Flying Compact

AERIAL COMPACT lets down over a vacation site. It can also land on water or snow.

OMORROW’S magic carpet may be a compact flying platform that operates on cheap low-octane fuel, requires neither drive shaft nor gears, and whose structure, mechanisms and controls are as simple as those of the old Tin Lizzie. It is a VTOL aircraft small enough to fit into the average two-car garage. It can take off from any lawn or driveway and fly in any direction—forward, backward or sideways—and can set down on any clear patch of ground, water, marsh or snow. This wonder craft is still a long way from the dealer’s showroom but considering the fantastic speed of today’s technological progress and the rapid developments in the turbine field, the family-size flying compact may not be

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By Frank Tinsley

ABOVE, cutaway shows general configuration of the aerial compact This version seats two passengers in rear compartment with pilot up front. Other versions range from one-man jobs to four-seaters. LEFT, cross-section of the dueled fan assembly. Air is drawn in through top grille, compressed and driven downward by fan past vanes which control direction of craft. BELOW, plan view showing the tubular structure in blade, Styrofoam “life-ring” body. In grey and powerplant and operating ducts in yellow. KEY: 1. gas turbine in inclined position; 2. air inlet; 3. turbine plenum chamber distributes pressurized gas to fans; 4. exhaust vents gas overflow; 5. operating ducts carry gas to the fans; 6. buckets on fans; 7. duct nozzles exhaust aft to provide more thrust; 8. protective grilles screen air flow; 9. control vanes below fans act as ailerons and as rudders; 10. tanks for fuel; 11. rear compartment for two has a sliding canopy for access; 12. pilot’s compartment up front; 13. hinged running boards over luggage bins; 14. moulded Styrofoam body provides flotation and acts as craft’s landing gear.

too far off as practical transportation. While there is nothing particularly new about dueted-fan flying platforms, to date all have relied on con-ventional belts, shafting or gear trains to transmit torque to their lifting fans Recently, however, an entirely new concept has appeared—the idea of fitting the fan-blade tips with “buck-ets” and turning the whole lifting unit into a king-size gas turbine that is an integral part of the jet engine powerplant. Hence, at a single stroke, the old torque-transmitting hardware is replaced with a simplegas duct that is light and vibration free. There is nothing to get out of order and nothing to wear out. The only thing that spins is a balanced fan with bucket-tipped blades. General Electric engineers are especially interested in the possibilities of this system. The company has developed a number of turbine lift-fan models and now has a working proto-type that has passed its static tests and is now undergoing wind tunnel tryouts. According to the engineers working on this project, the system shows great promise. Incorporating jet power and a variation of this GE fan with the advantages of a compact car, MI has designed a family-size flying compact. The vehicle is basically simple, consisting of a small centrally located engine that feeds its powerful exhaust to three ducted fans grouped in an enclosing triangle. This airplane-like configuration provides maximum stability on all flight axes and permits the use of a vertical version of stand-ard airplane controls. Pressurized gas collected in a plenum chamber at the lower end of the vertically mounted jet engine is distributed equally to all the fans. By means of a diverter valve this gas flow to the fans can be regulated or cut off entirely. Thus the engine can be switched on and run independently of the lift system. In this “neutral” setting the gas is exhausted through a bottom, nozzle. For take-off, the valve is gradually opened and an increasing portion of the gas flow is diverted into the ple-num chamber and thence to the fans. As the latter rev up, the craft eases off the ground and begins its climb. At the desired altitude the valve is set at Cruise and the control vanes moved to the “full

ahead” position. Recently, however, an entirely new concept has appeared—the idea of fitting the fan-blade tips with “buckets” and turning the whole lifting unit into a king-size gas turbine that is an integral part of the jet engine powerplant. Hence, at a single stroke the old torqueTwo of these vane units are mounted below the fans in the lower end of each fan duct. One unit is set in a fore-andaft line and the other laterally. In operation, air is sucked into the upper inlet of the duct, compressed by the fans and discharged in a high-speed, downward stream. As the stream passes the vanes they function as vertical rudders and divert the airflow in the desired .direction. The resulting pressures drive the machine on its course. By setting the lateral vanes at a rearward angle, the car is driven forward; by tilting the longitudinal units the craft moves to one side or the other. A combination of the two positions can propel the machine toward any point of the compass. The structure consists of a cruciform frame of welded steel tubing. The cabin sits at the forward end of the frame’s longitudinal member with the engine and “tail” fan-duct assembly behind it. The two “wing” ducts are mounted in the ends of the crosspiece. Enclosing the fan ducts and structural elements is a streamlined “life-ring” of molded Styrofoam which acts as flotation gear and a landing pad. At low power the machine skims over the ground on a cushion of compressed air, so no wheels are necessary. The craft has a full-visibility, glassenclosed cabin, bucket seats, ample leg room and capacious luggage compartments. A pair of powerful headlights can be tilted downward for night landings, and combination navigation lights on the “wing-tips” automatically signal stops and turns. Packed in a quick-opening casing at the rear end of the cabin enclosure is a parachute capable of lowering the vehicle in event of engine failure. The savings achieved by eliminating transmission, springs, running gear, etc., from these craft may soon put flying compacts within the reach of the average American family.