing the varying degree of yaw control required of a rotary wing aircraft under varying flight and maneuvering situations.

FIGS. 2-4 illustrate the positions to which the slip stream deflecting surfaces are deployed when the aircraft is operating in the high speed cruising range with the rotor unloaded and forward aircraft thrust being provided by the shrouded propeller 25. With the propeller pitch control beeper switch 41 set in the high pitch range the primary control mixing unit 48 generates signals that deploy the duct end sectors 28, 29 to the illustrated stowed positions overlying the duct rear end portions 30, 30a of opposite duct lateral sidewalls, positions the rudder surface panels 32, 33 in the illustrated neutral position aligned along the duct longitudinal axis and establishes a direct ratio between rudder pedal and rudder surface deflection, whereby small amounts of rudder movement to the left and right of neutral establish yaw control at high speed cruising flight. The primary control mixing unit 48 phases out rotor pitch signals transmitted to the rotor swash plate 46 through the phase-out assembly 45 so that attitude control of the aircraft in pitch and roll is established by signals transmitted by movement of the cyclic control stick 39 to the actuators controlling the positions of the aerodynamic elevator surfaces 38, 38a and flaperons (ailerons) 54.

FIGS. 5-7 illustrate the positions to which the propeller slip stream surfaces are normally deployed when the aircraft is operating in hovering flight with aircraft lift supplied by the rotor which applies torque to the aircraft proportional to rotor shaft power, which in the illustrated aircraft is clockwise torque. With the propeller pitch control beeper switch 41 set in the low pitch range for hover flight the primary control mixing unit 48 generates signals to the duct end sector actuator 50 rotating the pair of duct end sectors 28, 29 to their normal extended positions, best seen in FIG. 6, in which both sectors are brought into an abutting, juxtaposed array as forms an arc extending from the outer edges of the duct rear wall portion 30 of the right lateral sidewall of the duct obliquely and transversely across the right half open end of the duct. Concurrently the mixing unit 48 generates signals to the rudder panel actuator 49 rotating the forward rudder panel 32, along with the pivotally intercoupled rear panel 33, to the illustrated clockwise fully deflected position. The juxtaposed array of abutting duct end sectors in their illustrated normal extended position, in conjunction with the highly cambered surface of the fully deflected rudder surface panels, establishes a smoothly curving channel extending rearwardly of the end of the duct through which the emerging propeller slip stream is deflected to the left establishing a starboard tail thrust of a magnitude required for aircraft yaw directional control. As previously noted in this normal hovering mode with the propeller pitch control beeper switch in the low pitch range, rudder pedal deflection generates proportional signals in the primary control mixing unit 48 as establishes propeller pitch sufficient to create the magnitude of starboard thrust required for yaw control in establishing the desired aircraft heading. Aircraft attitude control in pitch and roll is maintained in the conventional manner through pitch setting of the rotor swash plate 46 from signals passing through the phase-out assembly 45 from the rotor pitch mixing assembly 44 and generated by the position of the cyclic control stick 39.

As previously discussed, the maximum turning rate of a ring tail aircraft operating in a hover mode, with the propeller slip stream deflecting surfaces deployed in the normal hover position as will deflect the propeller slip stream in a direction counterbalancing rotor torque, e.g. the configuration disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,932 or FIGS. 5-7 of this application, is dependent upon the amount of rotor shaft torque being generated to sustain the aircraft under its current flight conditions. As an extreme example, if the aircraft is in a power off mode in autorotation the turning rate would be zero. FIGS. 8-10 illustrate the alternate high turning rate position to which the slip stream deflecting surfaces of the invention can be deployed for augmenting rotor torque to increase turning agility of the aircraft in the direction of rotor torque when operating under low rotor power. Referring to FIG. 14, closing the actuating switch 55 of the maneuver switch panel 53 connects one side of the accelerating turn switch assembly 57, located in the extreme right hand sector of rudder pedal throw, to the primary control mixing assembly 48. Upon applying a high degree of right rudder, the right side of the rudder pedal assembly 42 engages and closes the accelerating turn switch assembly 57 which generates a signal from the primary control mixing unit 48 to the duct end sector and rudder actuators 49, 50 that deploy the duct end sectors 28, 29 and the rudder panels 32, 33 to the alternate positions illustrated in FIGS. 8 10 opposite that of the normal extended and fully deflected positions illustrated in FIGS. 5-7. In this alternate position the propeller slip stream is deflected to the right of the duct which creates a port tail thrust that augments rotor torque and establishes a higher turning rate than can be generated by rotor torque. When hard right rudder is diminished sufficiently to open the accelerating turn rudder assembly 57, the primary control mixing unit 48 generates the normal hover flight signals for deploying the duct end sectors 28, 29 and rudder pedals 32, 33 to the normal hover position illustrated in FIGS. 5-7 for counterbalancing rotor torque to the degree required for yaw control.

FIGS. 11-13 illustrate another alternate extended position configuration to which the duct end sectors 28, 29 can be deployed for augmenting maneuverability of the aircraft for rapid deceleration of forward speed. In this alternate configuration the duct end sectors 28, 29 are deployed such that their adjacent edges are in an abutting or closely abutting relationship rearwardly of the duct in line with the duct longitudinal axis with the arcuate peripheral surfaces of each sector extending in opposite directions from the duct longitudinal axis toward and spaced from the respective duct rear wall portions 30, 30a creating a partial barrier spaced from and extending partially across the rear open end of the duct, thereby deflecting the propeller slip stream to the left and right as it emerges from the rear open end of the duct in reducing thrust and augmenting normal aircraft drag. The adjacent edge surfaces of the respective sectors 28, 29 can either be in an abutting relationship, as illustrated in FIGS. 10-13, or in a closely adjacent abutting relationship with a small gap between adjacent edge portions of the respective sectors. Deployment of the duct end sectors to the illustrated speed decelerating position is controlled by the two position sector decelerating switch 56 of the maneuver switch panel 53. Closing the actuating switch 55 connects the sector decelerating switch 56 to the primary control mixing assembly 48 which generates signals to the duct and sector actuator 50 that deploy the sectors to either the alternate, decelerating extended position of FIGS. 11-13 or the stowed cruising speed position of FIGS. 2-4 dependent upon which of the two positions in which the sector decelerating switch 56 is set. The rudder surface panels 32, 33 in this decelerating mode are in the normal neutral position established by the high pitch range setting of the propeller pitch control beeper switch 41 for cruise flight with any deflection motion of the rudder panels being established by deflection of the rudder pedals 42.

Obviously, control system configurations other than that described above can be used for deploying the described propeller slip stream deflecting surfaces to the positions illustrated in FIGS. 2-13. The separable duct end sectors 28, 29 need not be individual units and could each comprise a group of multiple nesting sectors of the nature of the elbow segments of U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,932 and the rudder surface 27 could comprise a single rudder panel or comprise three or more pivotally connected panels of the nature disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,260,482.

It should be understood that the foregoing disclosure involves a typical embodiment of the invention and that numerous modifications or alterations may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appendant claims.