FanWing/EU SOAR: Distributed-propulsion aircraft with a trapped vortex inside the rotor cage

The FanWing is a distributed-propulsion aircraft with a trapped vortex inside the rotor cage. A cross-flow fan near the leading edge of the wing transfers the work of the engine to the air along the entire wingspan. The resulting increased lift from the trapped vortex and the rearward acceleration of a large volume of air offers very short take-off-and-landing with quiet and efficient short-haul heavy lift capability. The project is funded by a European program. The optimization work and feasiblity study are done by the DLR, the University of Saarland an the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics. Patrick Peebles, inventor and technical director of the FanWing project, is self-educated in physics and aeronautics and previously specialised in electronic inventions. He was for some years international area manager for a US-based company before making a full-time commitment to the ://