Variable size blended wing body aircraft
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsMark A. Page, Jennifer P. Whitlock, Matthew W. Wilks
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Abstract
A blended wing body aircraft having a modular body having a body that includes a plurality of laterally-extending body structures. Changes to the cargo capacity of the aircraft is accomplished through the employment of body structures that are wider or narrower. Configuration in this manner provides the aircraft with a structure that is relatively strong and efficient. While the body structures of this embodiment are not shared across a family of variously sized aircraft, the base design of the body structures is readily modifiable to adjust for an increase or decrease in width associated with a desired change to the aircraft's cargo capacity.
Claims26
A blended wing body aircraft comprising:
- an aircraft body having a centerbody cabin and an aft centerbody cabin, the centerbody cabin being at least partially formed from a plurality of body structures, each of the body structures being elongated along an axis that is generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft;
- and
- a pair of aircraft wings coupled to the opposite sides of the aircraft;
- wherein a leading edge of each wing is contiguous with an associated lateral front edge of a forward-most one of the body structures.
A blended wing body aircraft comprising:
- an aircraft body that is at least partially formed from a plurality of body structures, each of the body structures extending laterally in a direction that is skewed to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft;
- wherein only a forward-most one of the body structures forms a portion of a leading edge of the aircraft.
A blended wing body aircraft comprising:
- a pair of aircraft wings;
- and
- an aircraft body in juxtaposed relation with the wings, the aircraft body being at least partially formed from a plurality of body structures, the body structures extending in a direction that is generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft;
- wherein a forward-most one of the body structures partially forms a leading edge of the aircraft;
- and
- wherein each of the body structures that are located rearwardly of the forward-most one of the body structures includes opposite lateral sides, each of the lateral sides abutting a lateral side of an associated one of the wings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.