JP2003212190A - Manned airship - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] To dramatically improve exercise performance for easy use as an air-moving means for individuals or private use, and to fly freely and easily in the air in the recreational sense. Get a manned airship that can. SOLUTION: A cockpit 2 capable of accommodating a pilot 3 is provided in the vicinity of a center of gravity inside an airship body 1 formed by an air sac which is filled with a buoyant gas and floats by the buoyancy of the buoyant gas, thereby constituting the air sac. All or a part of the film material to be formed is formed of a transparent material that allows the driver in the cockpit to visually recognize the outside of the airship.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a small-sized airship having a simple structure for a human to fly.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As means for moving in the air, HTAs (Heavier-Than-A) such as airplanes and helicopters are used.
ir) Moving and levitating by using propulsion means such as an engine called an aircraft, and LTA (Lig of an airship)
hter-than-air), which floats using a levitation gas such as helium which is lighter than air. Of the above HTA aircraft, the airplane not only requires advanced maneuvering skills that always pay attention to stall and proper maintenance of flight attitude, but also requires a long runway for surfacing, and helicopters Large rotors rotate and levitate, but large noise and vibrations are generated when the rotors rotate, so they may have problems as a convenient means of transportation for individuals or private use such as automobiles. It may be unsuitable for use in many, especially large cities. Further, since the HTA aircraft produces buoyancy (lift) and propulsion force by the propulsion means, there is always a risk of being directly linked to a crash if the propulsion means is stopped. On the other hand, since the LTA aircraft does not require a runway for levitating, it is not restricted in place as much as a plane in terms of takeoff and landing, and it does not require any propulsion means for levitating. No vibration occurs. Furthermore, since the buoyancy and the propulsion are basically generated by independent physical factors, in this respect, there is an advantage that the safety is higher than that of the HTA aircraft.

The manned airship as the above-mentioned LTA aircraft is usually provided with a gondola for a passenger to ride under the airship body formed by an air bag filled with levitation gas. However, the airship as a whole is very large in size, has a complicated structure as a whole, and has poor motion performance. Therefore, it is not suitable for personal or private use. Therefore, if this point can be solved and it can be easily used as a vehicle-like means of transportation for personal or private use, it will be a great way to improve the current traffic conditions in large cities as an alternative to automobiles. It is thought to bring about an effect. Furthermore, human beings have a strong desire to freely fly around the sky, and by using an airship that has no worries about stalls and other features of HTA aircraft, it is possible to dramatically improve the maneuverability of the airship while ensuring safety. It is thought that this desire can be easily satisfied even in the entertainment sense if it is raised to achieve free flight.

[0004]

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is that it can be easily used as an air transportation means for individuals or for private use, and it is also free and easy to fly in the air in an entertainment sense. To provide a manned airship that can do.

[0005]

In order to solve the above problems, the manned airship of the present invention is a manned airship, in which levitation gas is enclosed, and in the vicinity of the center of gravity inside the airship body formed by an air bag that floats by the buoyancy of the levitation gas. A pilot seat capable of accommodating a pilot is provided, and all or a part of the film material forming the air bag is formed of a transparent material that allows the pilot of the pilot seat to see the outside of the airship. is there.

The manned airship having the above structure has a cockpit inside the airship body and eliminates the gondola equipment provided in the conventional airship to simplify the structure. It can be made compact and compact, so that it can be easily used as an air transportation means for personal use or private use. Also,
Since the pilot seat is provided in the vicinity of the center of gravity of the airship body, and the flight control is performed by the operator inside the airship body, the maneuverability is enhanced and the sense of unity between the airship and the operator is increased. You can also get a sense of recreational flight. In this case, unlike the HTA aircraft, since the user can fly without worrying about the stall or the flight attitude, the flight can be enjoyed while ensuring safety.

In the present invention, the cockpit may be provided in a cylindrical space that vertically penetrates the airship body. In this case, it is desirable that the tubular space is shaped by a plurality of annular shape-retaining members.

Further, according to the present invention, the manned airship may be provided with a propulsion means such as a cycloidal propeller which is driven by the human power of the operator and whose thrust direction is variable. However, it is possible to provide a propellant facility by power. As a result, the airship will have a higher degree of motion performance, so that the pilot can freely control the airship, and as a result, the sense of unity with the airship will be further enhanced and a free flight feeling will be enjoyed easily. be able to.

[0009]

1 to 4 show an embodiment of a manned airship of the present invention. The airship of this embodiment is
Floating gas (helium in this example) is enclosed,
An airship body 1 formed by an air bag that floats by the buoyancy of the levitation gas, and a cockpit 2 provided inside the airship body 1 near the center of gravity of the airship body 1 and capable of accommodating a pilot 3 are provided. ing.

The airship body 1 is formed into a substantially spheroidal shape as a whole, and at least a part of the film material forming the air sac of the airship body 1 and the film material around the cockpit 2 is operated. It is made of a transparent material so that the operator 3 of the seat 2 can visually recognize the outside of the airship. Also, the airship body 1
Four tail stabilizers 4 are provided at the rear of the airship body 1. Further, a portion of the airship body 1 away from the center of gravity of the airship body 1 on the front side is provided with a human-powered flight of the airship body 1. A pair of propulsion means 5 and 5 also serving as control means are provided.

The airship body 1 has a pressurized membrane structure, and the use of a hard and heavy material for reinforcement is minimized. Now, assuming that the internal pressure in the airship body 1 is Δp, the tension T in the hoop direction of the air bag of the airship body 1 is twice the tension in the meridian direction and is given by T = Δp · r. Here, r is the radius of the airship body 1. Therefore, T _MAX becomes maximum when r _MAX , and therefore Δp = 20 (mmAq) = 20 (kgf / m ² ),
If r _MAX = 3 (m), then T _MAX = 60 (kgf
/M)=0.6 (kgf / cm). Therefore,
If a film material with a tensile strength of 3 kgf / cm is used, the safety factor is 5. Since the breaking strength of a nylon film having an areal density of 40 μm is about this level, a film material equivalent to or higher than this may be used. In addition, the joining portion of the film material is reinforced with tape to compensate for the decrease in the joining strength. If the thickness of the membrane material is increased or a high-strength fiber having coarse mesh is laminated, the tensile strength can be further increased and the safety factor can be increased.

The cockpit 2 is a cylindrical space that penetrates the airship body 1 in the vertical direction and has a center axis passing through the center of gravity of the airship body 1 at the center thereof. The pilot 3 is able to drive the above-mentioned propulsion means 5 and 5 of the airship and perform flight control, that is, steering. In this cockpit 2, it is desirable that the operator 3 to be on board is positioned at both the center of gravity and the center of gravity of the airship body 1, so that the operator 3 can adjust the flight attitude of the airship to the above-mentioned propulsion position. By means 5 and 5 and control operation, it can be freely changed as desired, and acrobatic flight such as somersault can be performed freely.

The space of the cockpit 2 is shaped by a plurality of annular shape-retaining members 6, as shown in FIG. The volume Q _PIL of the space in this cockpit 2 is D
When the _PIL, in a ^{_{simple, Q PIL = π · (D}} PIL 2/4) · 2b = π · D
_{Although it is PIL} ² · b / 2, the curved surface of the space is extruded into the space by the gas pressure of the airship body 1 as in the case of the above-mentioned area, and thus the surface extruded by the shape-retaining member 6 Must be pushed back to a certain diameter to secure an appropriate space for the pilot 3 to ride in the cockpit 2 as a whole.

The space of the cockpit 2 approaches a true cylindrical shape as the number of shape-retaining members 6 used increases, but the number of shape-retaining members 6 is reduced as much as possible to reduce the total weight. In order to make the size smaller, as shown in FIG. 4, the shape-retaining members 6 are densely arranged in a portion where the operator 3 is located in order to ensure a space for the operator 3, and the upper and lower openings are close to each other. , The lower opening should serve as a boarding port for the pilot 3,
On the upper side, it is sufficient if there is a space for escape of the levitation gas from the airship body 1 in the unlikely event that the levitation gas leaks. Further, in order to support the shape-retaining members 6 at predetermined intervals in the axial direction of the space, it is desirable to use a duralumin pipe or the like as an aggregate.

The space of the cockpit 2 is close to the maximum diameter of the airship body 1, and unless the shape-retaining member 6 is used to retain the shape, as described above, the film material is half the space. It is in a state of being extruded in an arc shape. The shape-retaining member 6 in this space enters the airship body 1 to form a trumpet-shaped curved surface portion formed in the gap between the adjacent shape-retaining members 6 and 6. If the weight of the mechanism is summarized as W _CKPT = 130 (kgf), the tension that overcomes the gravity and suspends the annulus is likely to exceed the strength of the membrane material, so that all of the forces on the cylindrical side surface are It is necessary to support a large number of shape-retaining members 6 on the air bag by a cable.

The tail stabilizer 4 is merely a fixed type and has no movable control wings. Further, like the airship body 1, the stabilizer 4 has a pressurized film structure, which contributes to weight reduction of the entire airship, and at the same time, in consideration of safety in the case of contact with other objects. It is advantageous.

In this embodiment, a human-powered cycloidal propeller as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is suitable as the propulsion means 5 and 5 for propelling the airship body 1, but instead of this, A vectored ducted fan (not shown) can be applied. When the vectored ducted fan is used, it is usual to control the propulsion direction and flight control of the airship body 1 by supporting the ducted fan with a tilt mechanism.
However, since the tilt mechanism uses a worm gear mechanism to receive a gyro effect from the rotation of the fan and a reaction force when changing the direction, it is said that the response to the control is slightly slow. On the other hand, the cycloidal propeller is used for marine vessels such as tug boats and high-speed vessels, and is effective for highly responsive control of hulls with large inertia, and is also suitably used in the present invention. can do.

The cycloidal propeller used as the propulsion means 5 and 5 has, for example, rotary blades attached to the tips of four arms 13 mounted on the rotary shaft 12 at 90 ° intervals, and these are mounted on the rotary shaft. By configuring as two sets of symmetrical blades 14 and 15 positioned symmetrically with respect to 12, the angle of attack of these symmetrical blades 14 and 15 is instantaneously changed by a tilt link 16 connected to the rear part of each rotary blade, It is possible to obtain a large thrust in the desired direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when the cycloidal propeller rotates, the thrust in the F direction is generated by changing the attack angle of the symmetrical blade 14 at the position shown, and the other symmetrical blade 15 is contacted at the same position. By sequentially changing the angle, the thrust in the F direction is maintained. When using a cycloidal propeller, a reaction force is generated in the direction opposite to the rotation direction.Therefore, in order to counteract this, devise the position of the center of gravity or use a thruster that acts like a tail rotor of a helicopter. May be. Further, the number of rotor blades of the cycloidal propeller is not limited to four,
Can be set to any number

The propulsion means 5 and 5 are operated by the operator 3 driving a human power drive device in the cockpit 2. This drive device rotates the drive shafts 7, 7 communicating with the rotation shaft 12 of the cycloidal propeller, which is the propulsion means 5, 5, by pedaling the same pedal as the drive part of the bicycle, and the operator 3 sits down on it. Saddle 8
And a frame 9 for supporting the saddle 8 on the cockpit 2 and the pedal which is mounted on the frame, a transmission mechanism 10 from the pedal, and a rotational force from the transmission mechanism 10 to a drive shaft. The gear box 11 for converting and transmitting the rotational force of 7, 7 is provided. In the above embodiment, the propulsion means 5 and 5 are driven by the human power of the operator 3. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the propulsion means may be provided with propulsion equipment by various power sources such as an engine and a motor.

By the way, the airship body 1 filled with levitation gas
As for the buoyancy B of itself, Q is the excluded volume of the airship body 1 when the space for the pilot seat 2 is not taken into consideration, and ρ is the air density and the density of helium as the levitation gas, respectively.
_{If AIR} and ρ _HE are given, they are expressed by the following equation. B = Q (ρ _AIR −ρ _HE ) Air density is ρ _AIR = 1.225 (kg / m 2 in standard atmosphere)
³ ), the density of helium is ρ _HE = 0.17 in the standard state.
Since it is 9 kg / m ³ , total buoyancy B obtained with the excluded volume Q
_{The TOT} is B _TOT = 1.05Q (kgf). On the other hand, the excluded volume Q of the airship body 1 is approximately represented as a spheroid, and the major axis radius is a and the minor axis radius is b, which is expressed by the following equation. Q = (4/3) π ・ a ・ b ² The temperature of helium changes from moment to moment, so this range is t
_{When MAX} = 40 (° C) to t _MIN = 15 (° C), the temperature change Δt is Δt = t _MAX -t _MIN = 40.
-15 = 25 (° C), and the gas expansion coefficient ΔQ / Q is Δ
Q / Q = 25 / (273 + 15) × 100 (%) = 8.
It becomes 7 (%). Q = 150 m ³ and ΔQ / Q = 10
(%), The volume that expands and contracts is 15 m ³ , so this is the volume of the baronette. Therefore, the part of the cockpit 2 is regarded as a true cylinder, and its diameter is D
Buoyancy B of the excluded volume of the airship body 1 when it is _PIL
Considering a 10% baronet volume, _TOT is B _TOT = (ρ _AIR −ρ _HE ) × (4/3 · π · a ·
b ² −π · (D _PIL ² _{/4)·2b)·0.9} . Considering the airship body 1 with a total length and a maximum diameter of 9 m and 6 m, the total buoyancy is B _{TO T} = (170-4.7) · 0.
9 = 148.8 (kgf).

Here, in relation to the above-mentioned buoyancy, the weight of the film material of the air bag forming the airship body 1 is calculated from the relationship between the volume and the surface area. Now, assuming that the slenderness ratio (total length / maximum diameter) of the airship body 1 is f _N , the total length is set to 10 m and 9 m, and the maximum diameter is set to 6 m to 8 m.

[Table 1] Now, the areal density ρ of the film material used for the air sacs of the airship body 1
_{When MEM} is ρ _MEM = 50 g / m ² , the weight W _MEM of the total surface area S _TOT is about 15 kgf in consideration of the reinforcement of the membrane material.

Then, including the airship body 1, the tail stabilizer 4, and each film material of the curved surface of the inner circumference of the space of the cockpit 2, up to the driving device, the propulsion means 5 and 5, the shape retaining member 6, and the operator 3. Check whether the total weight of equipment considered is less than the above total buoyancy. The total weight and weight distribution are shown in Table 2 below.

[Table 2] Therefore, from the relationship with Table 2 above, it is understood that the buoyancy exceeds the total weight of the airship body 1 having a total length of 9 m and a maximum diameter of 6 m, and the design is established.

The manned airship having the above-mentioned structure is provided with the cockpit 2 inside the airship body 1, and the structure of the conventional airship is eliminated by eliminating the equipment of the gondola. Since it can be made as light and compact as possible, it is smaller than conventional ones and can be easily used as an air transportation means for personal use or private use. Further, the cockpit 2 is provided near the center of gravity of the airship body, and the buoyancy is set at substantially the same position.
5 is arranged away from the center of gravity, and the operator 3 can freely control the flight inside the airship body 1 at the position of the center of gravity, so that the sense of unity between the propulsion means 5, 5 airship and the operator 3 can be obtained. It is possible to obtain high maneuverability and obtain an aerial flight sensation by free flight motion.
In this case, unlike the HTA aircraft, since the user can fly without worrying about the stall or the flight attitude, the flight can be enjoyed while ensuring safety.

[0024]

As described in detail above, according to the manned airship of the present invention, by providing the cockpit inside the airship body, the entire body can be made as light and compact as possible, As a result, it can be easily used as an air transportation means for personal use or private use. Further, since the pilot seat is provided in the vicinity of the center of gravity of the airship body so that the operator controls the flight inside the airship body, the kinetic performance of the airship is dramatically increased, and the flight performance of the airship is improved. Since the experience is increased, it is possible to obtain an entertaining flight feeling including an improvement in the safety of the operator.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an embodiment of a manned airship of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the same.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of essential parts showing a cockpit of a manned airship of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a principle diagram of a cycloidal propeller.

FIG. 6 is a principle diagram showing a state in which the attack angle of the symmetrical blade of the cycloidal propeller of FIG. 5 is changed.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Airship body 2 pilot seat 3 pilots 5 promotion means 6 Shape retention member

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A film forming the air sac, which is provided with a cockpit capable of accommodating a pilot in the vicinity of the center of gravity of an airship body formed by an air sac that is floated by the buoyancy of the levitation gas. A manned airship, characterized in that all or part of the material is made of transparent material that allows the operator in the cockpit to see the outside of the airship. 2. The manned airship according to claim 1, wherein the cockpit is provided in a cylindrical space that vertically penetrates the airship body. 3. The manned airship according to claim 2, wherein the tubular space is shaped by a plurality of annular shape-retaining members. 4. The manned airship according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the manned airship is provided with propulsion means driven by human power of the operator. 5. The manned airship according to claim 4, wherein the propulsion means and the flight control means of the airship are cycloidal propellers.