VTOL Assistor

If you look at an airplane engine spec, you would see considerable difference between the maximum thrust at takeoff and cruising thrust. The difference increases even further for VTOL. Generating enough thrust for takeoff requires considerable amount of additional weight which would have no use during cruise. Therefore, I thought of a VTOL assistor that would support the plane during takeoff and landing like the boosters of a rocket.

VTOL assistor would have four independent LNG powered vertical turbofan engines. Each engine would have thrust vectoring nozzles. The engines would be connected with each other via semi rigid carbon fiber plates. This design would reduce the stress formed due to inequalities of the independent engines and provide a better gripping base for the plane. The griping surface of the VTOL assistor would be like the feet of a Gecko. Additionally, the surface would have opposite charge compared to the body of the plane. Van der Waals and electrostatic forces would allow grip between the VTOL assistor and the plane. If designed properly these two forces would create enough grip to keep the plane attached to the assistor and during detachment would create no damage on the fuselage of the plane. The heavy-duty cryogenic tanks would provide extra strength to the bottom of the VTOL assistor in case of crash.

During takeoff, VTOL assistor would lift the plane from ground and the engine of the plane would thrust it forward to reach the cruising speed. As the wings of the plane generate more thrust, the assistor would reduce its support until the plane can fly by itself. Then the assistor releases itself from the plane and return to the launch site.

During landing, VTOL assistor would takeoff from ground and catch the descending plane and grip it. Then it would provide vertical thrust to keep the plane airborne while the plane’s horizontal thrust is lowered. The controls on the wings assist the landing phase together with the thrust vectoring on the VTOL assistor.