Creative New

The FanWing experimental aircraft opens up a new area of aerodynamics

Via fanwing

Designs to establish a means of integral lift and thrust using a horizontal-axis wing rotor are recorded back as far as the late 19th century. Some of the experiments started to take off but did not sustain flight. The FanWing new blown-wing solution offers both basic proof of concept and a steady trajectory of improved and controlled flight performance.

The aircraft has a cross-flow fan along the span of each wing. The fan pulls the air in at the front and then expels  it over the wing’s trailing edge. In transferring the work of the engine to the rotor, which spans the whole wing, the FanWing accelerates a large volume of air and achieves unusually high lift-efficiency.

The FanWing showed proof of concept in the form of actual flights before theoretical validation, academic research or explanation. The FanWing is an invention by trial and error and though certainly employing a methodology with good precedent in the history of innovation it is in no way within the normal paradigm of academic and conventional aircraft development. There is nevertheless a steady accumulation of tests and supporting documentation.

Documented efficiencies for the first prototypes were found to be in the order of 20 grams of lift per watt of input power indicating an initial lift of 1 –1 ½ tons of weight in the air with 100 hp.  These results are supported so far by test flights where the largest  prototype model flew on repeated tests with almost instant take-off and  with a 20kg take-off weight.

In 2007 flight tests the STOL UAV surveillance prototype showed unusually short take-off ability, leaving the ground after a 1 m roll without payload and 3m on lower power (see video on this website and Flight Magazine online archives).  It is estimated that at maximum weight (12 kg) the small surveillance aircraft could leave the ground in three lengths. The new prototype was developed as an urban surveillance UAV.  The aircraft flies slowly and will be able to manoeuvre urban ‘canyons’ with take-off independent of a catapult. The efficiency of the aircraft indicates that it will have an autonomy of close to 80 minutes with a 2 kg payload under electric power.  The short-take-off capabilities make the application useful for operations originating from a  rooftop or short section of road. The aircraft will be simple to dismantle and assemble for simple transport and deployment.