| 摘要 |
An aircraft used for short distance flights may have very different design characteristics than VTOL designs of conventional aircraft. The aircraft defined herein is radically different from existing aircraft and is intended to be used for short distance flights. This aircraft is horizontally circular (or at least symmetrical) with a thrust generating power source in the center. The structure around the power center has a cross sectional shape like a conventional airplane wing, such that air flowing over the top surface generates lift. This main structure is shaped like a donut and acts as both the aircraft fuselage and wing. The aircraft also may utilize lighter-than-air gas within the body structure or in attached external bladders to reduce the relative weight of the aircraft, thereby artificially increasing the power to weight ratio and improving operational efficiency. The aircraft defined by this invention does not depend on horizontal speed to attain airflow over fixed wings, or rotating wings for generating lift, nor does it rely solely on downward thrust for its vertical lift capabilities. The VTOL aircraft defined by this invention are very efficient and safe, malting plausible a second component of this invention, a dynamic aircraft resource allocation and scheduling software application within a command-control-communication-computer (C4) system which can be used for mass transit application of multiple aircraft of this type in densely populated areas.
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