# US 10,870,493 B2 · Aircraft with engine assembly mounted to wheel well > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,870,493 B2 - Document ID: US10870493B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/898,741 - Filed: 2018-02-19 - Published: 2019-08-22 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-19 - Assignees: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. - Applicants: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. - Inventors: Luc Dionne; Bruno Villeneuve; Jean Thomassin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870493B2 ## CPC - B64C 25/10: retractable, foldable, or the like - B64C 25/14: fore-and-aft - B64C 25/16: Fairings movable in conjunction with undercarriage elements - B64C 25/34: wheeled type, e.g. multi-wheeled bogies - B64D 27/026: {comprising different types of power plants, e.g. combination of a piston engine and a gas-turbine (Hybrid electric aircraft B64D27/33)} - B64D 27/08: within, or attached to, fuselages - B64D 27/402: {comprising box like supporting frames, e.g. pylons or arrangements for embracing the power plant} - B64D 29/04: associated with fuselages - B64D 33/08: of power plant cooling systems - B64D 35/02: specially adapted for specific power plants - F02B 41/10: in exhaust turbines (use of exhaust turbines for charging F02B37/00) - F02B 53/14: Adaptations of engines for driving, or engine combinations with, other devices - F02B 2053/005: {Wankel engines} - B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT - F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G) ## Abstract An assembly for an aircraft having a propeller, including a wheel well configured for receiving a retracted landing gear, the wheel well including walls and a closable bottom opening for deploying the landing gear therethrough, an engine assembly having an engine shaft configured for driving engagement with the propeller, and a mount assembly for supporting the engine assembly, the mount assembly connected to at least one of the walls of the wheel well. A method of supporting an engine assembly in an aircraft having a retractable landing gear and a propeller driven by the engine assembly is also discussed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An assembly for an aircraft having a propeller, the assembly comprising: a wheel well configured for receiving a retracted landing gear, the wheel well including walls and a closable bottom opening for deploying the landing gear therethrough, the walls including side walls; an engine assembly having an engine shaft configured for driving engagement with the propeller; and a mount assembly for supporting the engine assembly, the mount assembly connected to the side walls of the wheel well. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the assembly is a nose assembly for a front end of the aircraft, the propeller is a nose propeller, and the landing gear is a nose landing gear. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the mount assembly includes upper and lower yokes connected to the engine assembly, the lower yoke connected to the at least one of the walls of the wheel well. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The assembly as defined in claim 3, wherein the upper yoke is configured to be connected to a structure of the aircraft. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The assembly as defined in claim 4, wherein the walls of the wheel well include a top wall, the side walls extending upwardly beyond the top wall, the upper yoke connected to a support upwardly spaced apart from the top wall and resting on top edges of the side walls, the support configured to be connected to a structure of the aircraft. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the mount assembly includes a plurality of upper struts configured to be connected to a structure of the aircraft and a plurality of lower struts connected to the at least one wall of the wheel well, the upper and lower struts connected to the engine assembly. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the wheel well is located under the engine assembly. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the engine assembly includes a gearbox in driving engagement with the engine shaft, the mount assembly connected to a casing of the gearbox. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein the engine assembly includes an intermittent internal combustion engine drivingly engaged to the engine shaft and a turbine having an inlet in fluid communication with an exhaust of the intermittent internal combustion engine, the turbine having a turbine shaft in driving engagement with the engine shaft via the gearbox. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the engine assembly includes at least one rotary engine drivingly engaged to the engine shaft. ### Claim 11 An assembly for an aircraft having a propeller, the assembly comprising: a wheel well configured for receiving a retracted landing gear, the wheel well including walls and a closable bottom opening for deploying the landing gear therethrough; an engine assembly including: a rotary internal combustion engine in driving engagement with an engine shaft, the engine shaft configured for driving engagement with the propeller, and a gearbox drivingly engaged to the engine shaft; and a mount assembly for supporting the engine assembly, the mount assembly interconnecting a casing of the gearbox to at least one of the walls of the wheel well, the mount assembly having upper and lower yokes connected to the casing of the gearbox, the lower yoke connected to the at least one of the walls of the wheel well, the upper yoke configured to be connected to a structure of the aircraft, wherein the walls of the wheel well include a top wall and side walls extending upwardly beyond the top wall, the upper yoke connected to a support upwardly spaced apart from the top wall and resting on top edges of the side walls, the support configured to be connected to a structure of the aircraft. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein the assembly is a nose assembly for a front end of the aircraft, the propeller is a nose propeller, and the landing gear is a nose landing gear. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein the walls of the wheel well include side walls, the mount assembly connected to the side walls. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein the mount assembly includes a plurality of upper struts configured to be connected to the structure of the aircraft and a plurality of lower struts connected to the at least one wall of the wheel well, the upper and lower struts connected to the casing of the gearbox. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein the wheel well is located under the engine assembly. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein the engine assembly includes a turbine having an inlet in fluid communication with an exhaust of the rotary internal combustion engine, the turbine having a turbine shaft in driving engagement with the engine shaft via the gearbox. ### Claim 17 A method of supporting an engine assembly in an aircraft having a retractable landing gear and a propeller driven by the engine assembly, the engine assembly supported by a mount assembly, the method comprising: locating the engine assembly above and spaced from a wheel well configured for receiving the retractable landing gear in a retracted configuration; and interconnecting the mount assembly to side walls of the wheel well.