🚀 go-pugleaf

Craig Meyer writes:
Hi, folks.  I'm the one that wrote about a lift system using driven air and a
stationary wing.  I've gotten some responses, but I want to make sure you all
know what I'm talking about.  So here goes:

Below is a super-sorry rendition of a airfoil, with an duct coming out of the
upper leading-edge.  High-speed air (from some central centrifugal blower or
something) shoots out of this duct, and over the wing.

Lift is produced by the resulting static-pressure difference between the top of
the wing (with the driven air flowing over it) and the bottom of the wing,
where the air is still.

Thrust is produced, too, becuase the air is being blown BACK, (action-reaction,
ya know).

Once you got going, you could retract the duct into the leading edge of the
wing, and blow the air out some ducts in the very back, for thrust only (since
you'll be getting lift naturally becuase you're moving)


             ------      LOW PRESSURE
           /   <- air comes out here   Flows out t

 leading /      ------------------------------\    h
  edge /                     / \                 \   i
       \                      |        ------>      \   s
         \                    |lift    thrust          \  w
           \--------------------------------------------- \  a
                        HIGH PRESSURE                          y
 
So that's it.

Please tell me whatever you think about it (if I'm a genius, an idiot, a
plagariser, whatever..)

Thanks all,

End, Craig Meyers





Your leading edge blowing concept has been around (I actually
wnated to do my MS research on leading edge blowing with a
circulation control trailing edge, had to settle for unsteady
circulation control instead :-)).  Anyhoot, there is not to
many jets available that would provide all the lift you want in 
the manner you describe.  Currently, folks in my branch are looking
into leading edge blowing, but only for vortex control not for
providing all the lift.

Just as an aside, you'll get more lift out of a circulation control
trailing edge than leading edge blowing (but you will still need
some freestream flow).  If you ever want references on circulation
control, let me know and I'll give you some good'uns.  I might also
still have some references on leading edge blowing, I'd have to look.
Hope this helps.

T.A. Ghee