Vertical Takeoff and Landing ("VTOL") Aircraft

Abstract

The invention is to an optionally piloted aircraft that can takeoff and land conventionally or vertically, and can convert between the two. The aircraft is immune to one or more engine failures during vertical flight through multiple engines and the use of a virtual nozzle. Aerodynamic controls are similarly redundant. Hovering flight is enabled with a novel stabilization system. Long range efficient cruise is achieved by turning off some engines in flight and sealing them into an aerodynamic fairing to achieve low drag. The resulting aircraft is capable of CTOL and VTOL, and is capable of converting between the two modes while in the air or on the ground. The aircraft can also be easily taxied on the ground in the conventional manner. Automatic controls considerably reduce the amount of training a pilot needs to fly and land the aircraft in either VTOL or CTOL mode.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An aircraft having four canards and two tail planes, comprising:
 an engine mounted on each canard.   
     
     
         2 . The aircraft according to  claim 1 , wherein the engine mounted on each canard is selected from the group of a jet, propeller, turbofan or turboprop engine: 
     
     
         3 . The aircraft according to  claim 1 , wherein the engine mounted on each canard is mounted at an end of each canard remote from the fuselage of the aircraft: 
     
     
         4 . The aircraft according to  claim 1 , wherein the engine mounted on each canard has a moveable nozzle for directing a portion of the thrust of the respective engine selectively in at an angle away from the engine, wherein said angle is in the range of 10-35 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . The aircraft according to  claim 4 , wherein the engine mounted on each canard has a moveable paddle downstream of the nozzle for directing a portion of the thrust of the respective engine selectively in at an angle away from the engine, wherein said angle is in the range of 10-35 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . The aircraft according to  claim 1 , wherein each canard has at least two engines mounted on the canard: 
     
     
         7 . The aircraft according to  claim 1 , wherein said aircraft is a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. 
     
     
         8 . An method of controlling an aircraft having at least four engines providing propulsion to the aircraft:
 providing each engine with a first selectively moveable exhaust control surface for controlling the yaw of the aircraft;   providing each engine with a first selectively moveable exhaust control surface for controlling the pitch of the aircraft;   controlling the pitch and yaw of the aircraft by maintain the engines at a constant thrust and moving said first and selective exhaust control surfaces to direct a portion of the exhaust outward from the centerline of the engine.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said aircraft can hover in place using only four of said at least four engines.