US1987050A - Tailless airplane - Google Patents

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Jan- 1935. v. J. BURNELLI TAILLESS AIRPLANE Filed Feb. 23, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1 Wit INVENTOR ATTORNEY Filed Feb. 25, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 VENTOR ATTORN EY Patented Jan. s, 1935 I 1 1,987,050-

UNITED STATES'PATENT OFFICE 1,987,050 'rmmss AIRPLANE Vincent J. Burnelli, New' York, N. Y., asslgnor to Burnelli Aircraft, Ltd., Dover, DeL, a corporation of Delaware Application February 23, 1933, Serial No. 658,118

4 Claims". 01. 244-14) This invention relatesto airplanes and my presbeing here indicated as having a degree of di- I ent improvements are directed particularly to the hedral angle.

production of an all-wing tailless machine which Whilst the central section, whose span and is characterized as having a large amount of inchord may encompass a lift area in excess of the herent stability, and which possesses a minimum combined lift areas of the lateral wing sections, 5

of drag inducing features. has a leadingedge 3 that is at right angles with Primarily my improvements are intended to the longitudinal centre through the wing, the

be applied in the embodiment of a large sized airleading edges 4 of thelateral sections 2 are rearplane, capable of carrying an unusual number of wardly inclined, to have a swept-back effect, and,

, passengers, or other considerable load, and to be since thetrailing edge 5 for the entire wing is ap- 10 I tour throughout its span and chord. usual outrigged stabilizer.

powered by a plurality of engines and propellers. proximatelyP 1 with the ad 518 3 t The general idea involved comprehends the profollows that thelateral sections 2 have an outvision of a wing composed of a wide central secwardly diminishing chord, whereby the centre of tion, and lateral extending sections whose leading pressure for said lateral sections, indicated at 6, is

' edges are swept-back, and'have dihedral angle, in normal flight attitude of the wing, rearward 5 while the trailing edge of the sections is in a of the centre ofpressure 7 for the central seccontinuous, unbroken line. The sections are unition. By these means a righting couple is providfied to constitute a single wing, whose upper sured that accords a degree of longitudinal S i y face is unbroken and has continuous airfoil conwhich enables the airplane to dispense with the The undersurface of the wing, at its central The horizontal'rudder or elevator indicated section, is lowered to increase the depth of said at 8 is provided at the trailing edge of the censection, for load accommodation, whilst enablingtral section 1, and itstrailing edge 5a is conterthe lateral sections to be of less height at their minous with thetrailing edge 5.

2 roots and to taper outwardly, for high speed pur- It will be noted that the base 9 of thecentral poses. section is depressed below the under surface of The lateral sections, being swept-back at their the lateral sections -2 to deepen said central secleading edges have their centres of pressure reartion so that it may have suflicient height for paswardly of the centre of. pressure of the central senger and load accommodation, and the thus section in normal flight, thus providing arighting deepened portion is provided withside walls 10 30 couple that imparts a degree of longitudinal stathat may have windows and doors (not herein bility to the wing, without the use of a longi shown). tudinally outrigged stabilizer. Plural engines, (not shown) may be housed Included in and forming part of the trailing within the leading edge of the wing, and operate edge, at the rear of the central section, is anelepropellers 11 in, advance of said leading edge, 35

vator for vertical control, andvertical rudders housings 12 supporting the propeller shafts.

are placed at the wing tips, for lateral control,Vertical stabilizers 13 are shown as carried by the usual ailerons being included in the trailing the wing tips andvertical rudders 14 for lateral edge. control, are mounted on said stabilizers. Aile- Other features and advantages of myinvention rons 15 are also provided. 40 will hereinafter appear. The plan view of Fig. 5 and the perspective In the drawings: view of Fig. 6 have been drawn to clearly illus- Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved tailless trate the formation of my improved tailless'airairplane, partly broken away. plane in its complete formation and appearance- Fig. 2 isafront elevation thereof. A fundamental principle involved in my con- 46 Fig. 3 is a side view. ception of atailless airplane, devised along the Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view, explanatory of lines of the body or central portion itself being the relative positions of the centres of presa wing, as. announced in my earlier Patent No. sure. 1,758,498, is that wherein the central or body 50 Fig. 5 is an unbroken plan view. portion in my all-wing tailless airplane has a 50 Fig.6isaperspective view,infull, and surface of sufficient area to provide the main Fig. '7 is a bottom plan' view of the central lift for the airplane in flight, and so that the wing section. lateral wing sections may function particularly In said figures let 1 indicate the central wing in according additional lift for take-off, landsection and 2 the lateral wing sections, the latter ing purposes, and for stabilizing. 5P

. the entire wing. In practice I intend to accord the central or body section a lift area exceeding that of the combined areas of the lateral wing sections.

In the plan view of Fig. 'l I have shown the body or central section as provided with a pair of forward,retractible wheels 17, and with a pair of retractiblerear wheels 18, to aflord 4-point wheel supports, both the forward and rear wheels being connected to the under side of said body section in the vertical planes ofrespective bulkheads 19. a 1

Variations within the spirit and scope of my invention are equally comprehended by the foregoing disclosure.

I claim: 1. A tailless airplane comprising a continuous wing having a central section with plural engines at its entering edge, said section-at cruising and high speeds providing the major lift, and fixed, lateral, swept back stabilizing sections whose centre of pressure is located rearwardly of the centre of pressure of the central section.

2. A tailless airplane comprising a continuous wing having a central section with plural engines at its entering edge, the under surface of said central section being depressed equally throughout its width, said section at cruising and high speeds providing the major lift, and fixed, lateral, swept back stabilizing sections whose centre of pressure is located rearwardly of the centre of pressure of the central section.

3. A tailless airplane comprising a continuous wing having a central section with plural engines at its entering edge, said section at cruising and high speeds providing the major lift, and fixed, lateral, swept back stabilizing sections whose centre of pressure is located rearwardly of the centre of pressure of the central section, said wing having a continuous trailing edge, and an elevator, which forms the trailing edge of said central section, included in said continuous trailing edge.

4. A tailless airplane comprising a continuous wing having a central section withplural engines at its entering edge, said section at cruising and high speeds providing the major lift, fixed, lateral, swept back stabilizing sections whose centre of pressure is located rearwardly of the centre of pressure of the central section, and an elevator which forms the trailing edge of said central section.

VINCENT J. BURNELLJ.

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