Aircraft frame for tailstrike angle enhancement
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorMithra Sankrithi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A wedge frame for an aircraft that provides tailstrike angle enhancement. The wedge frame has converging, non-parallel faceplanes that tilt a rear portion of the aircraft fuselage upward in order to prevent or reduce risk of the tail of the aircraft striking the ground during takeoff and landing. A method to prevent or reduce risk of the rear portion of an aircraft from striking the ground during takeoff and landing by using a wedge frame having converging, non-parallel faceplanes to tilt upward the rear portion of the aircraft.
Claims24
A wedge frame that provides tailstrike angle enhancement for an aircraft having a fuselage, the wedge frame comprising an annular structure with a forward distal edge and an aft distal edge, the annular structure comprising a top section at a top of the fuselage with a first width from the forward distal edge to the aft distal edge that is smaller than a second width from the forward distal edge to the aft distal edge at a bottom section of the annular structure at a bottom of the fuselage.
An aircraft comprising:
- a fuselage having a forward body, a middle body and an aft body, the forward body having a nose section and a forward constant section, the middle body having a middle constant section, and the aft body having an aft constant section and a tail section;
- and
- a wedge frame comprising an annular structure with a forward distal edge and an aft distal edge positioned in the aircraft such that the aft constant section of the aft body is disposed at a first upward angle relative to the forward body, the annular structure comprising a top section at a top of the fuselage with a first width from the forward distal edge to the aft distal edge that is smaller than a second width from the forward distal edge to the aft distal edge at a bottom section of the annular structure at a bottom of the fuselage.
A method for providing tailstrike angle enhancement to an aircraft having a forward fuselage body having a nose section and a forward constant section, a middle fuselage body having a middle constant section, and an aft fuselage body having an aft constant section and a tail section, the method comprising:
- adapting a first wedge frame comprising an annular structure with a forward distal edge and an aft distal edge and an annular outboard rim having a top section at a top of the fuselage with a first width from the forward distal edge to the aft distal edge that is smaller than a second width form the forward distal edge to the aft distal edge at a bottom section of the annular outboard rim at a bottom side of the fuselage to connect the aft constant section to the middle constant section at a first upward angle relative to the forward fuselage body;
- and
- connecting the aft constant section to the middle constant section using the first wedge frame.
A wedge frame that provides tailstrike angle enhancement for an aircraft, the wedge frame comprising an annular structure with non-parallel faceplanes formed by a forward distal edge and an aft distal edge of the annular structure, the annular structure comprising an annular outboard rim and a generally annular web extending in an inboard direction from the annular outboard rim, the annular outboard rim comprising:
- a forward outboard flange extending laterally away from an outboard end of the web towards the forward distal edge, and having a first outboard surface disposed at a first upward flange angle with respect to the web at a bottom side and a top side of the wedge frame;
- and
- an aft outboard flange extending laterally away from the outboard end of the web towards the aft distal edge, and having a second outboard surface disposed at a second upward flange angle with respect to the web at the bottom side and the top side of the wedge frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.