DUTCH MILK CARTON FLYING BODY
By
Frank John Holmquist Artist/Inventor 17 March 2009
When I was young man visiting my mother in Holland, I marveled at the Plastic Bags used to store and serve milk. They were simple cylinders with one vertical edge and one horizontal edge. No matter what position or how full it was it did not spill but lay flat on the table. They did have special holders for them, but they were only a convenience for pouring. Apparently the internal pressure of the liquid kept its shape and even with the top vertical edge cut for an opening it did not spill. I had suggested this shape for the US Navy Nuclear Spill Recovery Kits. It would make also an excellent flying body for a dirigible. With two or three of these with a biplane wing construction forming a ducted fan these would make an excellent lifting body for slow and moderate speeds as well as for long duration flying platforms.
I propose making a model aircraft with remote controls to test out this concept. It would have two lifting bags or cylinders wit matching leading and trailing edges pinched/welded horizontally and the opposite end vertically. The leading edge would be horizontal and the trailing edge vertical. Since you need horizontal and vertical stabilizers/steering surfaces this is a natural and simple way of transitioning from cylinder shape to lines of attachment. The Bottom wing could be ridged foam to house the motor and propeller(s) and payload or passengers and the top surface could be either ridged foam or an inflatable wing/spacer. The ducted form made by the two wings and the two lifting bodies would have a properly centered load of machinery and possibly an large mesh screen to protect passengers or protect from bird strike like a swamp air boat. Each cylinder would have an internal bladder for keeping tension on the outer larger bags and they would be filled with the hot air of the engines. Using the waste heat from the engines would help lower the density and increase the lift of the lifting gas of hydrogen, helium or mixture of both. The craft should be equipped with lightning protection and grounding lines as needed since airships are notorious collectors of static charge. Which is dangerous for the craft and/or passengers and ground crew.
Such a flying machine could be used for search and rescue and for remote monitoring of hazardous areas. Provide for inexpensive transport of people and cargo and also able to use ground effect to hover-craft when needed. The bottom structure could be equipped with lightweight wheels for landings and takeoffs. Such a vehicle is also a natural for water operations
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|