Pod for a turbofan aero engine of the forward contrafan type having a very high bypass ratio

A pod for a very high bypass ratio turbofan engine unit of the forward contrafan type suspended from a suspension mast under the wing of an aircraft, said engine unit including an engine casing, a pair of ducted fans having contrarotating propellers disposed at the forward end of said engine unit, and radial flow straightener arms disposed to the rear of said propellers, said flow straightener arms extending radially outwards from said engine casing, said pod comprising

• an inner cowling of generally cylindrical shape surrounding said engine casing,
• an outer cowling also of generally cylindrical shape, said outer casing having an outer side forming the outer wall of said pod and an inner side spaced radially outwardly from said inner cowling and defining therebetween a cold flow path of said engine unit in which said contrarotating propellers and said flow straightener arms are located, and said outer cowling comprising
• a forward casing forming the front part of said pod and surrounding said fan propellers, said forward casing being rigidly connected to said suspension mast and being openable to facilitate maintenance work,
• a structural intermediate casing situated to the rear of said forward casing and rigidlY connected to said engine casing by means of said flow straightener arms, and
• a rearward casing situated to the rear of said intermediate casing and rigidly connected to said suspension mast, said rearward casing also being openable to facilitate maintenance work,
• said engine unit having first and second attachment means by which said engine unit is hitched to said suspension mast, said first attachment means being provided on the upper part of said intermediate casing, and said second attachment means being provided on the rear part of said engine casing,
• first coupling means for rigidly connecting said forward casing to said intermediate casing when said engine unit is hitched to said suspension mast and said forward casing is closed, and
• second coupling means for rigidly connecting said rearward casing to said intermediate casing when said engine unit is hitched to said suspension mast and said rearward casing is closed.