181 |
Flight control surface seal |
US14223062 |
2014-03-24 |
US09452819B2 |
2016-09-27 |
Young L. Zeon; Gerfried R. Achtner; Robert M. Lee |
A system and method for reducing aerodynamic drag is disclosed. A compression seal is attached to the inboard edges of the stabilizer and elevators of an airplane. The seal blocks airflow in a gap located between these inboard edges and a fuselage. The shape of the compression seal changes as the shape of the gap changes due to movement of the stabilizer and elevators during flight to effectively block airflow through the gap during flight. By blocking the airflow, the seal reduces the aerodynamic drag of the airplane. |
182 |
Method for a leading edge slat on a wing of an aircraft |
US13955126 |
2013-07-31 |
US09446836B2 |
2016-09-20 |
Dale M. Pitt; Nicholas Stephen Eckstein |
A method for managing a flight control surface system. A leading edge device is moved on a leading edge from an undeployed position to a deployed position. The leading edge device has an outer surface, an inner surface, and a deformable fairing attached to the leading edge device such that the deformable fairing covers at least a portion of the inner surface. The deformable fairing changes from a deformed shape to an original shape when the leading edge device is moved to the deployed position. The leading edge device is then moved from the deployed position to the undeployed position, wherein the deformable fairing changes from the original shape to the deformed shape. |
183 |
NEAR BELLY-TANGENT POD SYSTEM FOR AN AIRCRAFT |
US14669769 |
2015-03-26 |
US20160229536A1 |
2016-08-11 |
Kenneth W. Aull; Albert C. Stewart, III |
A pod system for an aircraft is disclosed. Embodiments provide an external, near belly-tangent modular plug-and-play pod system that includes a scalable set of left-side bays which are connected to a scalable set of right-side bays via a central compartment positioned on a bottom external surface of the aircraft's fuselage. The bays accommodate removable slide trays which have various equipment (for example, communications, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance equipment) mounted thereon. The bays and slide trays combination allow for quick removal, insertion, and connection of the various mounted equipment to IP-based connectivity, power, and foundation signals from the aircraft. In an embodiment, the left-side bays, right-side bays, and central compartment each have a planar bottom surface which are substantially equiplanar so that inserted and connected mounted equipment extending downward and externally from the bays from the planar bottom surface have 360 degree unobstructed views. |
184 |
Modular pod system for aircraft |
US13926953 |
2013-06-25 |
US09394051B2 |
2016-07-19 |
Craig C. M. Chun; Lyle E. Picard; Frank Dugger; Harold A. Koehler; Paul L. Wynns; George Hall; Glen W. Cunningham; Arthur Jules Rosenwach; Justin Kearns |
A mission pod system for an aircraft set to perform a mission includes a fixed portion that is fixedly secured to an exterior surface of the aircraft. The mission pod system also includes a modular portion that is removably secured to the fixed portion and spaced away from the exterior surface of the aircraft via the fixed portion. The modular portion includes an entirety of mission-specific components. |
185 |
ROTOR DOME, A ROTOR, AND A ROTORCRAFT |
US14939275 |
2015-11-12 |
US20160137296A1 |
2016-05-19 |
David ALFANO; Damien DESVIGNE; Raphael FUKARI |
A dome for a rotor comprising a cap extending radially from an axis of rotation in elevation towards a periphery and in azimuth over 360 degrees, the cap extending in thickness from a bottom face towards a top face above the bottom face. The dome includes at least one slot extending between the periphery and the axis of rotation in elevation, each slot passing right through a thickness of the cap by extending in elevation from the bottom face to the top face. |
186 |
SHAPE-VARIABLE GAP COVERING BETWEEN CONTROL SURFACES AND ADJACENT STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS ON AIRCRAFTS |
US15001832 |
2016-01-20 |
US20160137286A1 |
2016-05-19 |
Luiz Da Rocha-Schmidt |
A transition piece, which can be mounted in a recess, and which can form a continuous surface from a structural component of an airplane to a control surface, which is connected to the structural component in a pivotable manner is described. The transition piece can be mounted between an edge of the structural component and a lateral edge of the control surface such that the transition piece is fastened in a pivotable manner both to the edge of the structural component and to the lateral edge of the control surface. According to an example, the transition piece has a planar design and can be deformed within said plane, that is, the transition piece can be stretched or compressed within this plane. |
187 |
Device for protecting a rotorcraft against a pyramid-shaped structure for carrying a load |
US14195055 |
2014-03-03 |
US09334042B2 |
2016-05-10 |
Pierre Prud'Homme-Lacroix |
A protection device (20) for protecting a fuselage (2) of a rotorcraft (1) against a pyramid-shaped structure (10) for carrying a load, which pyramid-shape structure has a frame having a quadrilateral shape together with a first pair (13) of two arms (12) and a second pair (15) of two arms (14), each arm extending in elevation from the frame up towards an apex (16). The protection device includes a protective plate (21), a blade (30) secured to the protective plate (21) for exerting a force on the two arms of the first pair, and a chevron (40) provided with two branches connected to the protective plate (21) in order to tend to move the arms of the second pair transversely apart from each other. |
188 |
SEAL ASSEMBLY |
US14969422 |
2015-12-15 |
US20160096615A1 |
2016-04-07 |
James WILSON; Alan QUAYLE; Paul HADLEY |
A seal assembly for closing an aperture in an aerodynamic surface of a structure, the seal assembly comprising: a track for attachment to the structure; and a retractable seal including a flexible substrate and a plurality of rods connected to the substrate, wherein at least one of the rods is mounted for running movement along the track, and the seal is moveable between an extended position and a retracted position by moving the at least one rod along the track accompanied by folding/unfolding of the seal substrate, and wherein the seal is biased to its extended position. |
189 |
TORQUE TUBE DOOR |
US14469543 |
2014-08-26 |
US20160059952A1 |
2016-03-03 |
Mark Bleazard |
A torque tube door and related method steps may include a door coupled to an inboard wing flap, such that the door is movable with the flap to selectively cover and uncover a torque tube opening in an aircraft fuselage. |
190 |
POLYUREA GASKET AND GASKET TAPE AND A METHOD OF MAKING AND USING THE SAME |
US14815646 |
2015-07-31 |
US20160033043A1 |
2016-02-04 |
JEFF BUSBY; MIKE DRY; KENT BOOMER; MATT BOYD |
A gasket or tape material for sealing between two members. The gasket or tape material, in one embodiment, includes a skeletal member and/or metallic and/or non-metallic particles. Enclosing the skeletal member and/or particles is a flexible, compressible resilient polyurea body member having a tacky outer surface, the tacky outer surface for engagement between the two members. The resilient body may be comprised of polyurea. The skeletal member may be comprised of a metallic or a non-metallic material, woven or non-woven metallic or non-metallic. |
191 |
SEALING ASSEMBLY ON THE EXTERIOR OF AN AIRCRAFT |
US14806878 |
2015-07-23 |
US20160023745A1 |
2016-01-28 |
Memis Tiryaki; Matthias Hegenbart; Michael Sauer |
A sealing assembly on an aircraft exterior having several sealing elements, lying one behind the other in the flight direction. The contact surfaces of the sealing elements sit on a bearing surface. The sealing elements are attached to seal retainer elements. The rear end of each sealing element lies immediately adjacent to the front end of the subsequent sealing element located further back on the aircraft. Adjacent sealing elements form a stepless contact surface and an essentially continuous top surface, interrupted only by the gaps between them. The front end of each rearward sealing element is mechanically coupled to the rear end of the adjacent forward sealing element in such a way that the gap lying between them is bridged. The front end of the sealing element located further to the rear is prevented from lifting relative to the rear end of the forward sealing element. |
192 |
AIRCRAFT AIR SCOOP SYSTEMS WITH PASSIVE PNEUMATIC ACTUATORS |
US14314170 |
2014-06-25 |
US20150375848A1 |
2015-12-31 |
Mike Lucas; George Clay Nolen |
Aircraft and air scoop systems are provided. An aircraft includes an interior compartment, an outer skin, an air scoop, it movable element, and a passive pneumatic actuator. The interior compartment encloses a substantially constant interior air mass at a cabin pressure during flight and the outer skin at least partially defines a ventilated cavity. The air scoop is disposed on the outer skin and communicates air between the ventilated cavity and an external environment in which the aircraft is located. The movable element is movable between an open position and a closed position over the air scoop to define an air flow area through the air scoop. The passive pneumatic actuator is operatively coupled with the movable element and moves the movable element towards the closed position in response to an increasing altitude of the aircraft based on a differential pressure between the interior air mass and the external environment. |
193 |
ENERGY ABSORPTION DEVICE FOR AIRCRAFT STRUCTURAL ELEMENT |
US14655135 |
2013-12-16 |
US20150344125A1 |
2015-12-03 |
CAROLINE PETIOT; MICHEL BERMUDEZ; DIDIER MESNAGE |
A device for absorbing kinetic energy for an aircraft structural element undergoing a dynamic impact. The device includes an outer enclosure made from a braided composite material configured to preserve its integrity after an impact, a foam core, contained in the outer enclosure and to at least partially fill the outer enclosure. The foam core is configured to at least partially absorb the kinetic energy generated by the impact. Reinforcing elements are integrated at least partially into the foam core to dissipate, combined with the form core, the kinetic energy generated by the impact. The reinforcing elements includes discontinuous threads inserted into the foam core by stitching, and each discontinuous thread includes an L- or T-shaped head, folded down outside the outer enclosure. |
194 |
Wing flaps for aircraft and methods for making the same |
US13752654 |
2013-01-29 |
US09199721B2 |
2015-12-01 |
Brian G. Cook; John Louis; Thomas Van de Van; Robert M. Vieito |
A flap for operatively coupling to a wing main element of an aircraft is provided. The flap comprises an outer flap section that has a side edge portion. The side edge portion at least partially surrounds a flap side-edge cavity. A porous cavity-filler insert is positioned in the flap side-edge cavity. |
195 |
Center fuselage bellows |
US13267354 |
2011-10-06 |
US09199717B2 |
2015-12-01 |
Christos Bogiatzis |
A sealing assembly is provided in an airframe of aircraft. The sealing assembly includes, but is not limited to a resilient and yet stiff enough bellows body that is attachable to the fuselage of the aircraft and is further attachable to a center wing box of the aircraft. The sealing assembly seals off a gap between the fuselage and the center wing box so as to allow maintaining pressure in the fuselage if the fuselage is pressurized. The bellows body is a composite and is designed to sustain exposure to tear and wear and exposure to a high and low temperatures as well as exposure to chemicals used during operation of the aircraft. |
196 |
LOAD-BEARING FAIRING ELEMENT FOR A FLAP ADJUSTMENT MECHANISM AND AIRCRAFT HAVING SUCH A FAIRING ELEMENT |
US14713089 |
2015-05-15 |
US20150329198A1 |
2015-11-19 |
TAMAS HAVAR; Mirko MISSBACH; Wolfgang MACHUNZE |
A load-bearing fairing element for a flap adjustment mechanism of an aircraft comprises a shell-shaped fairing housing with an at least partly U-shaped profile with an open side, a closed side, and a direction of main extension, at least one first cover panel that along the direction of main extension covers part of the open side, and a load-bearing bridge element. The bridge element is arranged in the fairing housing and with a base area conforms so as to be flush against an internal surface of the fairing housing and extends towards the open side. The bridge element comprises an essentially planar cover area that covers the base area on the open side in order to produce a closed profile contour that is circumferential on the direction of main extension. The bridge element comprises means for holding a shaft feed-in of a central flap drive and means for holding an adjustment mechanism that is couplable to the shaft feed-in. Consequently there is no need to provide complex stiffening structures within the fairing element. |
197 |
Low drag high restoring moment airfoils |
US13561399 |
2012-07-30 |
US09132914B2 |
2015-09-15 |
Claude G. Matalanis; Brian E. Wake |
A rotor hub fairing system for use in a counter-rotating, coaxial rotary wing aircraft is provided including an upper hub fairing defined about an axis. A lower hub fairing is similarly defined about the axis. An airfoil shaped shaft fairing is disposed between the upper hub fairing and the lower hub fairing. The airfoil shaped shaft fairing has a thickness to chord (t/c) ratio in the range of about 20% and about 45%. |
198 |
Air vehicle mounted transmitting or receiving equipment |
US13517420 |
2010-12-22 |
US09114867B2 |
2015-08-25 |
Robert Brown; Peter Wayne Collingbourne |
Disclosed is an air vehicle mounted or mountable transmitting and/or receiving equipment including a transmitting and/or receiving turret allowing at least a forward field of view, the device being mounted or mountable on a fuselage such that it extends away from the fuselage to which it is mounted; and a fairing mounted to the fuselage adjacent the device at a rearward side of the device for reducing aerodynamic drag, the fairing being retractable by, for example, an electrically driven mechanism, to afford the device a rearward (arrow R), or more effective rearward, field of view for transmitting and/or receiving. |
199 |
STIFFENED PANEL AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME |
US14426955 |
2013-09-09 |
US20150225073A1 |
2015-08-13 |
Michel Bermudez; Didier Mesnage; Hichem Smaoui; Benoit Fleury |
A method of manufacturing a stiffened panel having a skin and at least one substantially elongate stiffener having a longitudinal groove forming a cavity. At least one storage device for storing and releasing electrical energy. The longitudinal groove is filled with at least one storage device for storing and releasing electrical energy. The storage device is covered with a skin which forms the cavity together with the longitudinal groove of the stiffener. A stiffened ring can be derived from the method. |
200 |
Rotor hub and blade root fairing apparatus and method |
US13427696 |
2012-03-22 |
US09079659B2 |
2015-07-14 |
Jacob J. van der Westhuizen; Robert Owen White |
A fairing system may be assembled about a rotor of a rotorcraft to present an aerodynamically quasi-static region that rotates in an airstream, as well as certain extensions that sweep through the airstream as the rotor hub passes through the air. A spherical interface between the extensions on the rotor hub fairing and the base or root portion of each blade fairing provides three degrees of freedom permitting lead-lag, flapping, and blade pitch pivoting in the blade, while still maintaining an aerodynamic profile that will minimize drag. |