Lifting-fuselage/wing aircraft having an elliptical forebody

摘要

An aircraft having an elliptical fuselage and low skin friction drag. The aircraft includes (a) a lifting fuselage having a cross-section constituting an airfoil in a majority of vertical planes taken parallel to the flight direction, an aspect ratio (ARf) of 0.33 to 1.10, a forebody having a substantially elliptic cross-section in all planes taken normal to the flight direction, and a substantially elliptic planform leading edge; (b) wings fixed to the fuselage having an aspect ratio (ARw) of at least 5.0; (c) a mechanism controlling aircraft attitude; and (d) a mechanism propelling the aircraft; wherein the wings and fuselage produce lift in varying proportions depending upon flight conditions as follows: (i) the aircraft has a cruise design point in which the fuselage lift coefficient (CLF) is 0.08 or less, and (ii) the fuselage lift coefficient is at least 0.50 at an angle of attack ( alpha LZo) of 10 DEG , in level flight at sea level (ISA) with all movable lift enhancing devices retracted.