Modular pylon assembly and associated systems and methods

An aircraft system, comprising:

• an aircraft comprising multiple mounting hardpoint pairs;
• and
• a pylon assembly removably mountable to any one of the multiple mounting hardpoint pairs, the pylon assembly comprising:
• a core module comprising an inboard side having multiple first sets of carriage-attachment elements, each one of the first sets of carriage-attachment elements disposed at different locations along the inboard side, and an outboard side, opposite the inboard side, having multiple second sets of carriage-attachment elements, each one of the second sets of carriage-attachment elements disposed at different locations along the outboard side;
• a forward post assembly extending from a forward portion of the core module and an aft post assembly extending from an aft portion of the core module, wherein the forward post assembly and the aft post assembly are removably mountable to the aircraft;
• a carriage module comprising a set of core-attachment elements corresponding to any selected one of the first sets of carriage-attachment elements or any selected one of the second set of carriage-attachment elements, such that the carriage module is removably attachable to either one of the inboard side of the core module, via any one of the first sets of carriage-attachment elements, or the outboard side of the core module, via any one of the second sets of carriage-attachment elements;
• and
• a suspension rack mounted to the carriage module and configured to support a payload;
• wherein:
• at least one of the multiple mounting hardpoint pairs is located on a left side of the aircraft and at least another one of the multiple mounting hardpoint pairs is located on a right side of the aircraft;
• and
• the core module is reconfigurable for left side attachment to the at least one of the multiple mounting hardpoint pairs on the left side of the aircraft or right side attachment to the at least another one of the multiple mounting hardpoint pairs on the right side of the aircraft.

A method of attaching a payload to an aircraft, the method comprising:

• removably mounting a core module of a pylon assembly to a selected one of multiple mounting hardpoint pairs located on either a left side or a right side of an aircraft, wherein the core module is reconfigurable for left side attachment to one of the multiple mounting hardpoint pairs on the left side or right side attachment to one of the multiple mounting hardpoint pairs on the right side of the aircraft;
• removably attaching a carriage module to any one of multiple sets of carriage-attachment elements disposed at different locations along the core module, wherein a suspension rack is mounted to the carriage module at an oblique angle relative to a vertical plane of the core module that divides an inboard side of the core module from an outboard side of the core module;
• and
• removably attaching a payload to the suspension rack, wherein the payload is angled at an oblique angle relative to the vertical plane of the core module.