IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0628117
(2012-09-27)
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등록번호 |
US-10118686
(2018-11-06)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
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출원인 / 주소 |
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대리인 / 주소 |
Miller, Matthias & Hull LLP
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
22 |
초록
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A single, common, fuselage and wing design of an aircraft structure provides for two different aircraft models or configurations. A fuselage (12) has a center section cutout area (212). Each wing (16) has an airfoil over substantially its entire span. In one configuration (2A), a center section comp
A single, common, fuselage and wing design of an aircraft structure provides for two different aircraft models or configurations. A fuselage (12) has a center section cutout area (212). Each wing (16) has an airfoil over substantially its entire span. In one configuration (2A), a center section component (212), such as a wingbox, is inserted into the center section cutout and the wings are connected to opposing sides of the center section component by a side-of-body join. In another configuration (2B), the wings are moved inwardly, joined to the fuselage, and also joined to each other in a centerline join at the centerline (218) of the aircraft wherein a portion (16A) of the airfoil of each wing is then inside the fuselage. Different flaps (210, 220), spacers (222), and/or different engine mount locations (402, 404) may be provided for the wings for the two configurations.
대표청구항
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1. An aircraft structure, comprising: a fuselage having a centerline, a center section cutout, and a fuselage width at the center section cutout, the center section cutout configured to accept a center section component;a pair of wings, each wing having a wing root, a wing tip, a leading edge from t
1. An aircraft structure, comprising: a fuselage having a centerline, a center section cutout, and a fuselage width at the center section cutout, the center section cutout configured to accept a center section component;a pair of wings, each wing having a wing root, a wing tip, a leading edge from the wing root to the wing tip, a span equal to a distance from the wing root to the wing tip, and an airfoil over substantially its entire span, the wings being substantially mirror images of each other; andthe fuselage and the wings being configured to be combined in a selected one of both a first configuration or a second configuration;wherein, in the first configuration, further comprising a center section component inserted into the center section cutout and joined to the fuselage, the wing roots being connected to opposing sides of the center section component by a side-of-body join, wherein an effective wingspan of the aircraft in the first configuration is equal to twice the span of one of the pair of wings; andwherein, in the second configuration, the center section component is not inserted into the center section cutout and the wings are connected to the fuselage and also connected at the wing roots to each other in a centerline join in the center section cutout, a portion of the airfoil of each wing being inside the fuselage, wherein the effective wingspan of the aircraft in the second configuration is equal to twice the span of one of the pair of wings minus the fuselage width, and wherein a single common wing design for the pair of wings is used in both the first configuration and the second configuration and the span of each of the pair of wings is the same in both the first configuration and the second configuration. 2. The aircraft structure of claim 1 wherein each wing has a first airfoil size at its root and a second airfoil size at an end of the portion distal from its root that is smaller than the first airfoil size, and further comprising a selected pair of either a first pair of fuselage-wing fairings or a second pair of fuselage-wing fairings; wherein the first pair of fairings is configured to accommodate the first airfoil size for use with the first configuration;wherein the second pair of fairings is configured to accommodate the second airfoil size for use with the second configuration; andwherein each of the selected fairings is connected to both the fuselage and the corresponding wing. 3. The aircraft structure of claim 1 comprising a pair of engines, each engine being mounted to a corresponding one of the pair of wings, wherein each wing comprises a first engine mount at a first predetermined distance from its wing root and to which the corresponding engine is mounted in the first configuration, and a second engine mount at a second, different predetermined distance from said wing root and to which the corresponding engine is mounted in the second configuration. 4. The aircraft structure of claim 3 wherein the second predetermined distance is different than the first predetermined distance by up to one-half of the fuselage width. 5. The aircraft structure of claim 1 wherein the center section component comprises a wingbox. 6. The aircraft structure of claim 1 wherein each wing has a flap, wherein the flap has a first predetermined length in the first configuration and a second predetermined length in the second configuration that is shorter than the first predetermined length. 7. The aircraft structure of claim 6 wherein, in the second configuration, the wing also has a spacer having a third predetermined length, said first predetermined length being approximately the same as the sum of said second and third predetermined lengths. 8. An aircraft structure, comprising: a fuselage having a centerline, a center section cutout, and a fuselage width at the center section cutout, the center section cutout configured to accept a center section component;a wing having oppositely disposed wing tips, a wingspan equal to a distance between the oppositely disposed wing tips, a centerline, and an airfoil over substantially its entire wingspan, the wing configured to allow it to be divided into a first part and a second part along its centerline, the first part and the second part being substantially mirror images of each other and comprising opposing wing roots at the centerline, wherein the first part and the second part each have a span from the wing root to the corresponding wing tip equal to one-half the wingspan of the wing;the fuselage and the wing configured to be combined in a selected one of either a first configuration or a second configuration;wherein, in the first configuration, further comprising a center section component inserted into the center section cutout and joined to the fuselage, the wing being divided into the first part and the second part, each of the first part and the second part having a leading edge extending from the wing root to the corresponding wing tip, the wing roots of the first part and the second part being connected to opposing sides of the center section component by a side-of- body join, wherein an effective wingspan of the aircraft in the first configuration is equal to twice the span of one of the first part and the second part; andwherein, in the second configuration, the center section component is not inserted into the center section cutout, the wing is inserted into the center section cutout and connected to the fuselage, the centerline of the wing being coincident with the centerline of the fuselage, and a center portion of the airfoil of the wing being inside the fuselage, wherein the effective wingspan of the aircraft in the second configuration is equal to twice the span of one of the first part and the second part minus the fuselage width, and wherein a single common wing design for the first part and the second part is used in both the first configuration and the second configuration and the span of the first part and the second part is the same in both the first configuration and the second configuration. 9. The aircraft structure of claim 8 wherein the wing has a first airfoil size at its roots and a second airfoil size at ends of a center portion that is smaller than the first airfoil size, and further comprising a selected pair of either a first pair of fuselage-wing fairings or a second pair of fuselage-wing fairings; wherein the first pair of fairings is configured to accommodate the first airfoil size for use with the first configuration;wherein the second pair of fairings is configured to accommodate the second airfoil size for use with the second configuration; andwherein the selected pair of fairings is connected to both the fuselage and the wing. 10. The aircraft structure of claim 9 wherein the second configuration, the wing also has a pair of spacers, each spacer having a third predetermined length, said first predetermined length being approximately the same as the sum of said second and third predetermined lengths. 11. The aircraft structure of claim 8 comprising a pair of engines, wherein the wing comprises a first pair of engine mounts at a first predetermined distance from the wing root and to which the engines are mounted in the first configuration, and a second pair of engine mounts at a second, different predetermined distance from the wing root and to which the engines are mounted in the second configuration. 12. The aircraft structure of claim 11 wherein the second predetermined distance is different than the first predetermined distance by up to one-half of the fuselage width. 13. The aircraft structure of claim 8 wherein the center section component comprises a wingbox. 14. The aircraft structure of claim 13 wherein, in the second configuration, the wing also has a pair of spacers, each spacer having a third predetermined length, said first predetermined length being approximately the same as the sum of said second and third predetermined lengths. 15. A method of providing an aircraft structure, comprising: providing a fuselage having a centerline, a center section cutout, and a fuselage width at the center section cutout, the center section cutout configured to accept a center section component; andproviding a pair of wings, each wing having a wing root, a wing tip, a leading edge from the wing root to the wing tip, a span equal to a distance from the wing root to the wing tip, and an airfoil over substantially its entire span, the wings being substantially mirror images of each other,wherein the fuselage and the pair of wings are configurable in a first configuration provided by inserting the center section component into the center section cutout and joining it to the fuselage, and attaching the wing roots to the center section component in a side-of-body join, wherein an effective wingspan of the aircraft in the first configuration is equal to twice the span of one of the pair of wings, anda second configuration provided by not inserting the center section component into the center section cutout, inserting the wings into the center section cutout, connecting the wings to each other in a centerline join, and connecting the wings to the fuselage, wherein a portion of the airfoil of each wing is inside the fuselage, wherein the effective wingspan of the aircraft in the second configuration is equal to twice the span of one of the pair of wings minus the fuselage width, and wherein a single common wing design for the pair of wings is used in both the first configuration and the second configuration and the span of each of the pair of wings is the same in both the first configuration and the second configuration. 16. The method of providing an aircraft structure of claim 15 and further comprising: providing a selected pair of either a first pair of fuselage-wing fairings or a second pair of fuselage-wing fairings;wherein the first pair of fairings being configured to accommodate a first airfoil size for use with the first configuration;wherein the second pair of fairings being configured to accommodate a second airfoil size that is smaller than the first airfoil size for use with the second configuration; andfurther comprising connecting each of the selected fairings to both the fuselage and a corresponding wing. 17. The method of providing an aircraft structure of claim 15, wherein the aircraft comprises a pair of engines, the method further comprising providing each wing with a first engine mount at a first predetermined distance from its wing root and to which the corresponding engine is mounted in the first configuration, and a second engine mount at a second, different predetermined distance from said wing root and to which the corresponding engine is mounted in the second configuration. 18. The method of providing an aircraft structure of claim 15 wherein inserting the center section component comprises inserting a wingbox. 19. The method of providing an aircraft structure of claim 15 wherein providing a pair of wings further comprises providing each wing with a flap wherein, in the first configuration, the flap has a first predetermined length and, in the second configuration, the flap has a second predetermined length that is shorter than the first predetermined length, and further comprising providing each wing in the second configuration with a spacer having a third predetermined length, said first predetermined length being approximately the same as the sum of said second and third predetermined lengths. 20. A method of providing an aircraft structure, comprising: providing a fuselage having a centerline, a center section cutout, and a fuselage width at the center section cutout, the center section cutout configured to accept a center section component; andproviding a wing having oppositely disposed wing tips, a wingspan equal to a distance between the oppositely disposed wing tips, a centerline, and an airfoil over substantially its entire wingspan, the wing configured to allow it to be divided into a first part and a second part along its centerline, the first part and the second part being substantially mirror images of each other and comprising opposing wing roots at the centerline, the first part and the second part each having a leading edge extending from the wing root to a corresponding one of the wing tips, wherein the first part and the second part each have a span from the wing root to the corresponding wing tip equal to one-half the wingspan of the wing,wherein the fuselage and the wing are configurable in a first configuration provided by inserting the center section component into the center section cutout and joining it to the fuselage, dividing the wing into the first part and the second part, and connecting the wing roots of the first part and the second part to opposing sides of the center section component by a side-of-body join, wherein an effective wingspan of the aircraft in the first configuration is equal to twice the span of one of the first part and the second part; anda second configuration provided by not inserting the center section component into the center section cutout, inserting the wing into the center section cutout, and connecting the wing to the fuselage, the centerline of the wing being coincident with the centerline of the fuselage, a center portion of the airfoil of the wing being inside the fuselage, wherein the effective wingspan of the aircraft in the second configuration is equal to twice the span of one of the first part and the second part minus the fuselage width, and wherein a single common wing design for the first part and the second part is used in both the first configuration and the second configuration and the span of the first part and the second part is the same in both the first configuration and the second configuration. 21. The method of providing an aircraft structure of claim 20 and further comprising: providing a selected pair of either a first pair of fuselage-wing fairings or a second pair of fuselage-wing fairings;the first pair of fairings being configured to accommodate a first airfoil size for use with the first configuration;the second pair of fairings being configured to accommodate a second airfoil size that is smaller than the first airfoil size for use with the second configuration; andfurther comprising connecting the selected fairings to both the fuselage and the wing. 22. The method of providing an aircraft structure of claim 20, wherein the aircraft comprises a pair of engines, the method further comprising providing the wing with a first pair of engine mounts at a first predetermined distance from its wing root and to which the engines are mounted in the first configuration, and a second pair of engine mounts at a second, different predetermined distance from said wing root and to which the engines are mounted in the second configuration. 23. The method of providing an aircraft structure of claim 20 wherein inserting the center section component comprises inserting a wingbox. 24. The method of providing an aircraft structure of claim 20 wherein providing a wing further comprises providing the wing with a pair of flaps wherein, in the first configuration, each flap has a first predetermined length and, in the second configuration, each flap has a second predetermined length that is shorter than the first predetermined length, and further comprising, in the second configuration, providing the wing with a pair of spacers having a third predetermined length, said first predetermined length being approximately the same as the sum of said second and third predetermined lengths.
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