TR-3B patent

[MedwedianPresident]

A guy named John St. Clair filed this patent for a triangular, electrostatically powered aircraft that is eerily similar to the TR-3B used by the US Armed Forces, 14 years ago.

https://patents.google.com/patent/US20060145019A1/en

Abstract:

A spacecraft having a triangular hull with vertical electrostatic line charges on each corner that produce a horizontal electric field parallel to the sides of the hull. This field, interacting with a plane wave emitted by antennas on the side of the hull, generates a force per volume combining both lift and propulsion.

 

What do you think?

Edited July 27, 2018 by MedwedianPresident

[Nuke]

its an established phenomena, pretty much an atmospheric ion engine. it just needs an hvdc power supply. thats actually part of the problem. the effect is not really very energy efficient so you need a lot of power for a little bit of thrust. at hobby scales (lifters) the power supply is a lot heavier than the engine so you need to tether it to the ground based power supply. it might scale up such that a large enough aircraft could carry its own power supply. perhaps with high efficiency thin membrane solar cells skinning a very large wing with carbon fiber ribs. then there was that one company wanting to build a kilometer across helium filled flying wing using ionizers to reduce drag. 

[sevenperforce]

FYI, will not work in a vacuum. 

[magnemoe]

22 minutes ago, sevenperforce said:

FYI, will not work in a vacuum. 

No but it can work in the stratosphere higher than other planes.

And the TR-3B if exist is likely to be an stealthy recon drone, its also talk of an fighter bomber plane think an scaled down B2 but this thing will have an budget. 
Both will use fairly standard engines however and is more in line of making an very stealthy plane who is cheaper to operate. 
One fun feature is that the bomber is supposed to be optional manned. It can be remote controlled but also manned. 

[K^2]

Well, the patent is nonsense, as what it suggests plainly violates conservation of momentum.

Ionocraft referenced by @Nuke is a little different. It relies only on the static charges. No EM wave involved. I can see there being a connection if the author of the patent has built a prototype and it "worked" because of the ion movement. But the claim of the patent is that the lift/thrust is due to EM field self-interaction, which is absurd.

[MaverickSawyer]

One: The TR-3B never existed outside of studies and models.

Two: The proposed system is complete and utter handwavium BS.

Three: I'm trying not to headdesk REALLY hard right now, because this is at LEAST the second time you've come on this board with a bunch of BS. (Yes, I remember your whole "hollow earth" nonsense.)