Fan variable area nozzle for a gas turbine engine fan nacelle with cam drive ring actuation system

A gas turbine engine comprising:

• a core engine defined about an axis;
• a fan driven by said core engine about said axis;
• a core structure defined at least partially about said core engine;
• and
• a fan structure mounted around said fan and at least partially around said core structure, said fan structure having a fan variable area nozzle with a multiple of flaps which defines a fan nozzle exit area downstream of said fan between said fan structure and said core structure;
• a cam drive ring which defines a multiple of cams;
• a multiple of flap linkages pivotally mounted to said fan nacelle, each of said multiple of flap linkages mounted to at least one of said multiple of flaps and biased into contact with one of said multiple of cams at a follower;
• and
• an actuator system capable of rotating said cam drive ring about said axis to vary said fan nozzle exit area defined by said fan variable area nozzle as each of said multiple of followers traverses one of said multiple of cams of said cam drive ring.

A method of varying a fan nozzle exit area comprising the steps of:

• (A) biasing a flap linkage pivotally mounted to a fan nacelle into contact with a cam of a cam drive ring;
• (B) rotating the cam drive ring about an engine axis;
• and
• (C) following the cam with a follower of the flap linkage to symmetrically vary the fan nozzle exit area defined by said fan variable area nozzle as the follower traverses the cam.