Aircraft stabilizer system and methods of using the same
AssigneeBLR Aerospace, L.L.C.
InventorRobert J. Desroche
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aircraft can include a tail section and a stabilizing system coupled to the tail section. The stabilizing system has a vertical stabilizer and at least one strake that cooperate to generate forces that compensate for a reaction torque generated by a main lifting rotor that produces lifting forces when the aircraft is in flight. Methods for improving aircraft performance include installing the at least one strake and retrofitting of a vertical stabilizer to increase thrust forces produced by a tail rotor.
Claims23
A method of modifying a vertical stabilizer of a helicopter, the method comprising:
- removing a V-shaped upper trailing edge of an upper fin of the vertical stabilizer, the upper fin extending upwardly from a tail boom of the helicopter;
- forming a new U-shaped upper trailing edge of the upper fin;
- removing a V-shaped lower trailing edge of a lower fin of the vertical stabilizer, the lower fin extending downwardly from the tail boom of the helicopter;
- and
- forming a new U-shaped lower trailing edge of the lower fin.
A helicopter comprising:
- a fuselage;
- a main lifting rotor rotatable relative to the fuselage;
- a tail boom extending outwardly from the fuselage;
- a tail rotor at a free end of the tail boom and rotatable about a tail rotor axis of rotation;
- and
- a vertical stabilizer comprising an upper fin extending upwardly from the tail rotor axis of rotation and a lower fin extending downwardly from the tail rotor axis of rotation, a portion of the vertical stabilizer forming a leading edge having a leading edge radius and another portion of the vertical stabilizer forming a trailing edge having a trailing edge radius such that a ratio of the leading edge radius to the trailing edge radius is in a range of about 0.5 to about 1.2.
A vertical stabilizer for a helicopter, the vertical stabilizer comprising:
- an upper fin adapted to extend upwardly from a tail boom of the helicopter;
- a lower fin connected to the upper fin and adapted to extend downwardly from the tail boom;
- a first portion of the vertical stabilizer forming a leading edge that extends along both the upper fin and the lower fin;
- and
- a second portion of the vertical stabilizer forming a trailing edge that extends along both the upper fin and the lower fin, the second portion having a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional profile taken generally perpendicular to the trailing edge, the second portion is adapted to extend upwardly and downwardly past the tail boom.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.