Method for managing the configuration of an aircraft equipped with at least one auxiliary power unit or not, aircraft and device making it possible to implement said method

A method for managing at least one aircraft, said aircraft comprising:

• a fuselage that has a main portion and being configured to perform a first category of flights not requiring any auxiliary power unit and a second category of flights requiring at least one auxiliary power unit,
• wherein the aircraft is configured to alternately occupy:
• a first configuration suitable for the first flight category, in which configuration the aircraft comprises a lightened first tail cone, not comprising any auxiliary power unit, positioned aft of the main portion and connected to the latter by a removable aft link, and
• a second configuration suitable for the second flight category, in which configuration the aircraft comprises a second tail cone comprising an auxiliary power unit, positioned aft of the main portion and connected to the latter by the removable aft link, and
• wherein the managing method comprises, for at least one given flight to be performed,
• a step of determining, from among the first and second flight categories, to which category the given flight to be performed belongs,
• a step of determining, from among the first and second configurations, which configuration is suitable for the flight category determined in the previous step, and
• a step of changing the configuration of the aircraft if the configuration of the aircraft does not correspond to the configuration determined in the previous step.