US2734701A — Airplane with retractable variable-incidence wings

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US2734701A — Airplane with retractable variable-incidence wings; scanned drawings precede the patent heading. ·

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Feb. 14, 1956 W. E. HORTON 2,734,701
AIRPLANE WITH RETRACTABLE VARIABLE-INCIDENCE WINGS
Filed May 13, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1

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Wii.iam E. Heeron,
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Page 2

Feb. 14, 1956 W. E, HORTON 2,734,701

AIRPLANE WITH RETRACTABLE VARIABLE-INCIDENCE WINGS
Filed May 13, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2

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Wiziam E. Hoeron,

INVENTOR.

BY Boone 0 elslewae

A TTORNEY~

Page 3

United States Patent Office

2,734,701
Patented Feb. 14, 1956

2,734,701

AIRPLANE WITH RETRACTABLE VARIABLE:
INCIDENCE WINGS

William E. Horton, Sunset. Beach, Calif., assignor to
Horton Aircraft Corporation, Sunset Beach, Calif, a
corporation of California

Application May 13, 1952, Serial No. 287,528
1 Claim. (Cl. 244—43)

My invention relates to roadable airplanes and has
particular reference to a new and novel design of a
heavier than air aircraft wherein the principal lift for
airborne use is obtained from the shape and configura-
tion of the body without the substantial use of wings.

It has been one of the endeavors of the aircraft in-
dustry for many years to produce a plane capable of
utilizing a maximum of the interior space of the plane for
cargo and passenger carrying and yet, at the same time,
maintain overall outside dimensions at a minimum.

it is one of the objects of this invention to produce
an airplane having a maximum carrying capacity and
a minimum overall outside dimension whereby said air-
craft can be used for ground service.

A great many attempts have been made to produce a
readable airplane; such endeavors have usually resulted
in either detachable wings for ground use or awkward
cumbersome mechanisms for folding the wings back
against the sides of the plane. None of these attempts
have been satisfactory.

It is a further object of my invention to produce a
roadabie airplane which embodies relatively short aux-
iliary wings for slow speeds, which may be folded or re-
tracted into the fuselage to thereby result in a minimum
outside dimension.

All previous attempts to produce an airplane having
substantially no wings and depending upon the airfoil
section of the fuselage have failed because of excessive
spillage of pressure over the lateral edges of the fuselage.

The further object of my invention is to provide a
substantiaily wingless airplane having pressure sealers
along the lateral edges, but having relatively smali re-
tractable auxiliary wings in order to obtain stability of
control at relatively slow landing speeds.

The use of the fuselage as the airfoil section to obtain
sufficient lift to render the craft airborne, provides suffi-
cient volume within the interior of the plane to- result
in substantial cargo or passenger capacity. When com-
pared to the overall dimension of the craft, it can readily
be seen to be of substantial value, particularly to mili-
tary operations, where substantial numbers of combat
troops can be carried in the interior of such aircraft and
can be landed and transported over highways without
the necessity of parachutes and like equipment. Such a
vehicle would also add substantial mobility to the ground
forces.

It wili also readily be seen that this type of aircraft
is considerably advantageous on board aircraft. carriers,
in that substantially all of the cargo and passenger carry-
ing capacity can be parked closer together without the
intervention of extensive wings, which serve no purpose
insofar as cargo and passenger carrying is concerned.

Other and further objects and advantages will be-
come apparent from the specifications and drawings re-
jJated thereto,

On the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a side view of an airplane embody-
ing the principle of my invention.

20

25

30

35

40

50

60

70

2

Figure 2 represents a top plan view of the airplane
shown in Figure 1 and having the auxiliary wings ex-
tended.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the airplane illustrated
in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a partial plan section, illustrating the con-~
trol mechanism. for retracting the auxiliary wings:

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken by line 5—5 of Fig-
ure 4,

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6—6 of Fig-
ure 4,

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the air-
plane illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 comprises, in its prin-
cipal components, a fuselage 10, having lateral pressure
sealers 11 and 12, extending from trailing edge 13 to
slightly beyond the leading edge 14, and extending above
the upper surface of auxiliary wings 15 and 16, pusher
type propellers designated generally 17, control fiaps
18 and an access door 19,

It will be noted from Figure 1 that the fuselage 10, has
an upper surface, which forms an airfoil to thereby
create sufficient lift to cause the plane to be airborne
upen proper forward motion through the air.

The forward access door 19, is hinged to the fuselage
10 at 22 and is formed. with its leading portion 23 of
transparent material to permit observation of forward
progress,

The fuselage 10-is also formed with a centrally de-
pressed section 24, thereby forming a propeller well 25,
te permit installation of the propeller at a point forward
of the trailing edge 13, thereby protecting the propeller
against physical damage in close formation stacking
aboard aircraft carriers.

The plane is also provided with retractable landing
wheels 26 and 27, which upon becoming airborne, may
be retracted inside the fuselage 10, and covered by re-
tractable doors 28 and 29 respectively.

The sides of the plane are formed with slots 30, to
permit retraction of the wings 15 and 16 into the fuselage.

Referring to Figures 4 to 6 inclusive, I have illustrated
in detail, the means for retracting the auxiliary wings.

The wing 16, is suported by a spar 40, which is formed
with a yoke 42. The yoke 42 is supported by a shaft 43.

One arm of the yoke 42, is formed with a gear seg-
ment 44, which engages a worm drive 45. The worm
drive being controlled by any suitable type rotary force
such as the motor 46. it will readily be understood
that the motor 46 can be electric, hydraulic or pneu-
matic. It will thus readily be be seen that rotation of
the worm drive 45, will cause a rotation of the gear seg-
ment 44, to thereby cause the wing 16 to retract inward-
ly into the intericr of the plane as indicated in Figure 4,
in phantom.

The shaft 43 is pivotally mounted by means of a hinge
pin 50 and is formed with a gear segment 51 at the
upper end thereof,

A worm drive 52, meshes with said gear segment 51
and is controlled by a motor 53.

Operation of the motor 53, causes rotation of the
worm, drive 52 and pivoting of the shaft 43, about the
hinge pin 5@ to thereby change the angie of attack of
the wing 16 as indicated in phantom in Figure 6.

Whereas, I have described one specific embodiment
of my invention, what I conceive to be my invention, in
its broadest aspects, is an airplane having an airfoil
shaped fuselage to provide lift, sealers extending along
the lateral edges of said fuselage to prevent pressure
spillage and auxiliary wings which are retractable into
the fuselage. It is my intention not to be limited by
the specific description, above set forth, but fo be ex-
tended the full range of equivalents of my invention as
set forth in the following claim.

Page 4

2,784,701

3

I claim:

An airplane comprising a fuselage and auxiliary re-
tractable wings, said fuselage having upper, lower and
side surfaces; the upper surface being convex to thereby
create a low pressure area upon forward movement
through the air; said side surfaces extending above said
upper surface to prevent spillage of high pressure air
into said low pressure area and being formed with hori-
zontal slots; said auxiliary wings being operable to ex-
tended position and being retractable into said horizontal
slots, said auxiliary wings being also rotatable about a
horizontal axis perpendicular to the line of flight of said
plane.

on

References Cited in the file of this patent

1,749,272
1,831,253
1,893,129
2,058,803
2,294,367
2,410,239

UNITED STATES PATENTS

Bird ~~~. 1930
Masi et al. Nov. 10, 1931
Charpentier — . Jan. 3, 1933
Klemperer et al Oct. 27, 1936

Fleming -—.--- 1942
1946

OTHER REFERENCES

“Flight,” publication Oct. 5, 1950 (ol. 58, page 377,

Fig. 5).