Aircraft auxiliary air intake with ram and flush opening door

An air inlet mechanism for an aircraft, the air inlet mechanism comprising:

• a housing having a duct cavity formed therethrough, the housing having an end wall and first and second sidewalls, the first and second sidewalls coupled to the first and second ends of the end wall, respectively, the end wall having a recessed cavity;
• a door structure having an end member and first and second side members coupled to opposite sides of the end member;
• and
• a drive mechanism having a moving portion and a stationary portion, the stationary portion coupled to one of the housing, the moving portion coupled to the door structure and operable for moving the door structure in the duct cavity between a closed position, a ram open position and a fully opened position, the ram open position being located between the closed position and the open position and operable for directing air into the fluid conduit, the closed position substantially closing the fluid conduit, the door structure being disposed within the fluid conduit when placed in the open position, at least a portion of the door structure extending outwardly of the housing when the door structure is placed in the ram open position, wherein at least a portion of the door structure passes through the recessed cavity in the end wall when the door structure is moved between the ram open and fully open positions.

An air inlet mechanism comprising:

• an inlet door having an endwall and first and second sidewalls;
• a housing having a wall member and first and second flanges, the wall member extending between the first and second flanges and defining a duct cavity, the wall member having a concave portion proximate the first flange, the first flange adapted to be coupled to an aircraft structure, the second flange adapted to be coupled to a duct structure;
• and
• a drive mechanism coupling the inlet door to the housing, the drive mechanism including a rotary actuator and a hinge pin, the rotary actuator having an output shaft, the hinge pin coupled for rotation with the output shaft, the hinge pin extending through the wall member of the housing and the first and second sidewalls of the inlet door, the inlet door being fixed for rotation with the hinge pin, the wall member of the housing journally supporting the hinge pin;
• wherein the inlet door is operable between a closed position wherein the inlet door substantially closes the duct cavity, a ram air position in which the endwall and first and second sidewalls cooperate to form a scoop, and at least a portion of the inlet door has rotated into the concave portion of the duct cavity, and an open position wherein the inlet door is substantially disposed in the duct cavity.