Increasing lift is very important in aircraft. One thing that aerospace engineers have learned is vortex lift. Where vortex eddies when stream across the top of an airfoil, fuselage or wing act like a horizontal Tornado pulling the surface upward just like a Tornado pulls in the relative local airflows. Another interesting new tool being used in warfare are the new high-energy high-powered chemical lasers. As a matter of fact researchers now have a refrigerator-sized unit for fighter aircraft so look out now, Star Wars X-Wing Fighters here we come. A think tanker has recently proposed (me) that we use these two concepts in combination. How so you ask? Well here is the plan. First we hide in the leading edge of the aircraft small mirrors about the size of those little circular mirrors that the dentist uses in your mouth. Then when you wish to take off or increase lift they would come out and protrude about 16 inches in front of the wing and the stem holding the little mirrors would be pointed up at a 21-degree angle. Next the mirrors would all be facing the top of the fuselage where the laser weapon would send a small beam of high energy streaming laser to mirror. Each mirror would heat up and reflect towards the rear of the wings as the relative wind came across starting little tornadoes. Perhaps some 10 units for each wing could be used. Think on this in 2006. |
