Compound helicopter with a fixed wing arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11148792-B2
Application number	US-201916594399-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 7, 2019
Priority date	Nov 7, 2018
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

A compound helicopter with a fuselage and at least one main rotor that is at least adapted for generating lift in operation, the at least one main rotor being arranged in an upper region of the fuselage, wherein at least one propeller is provided that is at least adapted for generating forward and/or backward thrust in operation. The at least one propeller is mounted to a fixed wing arrangement that is laterally attached to the fuselage, the fixed wing arrangement comprising at least one upper wing and at least one lower wing. An upper wing section arrangement is provided in the upper region of the fuselage, the at least one upper wing of the fixed wing arrangement being mounted to the upper wing section arrangement.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A compound helicopter with at least one main rotor that is operably coupled to an associated main gear box and at least adapted for generating lift in operation, the helicopter comprising:
a fuselage with a lower region and an upper region that is opposed to the lower region, the at least one main rotor and the associated main gear box being arranged in the upper region,
an upper wing section arrangement provided in an upper region of the fuselage, wherein the upper wing section arrangement comprises at least one upper wing section,
a fixed wing arrangement that is laterally attached to the fuselage, the fixed wing arrangement comprising at least one upper wing and at least one lower wing which are at least interconnected at an interconnection region and which are respectively connected to the fuselage, wherein the at least one upper wing of the fixed wing arrangement is mounted to the fuselage via the upper wing section of the upper wing section arrangement, and
at least one propeller that is at least adapted for generating forward and/or backward thrust in operation, wherein each propeller is mounted to an associated interconnection region.

2. The compound helicopter of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one upper wing of the fixed wing arrangement is mounted to the upper wing section arrangement by means of a hinged connection or a clamped connection.

3. The compound helicopter of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one upper wing of the fixed wing arrangement is rigidly attached to the upper wing section arrangement.

4. The compound helicopter of claim 1 ,
wherein the upper wing section arrangement comprises at least one starboard side upper wing section and at least one portside upper wing section, wherein the at least one upper wing of the fixed wing arrangement is mounted to one of the at least one starboard side upper wing section or the at least one portside upper wing section.

5. The compound helicopter of claim 4 ,
wherein the at least one starboard side upper wing section and the at least one portside upper wing section are interconnected by means of an associated center wing box that is arranged in the upper region of the fuselage.

6. The compound helicopter of claim 4 ,
wherein the upper wing section arrangement is an integral part of the fuselage.

7. The compound helicopter of claim 4 ,
wherein the associated center wing box comprises at least one front spar and at least one aft spar, wherein at least one of the at least one front spar or the at least one aft spar is implemented by a main frame of the fuselage that supports the main gear box.

8. The compound helicopter of claim 7 ,
wherein each one of the at least one starboard side upper wing section and the at least one portside upper wing section comprises at least one upper wing front spar and at least one upper wing aft spar, the at least one upper wing front spar being connected to the at least one front spar of the associated center wing box, and the at least one upper wing aft spar being connected to the at least one aft spar of the associated center wing box.

9. The compound helicopter of claim 8 ,
wherein the at least one upper wing front spar is an integral part of the at least one front spar of the associated center wing box, and that the at least one upper wing aft spar is an integral part of the at least one aft spar of the associated center wing box.

10. The compound helicopter of claim 1 ,
wherein the upper wing section arrangement comprises at least one equipment compartment that is provided for accommodating a rescue hoist or a life raft.

11. The compound helicopter of claim 1 ,
wherein a lower wing section arrangement is provided in the lower region of the fuselage, wherein the at least one lower wing of the fixed wing arrangement is mounted to the lower wing section arrangement.

12. The compound helicopter of claim 11 ,
wherein the lower stub wing arrangement comprises at least one starboard side lower wing section and at least one portside lower wing section, wherein the at least one lower wing of the fixed wing arrangement is removably mounted to one of the at least one starboard side lower wing section or the at least one portside lower wing section by means of a hinged connection or a clamped connection.

13. The compound helicopter of claim 11 ,
wherein the lower wing section arrangement comprises at least one starboard side lower wing section and at least one portside lower wing section, wherein the at least one lower wing of the fixed wing arrangement is rigidly attached to one of the at least one starboard side lower wing section or the at least one portside lower wing section.

14. The compound helicopter of claim 12 ,
wherein a wheel-type main landing gear is provided, the wheel-type main landing gear being mounted to the at least one starboard side lower wing section and the at least one portside lower wing section, adjacent to the at least one lower wing of the fixed wing arrangement.

15. The compound helicopter of claim 14 ,
wherein the wheel-type main landing gear is at least partly retractable into the at least one starboard side lower wing section and the at least one portside lower wing section in operation.

16. The compound helicopter of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one upper wing of the fixed wing arrangement is removably mounted to the upper wing section arrangement.

17. A compound helicopter comprising:
a fuselage with a lower region and an upper region that is opposed to the lower region;
a main rotor operably coupled to a main gear box and adapted for generating lift in operation, the main rotor and the main gear box arranged in the upper region of the fuselage;
an upper wing section arrangement in the upper region of the fuselage, the upper wing section arrangement having a starboard upper wing section and a port upper wing section each extending laterally outwardly from the upper region of the fuselage to respective outer ends;
a starboard fixed wing arrangement with a starboard upper wing and a starboard lower wing interconnected to one another at an interconnection region, the starboard upper wing and the starboard lower wing each connected to the fuselage, wherein the starboard upper wing is mounted to the fuselage via the starboard upper wing section at the outer end thereof;
a port fixed wing arrangement with a port upper wing and a port lower wing interconnected to one another at an interconnection region, the port upper wing and the port lower wing each connected to the fuselage, wherein the port upper wing is mounted to the fuselage via the port upper wing section at the outer end thereof;
a starboard propeller mounted to the interconnection region of the starboard fixed wing arrangement, the starboard propeller adapted for generating forward and/or backward thrust in operation; and
a port propeller mounted to the interconnection region of the port fixed wing arrangement, the port propeller adapted for generating forward and/or backward thrust in operation.

18. A compound helicopter of claim 17 wherein the starboard upper wing section and the port upper wing section are each covered by an upper skin and a lower skin.

19. A compound helicopter of claim 17 further comprising a front spar and an aft spar, each of the front and aft spars extending from the outer end of the starboard upper wing section to the outer end of the port upper wing section through the upper region of the fuselage, wherein the front and aft spars form a main frame of the fuselage and support the m

Assignees

• Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH

Inventors

• Blacha Martin

Classifications

• B64C1/26

  Attaching the wing or tail units or stabilising surfaces · CPC title

• B64C27/26 Primary

  characterised by provision of fixed wings · CPC title

• B64C39/068

  having multiple wings joined at the tips · CPC title

• B64C27/24

  with rotor blades fixed in flight to act as lifting surfaces · CPC title