| CPC B64C 29/0016 (2013.01) | 12 Claims |
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1. An aircraft comprising:
at least two wings extending symmetrically outward from a fuselage of the aircraft toward a port end and a starboard end; and
an aileron located on a trailing edge of each wing;
nacelles positioned the port end and the starboard end of the aircraft, each nacelle comprising:
a fan with blades extending from a center of the fan toward a peripheral, annular member, said blades that twist and point at an angle to axially;
an impeller casing having a radial discharge nozzle and an axial intake port located near the fan;
an impeller housed within the impeller casing, said impeller comprising vanes (i) extending from an internal side of the impeller casing to an external side of the impeller casing, (ii) attached to the peripheral, annular member at the external side of the impeller casing, and (iii) having substantially axially oriented surfaces; and
a cowling removable such that the vanes can be accessed without having to remove any other surfaces of the impeller casing;
wherein operation of the impeller creates a flow path for a fluid wherein:
the fluid enters the nacelles at the port end and the starboard end of the aircraft via the axial intake port in a substantially axial direction that is perpendicular to a rotational plane of the fan;
the fluid accelerates due to a centrifugal force caused by rotation of the blades and the vanes; and
the fluid exits the nacelle via the discharge nozzle in a substantially radial direction oriented approximately ninety degrees from the substantially axial direction; and
wherein the nacelles are rotatable with respect to the wing from a lift position with the discharge nozzle configured to discharge the fluid downward to a thrust position with the discharge nozzle configured to discharge the fluid aftward.
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