Aeroblic - A concept from the late '50s

[Jemiba]

In the german magazine "Luftfahrttechnik" fromJuly 1958, I've found an article about
a concept for STOL aircraft, called "Aeroblic" . It's a mixture of ringwing and ducted
prop/ducted fan and was intended by his french inventor, I. Labat for civil and military
use. The first drawing shows, what a proof-of-concept demonstrator would have looked
like and the second explains the principle.
Drawing 3 is an artist's impression of an airliner/transport version, in the last drawing
fourtypes are shown in profile, described as : communications- or mail a/c, COIN/
ASW a/c,light transport, airliner/troop transport (identical to the artist's impression,
I think).
The article claims, the concept could be developed to VTOL capability and the whole
thing reminds me to the Dornier Aerodyne concept.

 

[sferrin]

That top one looks like a Romulan Warbird

 

[GTX]

I have seen a similar design to the top ones proposed more recently - just wish I could remember where. I will do some searching.

Regards,

Greg

 

[elmayerle]

Reminds me of some of the Lippisch aerodynes from the late-50s/early 60s.

 

[boxkite]

A little bit off-topic, but thought as an addition to Jemiba's Dornier Aerodyne picture, here are two photos from the Dornier Information 72D5, a company-own magazine.

 

[JAZZ]

Dornier did some interesting work on a navy UAV -

 

[amsci99]

JAZZ,

Looks like another of Dr Lippisch's Aerodyne projects which he began at Collins Radio Company in the 50's. I recall Dornier later did a 'pure jet' version. Always curious how the concept worked, something to do with the Coanda effect? Wonder if the Moller Skycar employs a similar concept?

 

[JAZZ]

It dates in the mid-late 1970's (76-78) and is effectively two Dornier Aerodyne engine outfits side by side. Interesting thing is that Hawker Siddeley was also involved with this concept.

 

[JAZZ]

Just a bit more info (from Jane's) on the Dornier HSD (Hawker Siddeley Dynamics) Martime Aerodyne

length 4.90m
width 3.00m
height 2.6m
Max ToW 1360kg
Powred by one turboshaft enhine driving two 9 blade shrounded fans.
Max speed 610kmhr
Ceiling in horizontal flight - 6700m and in hover 1200m
Range 1500km with 100kg payload

 

[weirc]

Another picture of the dornier maritime aerodyne from Jane's. Does anybody have a three view?

 

[Caravellarella]

Re: Ivan Labat Aéroblic VTOL projects......

Dear Boys and Girls, here is a contemporary article in French about Ivan Labat's Aéroblic VTOL "projects". I don't know if this ever made it to hardware or flight-test status, so I'm assuming (for now) that the Aéroblic remained a "project"......

The article comes from the 15th June 1957 issue of Les Ailes......

Terry (Caravellarella)

 

[OM]

Another picture of the dornier maritime aerodyne from Jane's. Does anybody have a three view?

...A little downside-up, ennit?

 

[Grey Havoc]

Pity there doesn't appear to be more detail available on No. 2 in the aeroblic-4.JPG, the Colonial Policing, Ground Attack or ASW variant, apart from what's in the article Caravellarella found. I suppose it was intended as a relatively low cost and flexible piece of equipment for the French Colonial Forces, as well as to help equip French Navy shore based units stationed out of her colonies.

 

[Grey Havoc]

"Hell, all civil jets look the same!"

Non not all !
This design of the french engineer I.Labat looks remarkably different.
It's from 1958 and was credited with ultra-short take-off.
(from Luftfahrttechnik .7.58 )

 

[Avimimus]

I was looking at the proposed Aéroblic demonstrator side view... and I'm hoping someone can explain it!

- With the thrust diverters extended the center of lift should move far towards the rear of the aircraft.

- However in normal forward flight the center of gravity has to be fairly far forward in order to keep it in front of the neutral point (and allow stability).

So how was this supposed to fly? The Lippisch-Dornier designs have the thrust diverters near the cruise CL (which makes sense) but I can't see how the Aeroblic could take off without the changed pitch-moment and rearward shift of CL causing it to nose down uncontrollably.

What am I missing? What am I not seeing here?

 

[Jemiba]

My attempt for an explanation is, that the Aeroblic wasn't a VTOL, but a STOL design, so during take-off the wings
and flying surfaces had to be taken into account. Tried to make a quick sketch using the principal drawing (second
picture in the first post)showing where lift is produced. The downward vectored engine thrust may well have been
compensated by the aerodynamic lift (sorry, was too lazy to change the guide vanes in the second sketch),
the different airfoil sections of the upper and lower part of that ring wing perhaps contributed to a balanced
overall lift at lower airspeeds.

 

[minmachine]

"I have seen a similar design to the top ones proposed more recently - just wish I could remember where. I will do some searching"

GTX I think the recent proposal you are thinking of is NASA's gridlock commuter pav.

 

[dan_inbox]

It says VERTICAL take off. For this, one must assume that the nose is pitched up nearly vertical (as hinted in Jens' first picture in the middle, but even more so).
Now for the passenger version, it would stretch the idea...

 

[Jemiba]

Yes, the article in "Les Ailes" speaks of vertical flight, but the mentioned one in "Luftfahrttechnik"
clearly says "STOL with the potential for further dervelopment into VTOL". So I think, those designs
still are meant for STOL, maybe ESTOL, which is to my opinion supported by the shown layout of
the landing gear/attitude on the ground and the direction of the vectored thrust.

 

[Avimimus]

My attempt for an explanation is, that the Aeroblic wasn't a VTOL, but a STOL design, so during take-off the wings
and flying surfaces had to be taken into account. Tried to make a quick sketch using the principal drawing (second
picture in the first post)showing where lift is produced. The downward vectored engine thrust may well have been
compensated by the aerodynamic lift (sorry, was too lazy to change the guide vanes in the second sketch),
the different airfoil sections of the upper and lower part of that ring wing perhaps contributed to a balanced
overall lift at lower airspeeds.

Thank you Jemiba for your informed opinion. It seems plausible.

It is a bit difficult to make sense of given the relatively unusual airfoils used. I'll work on a crude computer model of it and see if I can figure out how to balance the CL shift.

 

[Sundog]

It's the same aerodynamics behind the Lippisch (Dornier) Aerodyne, as shown on the first page. It is VTOL technology. The equations are in the book on the Aerodynamics of Lippisch' designs.

 

[hesham]

From Ailes 23/2/1957.