Launch vehicle with engine mounted on a rotor (US Patent 5842665)

Patent number: 5842665 Granted: 1998-12-01 Filed: 1996-09-09 Inventors: Bevin C. McKinney (Gig Harbor, WA, US); Gary C. Hudson (Redwood City, CA, US) Assignees: HMX, Inc. (Reno, NV, US)

Abstract

A launch vehicle which employs a rotor similar to a helicopter. The vehicle has a four bladed rotor which is mounted on the vehicle body. The body of the vehicle includes propellant tanks and a payload compartment contained within an integral aeroshell. Rocket engines used to propel the vehicle into earth orbit are mounted at