TECHNICAL FIELD
Embodiments of the present invention relate to aircrafts and more particularly to an aircraft with increased lift generation and additional cabin space.
BACKGROUND ART 5
In standard manner, an aircraft has a front portion, a fuselage, wings, an empennage, powerplant, and landing gear. The front portion houses a cockpit. The fuselage is the main part of the aircraft, located central to the aircraft. The fuselage is the main structure or body of the fixed-wing aircraft. The fuselage provides space for cargo, controls, 10 accessories, passengers, and other equipment. In a single-engine aircraft, the fuselage houses the powerplant. In a multiengine aircraft, the powerplant may be either in the fuselage, attached to the fuselage, or suspended from the plurality of wings. The powerplant consists of engine and all engine components such as propeller and an electrical system. The 15 empennage is a tail section, which consists of vertical stabilizers and horizontal stabilizers to assist navigation of the aircraft. The plurality of wings is attached to the fuselage on either side. The plurality of wings has airfoil shaped cross-section that, when moved rapidly through the air, create lift. The plurality of wings is built in many shapes and sizes. 20
The plurality of wings of the aircraft is designed in airfoil shape for high or cruise speed where lift is mainly created by forward speed only. For slow flights, there is a requirement to increase the lift, but there are limits to what can be done by increasing an angle of attack. Aerodynamicists have devised other ways of increasing an amount of lift generated. There are 25 several lift augmentation devices that can be used on the plurality of wings of the aircraft to increase the lift.
However, addition of the lift augmentation devices, increases
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weight of the aircraft. The lift augmentation device such as vortex generators, wing fences and discontinuous leading edges, are also expensive to manufacture. Therefore, there remains a need in the art for a cost- effective and efficient aircraft design, which does not suffer from above mentioned shortcomings. 5
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
According to an aspect of the present invention, an aircraft with increased lift generation and additional cabin space is provided.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention aim to provide an aircraft 10 with increased lift generation. The aircraft provides additional lift and also additional space for accommodating passengers and/or cargo. The aircraft comprises a fuselage, a plurality of wings attached on either side of the fuselage and a first set of winglets attached to the fuselage. Further, the plurality of wings is configured to produce primary lift for the aircraft. 15 Further, the fuselage is configured to provide secondary lift for the aircraft. Also, the first set of winglets is configured to reduce a lift-induced drag during operation of the aircraft.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the fuselage is designed in an airfoil shape, when viewed from a direction 20 normal to a direction of motion of the aircraft.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the fuselage is structured in a manner such that a width of the fuselage is at least twice a height of the fuselage.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the 25 width of the fuselage facilitates more lift to the aircraft by providing more contacting area for air when the air passes with a high speed.
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In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the fuselage includes a top side and a bottom side.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the bottom side is a substantially planar surface.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the top side is 5 a curved surface.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, surface area of the top side is greater than that of the bottom side, thereby allowing air passing from the top side to cover more distance than air passing from the bottom side, resulting in generation of vacuum at the top 10 side.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the vacuum facilitates the increased lift generation for the aircraft.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the fuselage includes a first lateral side and a second lateral side. 15
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the first set of winglets include a first winglet attached to the first lateral side and a second winglet attached to the second lateral side.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, each of the first winglet and the second winglet is attached aligned along a full 20 length of the fuselage.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, each of the first winglet and the second winglet is attached along a partial length of the fuselage.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the 25 aircraft further includes a second set of winglets.
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In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the second set of winglets is attached to respective trailing edges of the plurality of wings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
So that the manner in which the above recited features of the 5 present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may have been referred by embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawing illustrates only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered 10 limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
These and other features, benefits, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent by reference to the following text figure, with like reference numbers referring to like structures across the views, 15 wherein:
Fig. 1 illustrates an embodiment of an aircraft, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 2 illustrates a fuselage of the aircraft of figure 1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 20
Fig. 3 illustrates the aircraft, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 4 illustrates a top view of the aircraft of figure. 2, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and
Fig. 5 illustrates a front view of the aircraft, in accordance with an 25 embodiment of the present invention.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
While the present invention is described herein by way of example using embodiments and illustrative drawings, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the embodiments of drawing or drawings described, and are not intended to represent the scale of the 5 various components. Further, some components that may form a part of the invention may not be illustrated in certain figures, for ease of illustration, and such omissions do not limit the embodiments outlined in any way. It should be understood that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but 10 on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim. As used throughout this description, the word "may" is used in a permissive sense (i.e. meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense, (i.e. meaning must). Further, the words "a" or 15 "an" mean "at least one” and the word “plurality” means “one or more” unless otherwise mentioned. Furthermore, the terminology and phraseology used herein is solely used for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as limiting in scope. Language such as "including," "comprising," "having," "containing," or "involving," and variations thereof, 20 is intended to be broad and encompass the subject matter listed thereafter, equivalents, and additional subject matter not recited, and is not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps. Likewise, the term "comprising" is considered synonymous with the terms "including" or "containing" for applicable legal purposes. Any discussion of documents, 25 acts, materials, devices, articles and the like is included in the specification solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not suggested or represented that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention. 30
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In this disclosure, whenever a composition or an element or a group of elements is preceded with the transitional phrase “comprising”, it is understood that we also contemplate the same composition, element or group of elements with transitional phrases “consisting of”, “consisting”, “selected from the group of consisting of, “including”, or “is” preceding the 5 recitation of the composition, element or group of elements and vice versa.
The present invention is described hereinafter by various embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein reference numerals used in the accompanying drawing correspond to the like elements throughout the description. This invention may, however, be 10 embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiment set forth herein. Rather, the embodiment is provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the following detailed description, numeric values and ranges are provided for various aspects of 15 the implementations described. These values and ranges are to be treated as examples only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. In addition, a number of materials are identified as suitable for various facets of the implementations. These materials are to be treated as exemplary, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 20
Referring to the drawings, the invention will now be described in more detail. Figure 1 illustrates an aircraft (100), in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The aircraft (100) includes a fuselage (110), a plurality of wings (120), and an empennage (130). The fuselage (110) is the main part of the aircraft (100), located central to the entire 25 aircraft (100). The fuselage (110) is a hollow structure. The fuselage (110) houses cockpit, passenger cabin, gallery, entry-exit doors, and technical compartment. The cockpit includes flight and navigation control instruments.
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Figure 2 illustrates the fuselage (110) of the aircraft (100), in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The fuselage (110) of the disclosed aircraft (100) is designed in airfoil shape (shape similar to oval shape or rectangular cylinder), when viewed from a direction normal to a direction of motion of the aircraft (100). The fuselage (110) 5 includes a nose portion (140), a middle portion (150), a rear portion (160), a top side (170), a bottom side (180), a first lateral side (182) and a second lateral side (184). A portion of the fuselage (110) proximal to the nose portion (140) has a greater height as compared to the empennage (130). The height increases to the middle portion (150) of the fuselage (110) and 10 then decreases towards the empennage (130). Hence, the fuselage (110) tapers towards the empennage (130).
The fuselage (110) is configured to produce secondary lift for the aircraft (100). The fuselage (110) is structured in a manner such that a width of the fuselage (110) is at least twice the height of the fuselage (110). 15 The width of the disclosed fuselage (110) is greater than the width of conventional aircrafts with circular cylindrical fuselages. The increased width will provide more lift to the aircraft (100), as there is more contacting area for air when the air passes with a high speed. Also, the increased width provides additional cabin space for the passengers or cargo, 20 depending on the type of the aircraft (100).
The top side (170) is a curved surface which tapers towards the empennage (130). The bottom side (180) is substantially a plane surface. The top side (170) of the fuselage (110) has a greater surface area than the surface area of the bottom side (180). Hence, during the flight, at the top 25 side (170), more distance is covered by the air as compared to the distance covered by the air passing from the bottom side (180). This imparts a greater speed to the air passing from the top side (170) as compared to the air passing from the bottom side (180). As a result, a vacuum is generated at the top side (170), and thereby the lift is generated by the fuselage (110) 30
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as well. In other words, the fuselage (110) acts as third wing for the aircraft (100).
Referring to figure 1, the fuselage (110) also includes a first set of winglets (190) attached along a length of the fuselage (110). The first set of winglets (190) includes a first winglet (192) and a second winglet (194). 5 The first winglet (192) is attached to the first lateral side (182) via a first wing portion (196). The first winglet (192) is aligned along a full length of the fuselage (110). Similarly, the second winglet (194) is attached to the second lateral side (184) via a second wing portion (198). The second winglet (194) is aligned along the full length of the fuselage (110). Figure 3 10 illustrates another embodiment of the aircraft (100), in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated, the first winglet (192) is attached to the first lateral side (182) and aligned along a partial length of the fuselage (110). Similarly, the second winglet (194) is attached to the second lateral side (184) and aligned along the partial length of the 15 fuselage (110). Referring to figures 1 and 3, the first set of winglets (190) attached to the fuselage (110) assist in reducing a lift-induced drag during operation of the aircraft (100). The first set of winglets (190) also provides a desired direction to the air-flow around the plurality of wings (120).
The plurality of wings (120) is attached on either side of the middle 20 portion (150) of the fuselage (110). In a preferred embodiment, the plurality of wings (120) houses one or more engines (200). In an embodiment, the engines (200) may be mounted on the plurality of wings (120), under the plurality of wings (120), or hanging down the plurality of wings (120). The plurality of wings (120) is a primary lift-producing part of the aircraft (100). 25 The plurality of wings (120) is built in many shapes and sizes, and may vary to provide certain desirable flight characteristics. Each one of the plurality of wings (120) includes a leading edge (210) and a trailing edge (220). The leading edge (210) is a portion that attaches to the fuselage (110). The trailing edge (220) is an end portion of the wing (120). The 30
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plurality of wings (120) include a second set of winglets (230) attached to the trailing edges (210). Each one of the second set of winglets (230) is a vertical upturn of a tip of the wing (120), resembling a vertical stabilizer. The winglet (230) is an aerodynamic device designed to reduce the drag created by wingtip vortices in flight. The second set of winglets (230) 5 weakens the wingtip vortices and thus diminishes induced drag. Less drag results in less fuel burn and better cruise efficiency. The second set of winglets (230) substantially improves a lift-to-drag ratio of the plurality of wings (120).
The rear portion (160) of the fuselage (110) is connected to the 10 empennage (130). The empennage (130) is a tail portion of the aircraft (100). The empennage (130) provides stability and control to the aircraft (100) during flight. The empennage (130) includes vertical stabilizers (240) and horizontal stabilizers (250).
Figure 4 illustrates a top view of the aircraft (100), in accordance 15 with an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 illustrates a front view of the aircraft (100), in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
Various modifications to these embodiments are apparent to those skilled in the art from the description and the accompanying drawings. The 20 principles associated with the various embodiments described herein may be applied to other embodiments. Therefore, the description is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown along with the accompanying drawings but is to be providing broadest scope of consistent with the principles and the novel and inventive features disclosed or suggested 25 herein. Accordingly, the invention is anticipated to hold on to all other such alternatives, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the present invention and appended claim.

I Claim:
1. An aircraft (100) with increased lift generation and additional cabin space, said aircraft (100) comprising:
a fuselage (110); 5
a plurality of wings (120) attached on either side of said fuselage (110); and
a first set of winglets (190) attached to said fuselage (110);
wherein said plurality of wings (120) is configured to produce primary lift for said aircraft (100); 10
wherein said fuselage (110) is configured to provide secondary lift for said aircraft (100); and
wherein said first set of winglets (190) is configured to reduce a lift-induced drag during operation of said aircraft (100).
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2. The aircraft (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fuselage (110) is designed in an airfoil shape, when viewed from a direction normal to a direction of motion of said aircraft (100).
3. The aircraft (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein said fuselage (110) 20 is structured in a manner such that a width of said fuselage (110) is at least twice a height of said fuselage (110).
4. The aircraft (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein said width of said fuselage (110) facilitates more lift to the aircraft (100) by providing 25 more contacting area for air when said air passes with a high speed.
5. The aircraft (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein said fuselage (110) includes a top side (170) and a bottom side (180).
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6. The aircraft (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein said bottom side (180) is a substantially planar surface.
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7. The aircraft (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein said top side (170) is a curved surface.
8. The aircraft (100) as claimed in claim 7, wherein surface area of said top side (170) is greater than that of said bottom side (180), thereby 5 allowing air passing from said top side (170) to cover more distance than air passing from said bottom side (180), resulting in generation of vacuum at said top side (170).
9. The aircraft (100) as claimed in claim 8, wherein said vacuum 10 facilitates said increased lift generation for said aircraft (100).
10. The aircraft (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fuselage (110) includes a first lateral side (182) and a second lateral side (184).
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11. The aircraft (100) as claimed in claim 10, wherein said first set of winglets include a first winglet (192) attached to said first lateral side (182) and a second winglet (194) attached to said second lateral side (184).
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12. The aircraft (100) as claimed in claim 11, wherein each of said first winglet (192) and said second winglet (194) is attached aligned along a full length of said fuselage (110).
13. The aircraft (100) as claimed in claim 11, wherein each of said first 25 winglet (192) and said second winglet (194) is attached along a partial length of said fuselage (110).
14. The aircraft (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said aircraft (100) further includes a second set of winglets (230). 30
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15. The aircraft (100) as claimed in claim 14, wherein said second set of winglets (230) is attached to respective trailing edges (220) of said plurality of wings (120).