Assemblies for external attachment of airborne sensor pods to an aircraft fuselage
AssigneeEmbraer S.A.
InventorsRomero Maia Soares DE AZEVEDO, Lafayete Faria SIQUEIRA, Sergio Cunha MONTESI
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Sensor pod attachment assemblies are provided for attaching a sensor pod containing airborne sensor equipment to an aircraft fuselage. The sensor pod assemblies may include fore and aft pairs of attachment pylon assemblies each having a lower end attached to the aircraft fuselage and an upper end attached to the sensor pod. The fore pair of attachment pylon assemblies can include port and starboard pylon structures, and a cross-support base connected to upper ends of the port and starboard pylon structures. The aft pair of attachment pylon assemblies may include a lengthwise adjustable spar assembly.
Claims20
A sensor pod attachment assembly for attaching a sensor pod containing airborne sensor equipment to an aircraft fuselage, the attachment assembly comprising:
- fore and aft pairs of attachment pylon assemblies each having a lower end attached to the aircraft fuselage and an upper end attached to the sensor pod, wherein
- at least one attachment pylon of the fore and aft pairs of attachment pylon assemblies includes a lengthwise adjustable spar assembly which includes:
- (i) an elongate spar member having upper and lower ends;
- (ii) upper and lower attachment fittings at the upper and lower ends of the spar member, respectively;
- (iii) upper and lower connector rods attached to the upper and lower attachment fittings, respectively, wherein
- (iv) at least one connector rod of the upper and lower connector rods is threadably connected to a respective one of the upper and lower attachment fittings, respectively, so that turning movement thereof responsively allows lengthwise adjustment of the spar assembly.
A sensor pod attachment assembly for attaching a sensor pod containing airborne sensor equipment to an aircraft fuselage, the attachment assembly comprising:
- fore and aft pairs of attachment pylon assemblies each having a lower end attached to the aircraft fuselage and an upper end attached to the sensor pod, wherein
- the fore pair of attachment pylon assemblies includes port and starboard pylon structures, and a cross-support base connected to upper ends of the port and starboard pylon structures, and wherein
- each of the port and starboard pylon structures includes (i) elongate fore and aft upright spars having lower ends for attachment to the aircraft fuselage and upper ends connected to the cross-support base, and (ii) ribs and stringers connecting the fore and aft upright spars to one another, and wherein
- the cross-support base includes port and starboard lug mounts positioned above an upper end of the port and starboard pylon structures, respectively, for attaching the sensor pod to the fore pair of attachment pylon assemblies.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.