Aircraft and watercraft adapted to float on main wing

Abstract

An aircraft has a fuselage, one or more propellers and a main wing. The wing has a central portion located beneath the fuselage and distal portions which extend outwardly from opposite sides of the fuselage. The wing floats on water when the aircraft is stationary and maintains the fuselage above and out of the water. The aircraft optionally has a tail having a horizontal stabilizer which provides additional support to the fuselage to maintain it out of water. The structure of the aircraft can be adapted for use as a water-craft by reducing the length of the wing.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A seaplane comprising: a fuselage; propulsion means; a main wing; said main wing having a central portion located beneath said fuselage and distal portions which extend outwardly from opposite sides of said fuselage, said main wing adapted to float on water when said seaplane is stationary and to maintain said fuselage above and out of the water.  
     
     
         2 . The seaplane as claimed in  claim 1  further including a tail having a horizontal stabilizer, said horizontal stabilizer adapted to provide additional support to said seaplane to maintain said fuselage above and out of the water.  
     
     
         3 . The seaplane as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said main wing has leading and trailing edges, the trailing edge of said main wing being immovable relative to the main wing.  
     
     
         4 . The seaplane as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said main wing is dihedral.  
     
     
         5 . The seaplane as claimed in  claim 4  wherein said main wing is a single piece and is bounded essentially by parallel upper and lower walls, leading and trailing edges at the front and rear thereof and outer edges at oppositely facing outer ends thereof.  
     
     
         6 . The seaplane as claimed in  claim 4  wherein said fuselage has a plane of symmetry and said main wing has a root which is located in said plane, and distal portions which extend outwardly from opposite sides of said root at a dihedral angle of about 10 to about 20 degrees.  
     
     
         7 . The seaplane as claimed in  claim 4  wherein said fuselage has a plane of symmetry and said main wing has a root which is located in said plane, and distal portions which extend outwardly from opposite sides of said root at a dihedral angle of about 15 degrees.  
     
     
         8 . The seaplane as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said propulsion means is located above said main wing.  
     
     
         9 . The seaplane as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said seaplane has a centre of gravity and, while hydroplaning, a centre of hydro-dynamic pressure which is located at or forward of said centre of gravity.  
     
     
         10 . The seaplane as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said seaplane has an plane of symmetry, said centre of gravity being located on said plane of symmetry and on said main wing or vertically thereabove.  
     
     
         11 . The seaplane as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said seaplane has a plane of symmetry, said centre of gravity being located on said plane and spaced apart Tom the leading edge of said main wing by at least one half the width of said main wing measured along the plane of symmetry.  
     
     
         12 . The seaplane as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said fuselage has a plane of symmetry, said seaplane having a centre of gravity located on a vertical line which lies on said plane and which extends vertically from the trailing edge of said main wing.  
     
     
         13 . The seaplane as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said horizontal stabilizer is composed of two sections each extending outwardly from opposite sides of said fuselage and each having an elevon in the trailing edge thereof.  
     
     
         14 . The seaplane as claimed in  claim 13  further including means for causing each said elevon to pivot independently of the other said elevon.  
     
     
         15 . The seaplane as claimed in  claim 14  wherein each said elevon is pivotal upwardly and downwardly relative to said horizontal stabilizer.  
     
     
         16 . The seaplane as claimed in  claim 13  wherein said horizontal stabilizer is above water at the time of takeoff and landing of said seaplane.  
     
     
         17 . The seaplane as claimed in  claim 1  further including a stub wing mounted above said fuselage and on which said propulsion means is mounted, said stub wing having a trailing edge on which flaps are mounted, said propulsion means generating a slip stream in which said flaps are located.  
     
     
         18 . A seaplane comprising: a fuselage; propulsion means; a main wing; and a tail having lower and upper spaced apart horizontal stabilizers; and a vertical stabilizer, said main wing having a, central portion located beneath said fuselage and distal portions which extend outwardly from opposite sides of said fuselage, each said main wing and said horizontal stabilizer adapted to float on water when said seaplane is stationary, said upper horizontal stabilizer being connected to said vertical stabilizer and being located in a slip stream generated by said propulsion means.  
     
     
         19 . The seaplane as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said main wing and said horizontal stabilizers each have leading and trailing edges, said seaplane further including means for raising and lowering said horizontal stabilizer relative to said fuselage.  
     
     
         20 . The seaplane as claimed in  claim 19  wherein said raising and lowering means is a boom to which said horizontal stabilizer is connected, said boom being pivotally connected to said fuselage and being pivotal between an operative position in which said boom is beneath and spaced apart from said horizontal stabilizer to a retracted position in which said boom is adjacent to said fuselage, said boom when moving from said retracted to operative positions causing the leading edge of said horizontal stabilizer to lower relative to the leading edge of said main wing thereby adjusting the cant angle of said seaplane. I claim:  
     
     
         21 . A water-craft comprising: a cabin; propulsion means; a main wing; said main wing having a central portion located beneath said fuselage and distal portions which extend outwardly from opposite sides of said fuselage, said main wing adapted to float on water when said water-craft is stationary and to maintain said cabin above and out of the water.  
     
     
         22 . The water-craft as claimed in  claim 21  further including a tail having a horizontal stabilizer, said horizontal stabilizer adapted to provide additional support to said water-craft to maintain said cabin above and out of the water.  
     
     
         23 . The water-craft as claimed in  claim 21  wherein said main wing has leading and trailing edges, the trailing edge of said main wing being immovable relative to the main wing.  
     
     
         24 . The water-craft as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said main wing is dihedral.  
     
     
         25 . The water-craft as claimed in  claim 24  wherein said main wing is a single piece and is bounded essentially by parallel upper and lower walls, leading and trailing edges at the front and rear thereof and outer edges at oppositely facing outer ends thereof.  
     
     
         26 . The water-craft as claimed in  claim 24  wherein said cabin has a plane of symmetry and said main wing has a root which is located in said plane, and distal portions which extend outwardly from opposite sides of said root at a dihedral angle of about 10 to about 20 degrees.  
     
     
         27 . The water-craft as claimed in  claim 24  wherein said cabin has a plane of symmetry and said main wing has a root which is located in said plane, and distal portions which extend outwardly from opposite sides of said root at a dihedral angle of about 15 degrees.  
     
     
         28 . The water-craft as claimed in  claim 21  wherein said propulsion means is located above said main wing.  
     
     
         29 . The water-craft as claimed in  claim 21  wherein said water-craft has a centre of gravity and, while hydroplaning, a centre of hydro-dynamic pressure which is located at or forward of said centre of gravity.  
     
     
         30 . The water-craft as claimed in  claim 21  wherein said water-craft has an plane of symmetry, said centre of gravity being located on said plane of symmetry and on said main wing or vertically thereabove.