Apparatus and method for allowing a pilot to see outside an airplane
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorMichael S. Koehn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An airplane, such as a supersonic airplane, includes at least one viewing tunnel located behind the cockpit instrument panel for allowing the pilot to see in front of and to the side of the airplane during low speed flight. The viewing tunnel is especially useful during landing approaches and touchdown when the airplane's high angle of attack and long nose prevents the pilot from seeing the landing environment through the conventional forward cockpit windows. The viewing tunnel allows the pilot to see through a large opening in the bottom and sides of the airplane. This opening is covered by canards during high speed flight and uncovered during low speed flight when the canards are moved to the extended position to provide additional control authority for the airplane.
Claims9
In an aircraft having a cockpit, apparatus comprising:
- a. an aperature located in an instrument panel of the cockpit;
- b. a nose portion of the aircraft having an opening located between the aperature and a tip of the nose portion to permit a pilot in the cockpit to look simultaneously through the aperature and the opening to a location outside the aircraft;
- and
- c. a door, which is an aerodynamic lifting surface of the aircraft, is connected to the aircraft and is movable between (i) an open position where the opening is not covered and (ii) a closed position where the opening is covered and the door is aligned with an exterior surface of the nose portion.
A method of looking outside an aircraft, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. moving a lifting surface connected to the aircraft from a closed position where an opening in a nose portion of the aircraft is covered and the lifting surface is aligned with an exterior surface of the nose portion to an open position where the opening is uncovered;
- b. looking through an aperature, from a cockpit of the aircraft, located in an cockpit instrument panel;
- and
- c. looking through the opening while simultaneously looking through the instrument panel aperature to see outside the aircraft.
In an aircraft, apparatus comprising:
- a. an aperature located in a interior panel of the aircraft;
- b. a nose portion of the aircraft having an opening located therein to permit a person in the aircraft to look simultaneously through the aperature and the opening to a location outside the aircraft;
- and
- c. a door, which is an aerodynamic lifting surface of the aircraft, connected to the aircraft and movable between (i) an open position where the opening is not covered and (ii) a closed position where the opening is covered by the door.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.