Deployable fairing for transport vehicle

A fairing for a transport vehicle, comprising:

• an enclosure formed from flexible sheeting and forming an outer surface;
• the enclosure being adapted to be internally pressurized;
• a structural frame comprising a plurality of rigid structural members;
• the enclosure being supported by and coupled to the structural frame so that when the enclosure is internally pressurized, the outer surface of the enclosure is structurally stiff and conforms to a predefined aerodynamic shape;
• wherein at least some of the rigid structural members are coupled to one another end-to-end by tensioning elements whereby those rigid structural members apply tension to the enclosure to de-wrinkle the sheeting.

A fairing for a transport vehicle, comprising:

• an enclosure formed from flexible sheeting and forming an outer surface;
• the enclosure defining an internal volume and being adapted to be internally pressurized;
• wherein, when the enclosure is internally pressurized, the outer surface of the enclosure is structurally stiff and conforms to a predefined aerodynamic shape;
• and
• a ram air intake in fluid communication with the interior volume, wherein:
• during forward motion of the transport vehicle, the outer surface defines an airflow boundary layer having relatively slower airflow than freestream airflow spaced outwardly from the airflow boundary layer relative to the outer surface, whereby the airflow boundary layer is disposed between the outer surface and the freestream airflow;
• the ram air intake extends from the outer surface beyond the airflow boundary layer into the freestream airflow and has an inlet disposed within and facing the freestream airflow;
• the inlet communicating along an airflow passage with an outlet into the internal volume;
• wherein a cross-sectional area of the outlet is substantially larger than a cross-sectional area of the inlet and a cross-sectional area of the airflow passage expands from the inlet toward the outlet.