Bellmouth nozzle assembly for a gas turbine engine

A method for reversing a thrust of a turbofan engine defining a bypass passage, an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction,

• the turbofan engine comprising:
• a core turbine engine;
• a nozzle assembly movable between a stowed position and a deployed position;
• and
• a nacelle disposed about the core turbine engine along the circumferential direction and spaced from the core turbine engine along the radial direction to define the bypass passage therebetween, the nacelle extending between a first end and a second end along the axial direction, the second end of the nacelle and the core turbine engine defining a bypass passage outlet when the nozzle assembly is in the stowed position, and wherein the nozzle assembly comprises:
• an outer panel coupled with the nacelle, the outer panel movable along the radial direction to move the nozzle assembly between the stowed position and the deployed position;
• and
• an elastic member coupled with the outer panel and with the nacelle, the method comprising:
• reversing a direction of a bypass airflow through the bypass passage;
• and
• deploying the nozzle assembly to the deployed position such that the elastic member of the nozzle assembly is inflated with an inflation airflow to form a bellmouth at the bypass passage outlet of the bypass passage.

A turbofan engine defining an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction, the turbofan engine comprising:

• a core turbine engine;
• a nozzle assembly movable between a stowed position and a deployed position;
• and
• a nacelle disposed about the core turbine engine along the circumferential direction and spaced from the core turbine engine along the radial direction to define a bypass passage therebetween, the nacelle extending between a first end and a second end along the axial direction, the second end of the nacelle and the core turbine engine defining a bypass passage outlet when the nozzle assembly is in the stowed position, and
• wherein the nozzle assembly comprises:
• an outer panel coupled with the nacelle, the outer panel movable along the radial direction to move the nozzle assembly between the stowed position and the deployed position;
• and
• an elastic member coupled with the outer panel and with the nacelle, wherein when the nozzle assembly is in the deployed position, the elastic member is inflated with an airflow such that the elastic member forms a bellmouth that at least partially defines the bypass passage outlet.