John B Pande
Land Surveyors in Sandy, UT

5405104, Apr 11, 1995

Jan 4, 1993

8/001739

John B. Pande - Sandy UT

B64C 2724, B64C 1106, B64C 1132

244 7A

This invention is directed to stopped rotor Flipped Airfoil X-wing (FAX-WING. sup. TM. ) aircraft which comprises: (a) A rotary wing flight mode which operates similar to a helicopter, wherein all main rotor airfoils rotate with leading edges into the oncoming airstream (neglecting forward motion) to provide lift, and utilize an anti-torque rotor to cancel main rotor torque. The fixed wing flight mode, including supersonic flight, utilizes all stationary main rotor airfoils for primary lift, such that all airfoil leading edges are positioned forward, meeting the oncoming airstream generated by forward aircraft motion. Two airfoils are forward swept 45 degrees, and the other two airfoils are aft swept 45 degrees. The transition mode for converting from rotary wing to fixed wing flight, and vise-versa, causes two adjacent airfoils to flip 180 degrees (in approximately 1/16 second) about their pitch axis, such that all airfoils have leading edges in the correct orientation for a particular flight mode. (b) Rotating flywheel inertia mass(es) capable of being coupled to the main rotor airfoils, via a flywheel clutch, for the purpose of rapidly starting or stopping airfoil angular rotation (in approximately 1 second) without applying adverse torque to the aircraft fuselage, and a spin up/spin down mechanism for applying angular momentum to the flywheel inertia mass(es) at gradual rates such that the anti-torque rotor and/or rudder can cancel torque.