# US 8,783,617 B2 · Aircraft fuselage drag reduction blivet

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- Number: US 8,783,617 B2
- Document ID: US8783617B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/445,815
- Filed: 2012-04-12
- Published: 2013-10-17
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2012-04-12
- Assignees: Lockheed Martin Corporation
- Applicants: Michael W. Harbeck; Brian Quayle
- Inventors: Michael W. Harbeck; Brian Quayle
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8783617B2

## CPC

- B64C 1/0009: {Aerodynamic aspects}
- B64C 2001/0045: {Fuselages characterised by special shapes}
- Y02T 50/10: Drag reduction
- B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

An air vehicle fuselage adapted for transonic operation is disclosed. The fuselage has a body and a close-out. A lower surface of the body has a waterline value that varies along a fore-aft direction of the fuselage and is equal to a first waterline value at a forward end of the close-out and rise to a second waterline value at an aft end of the close-out. The lower surface has a drag-reduction blivet that includes a first region wherein the lower surface drops to a point comprising a third waterline value that is below the first waterline value and a first inward radius and then rises over a second region disposed aft of the first region wherein a second radius that is a minimum radius of the lower surface within the second region is greater than the first radius.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An air vehicle fuselage adapted for transonic operation, the fuselage comprising:
a body comprising a transition station at an aft end of the body, wherein a lower surface of the body has a first waterline value at the transition station;
a close-out coupled to the body at the transition station, wherein a lower surface of the close-out has a waterline value that varies along a fore-aft direction of the fuselage and is equal to the first waterline value at the transition station and wherein the lower surface of the close-out connects to an upper surface of the close-out at an aft end of the close-out; and
a drag-reduction blivet disposed on the lower surface of the close-out, the blivet comprising:
a first region wherein the lower surface drops to a point comprising a third waterline value that is below the first waterline value and a first inward radius; and
a second region disposed aft of the first region wherein the lower surface rises while having a second radius is equal to a minimum radius of the lower surface within the second region, the second radius being greater than the first radius.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fuselage of claim 1, wherein the lower surface of the body has an approximately constant waterline value.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The fuselage of claim 1, wherein the lower surface within the first region of the blivet comprises:
a first section starting from the transition station wherein the lower surface comprises an outward bend; and
a second section starting from the first section wherein the lower surface comprises an inward bend comprising the first inward radius.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The fuselage of claim 3, wherein the blivet comprises a third region disposed aft of the second region, the lower surface within the third region having an inward bend starting at the second region and transitioning to an outward curve.

### Claim 5

An air vehicle fuselage adapted for transonic operation, the fuselage comprising:
a body wherein a lower surface has a substantially constant first waterline value;
a close-out wherein a forward end of the close-out is coincident with an aft end of the body, the close-out comprising:
an imaginary reference lower surface comprising a variable waterline value that is equal to the first waterline value at the forward end of the close-out and rises monotonically toward an aft end of the close-out without a radius of the reference lower profile within the close-out being less than a first radius; and
an actual lower surface comprising a variable waterline value that is equal to the first waterline value at the forward end of the close-out, the actual lower surface dropping to a point comprising a third waterline value that is less than the first waterline value and a second radius that is less than the first radius then rising toward the aft end of the close-out, wherein a third radius that is a minimum radius of the actual lower surface aft of the point is greater than the first radius.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The fuselage of claim 5, wherein the third radius is at least twice the second radius.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The fuselage of claim 5, wherein the waterline value of the actual lower surface is less than the waterline value of the reference lower surface over at least a portion of the close-out.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The fuselage of claim 5, wherein the lower surface within the close-out comprises:
a first section starting from the body wherein the actual lower surface comprises an outward curve; and
a second section starting from the first section wherein the actual lower surface comprises an inward curve comprising the second radius.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The fuselage of claim 8, wherein the close-out comprises a third section wherein the actual lower surface comprises an outward curve.

### Claim 10 (depends on 5)

The fuselage of claim 5, wherein a first peak pressure coefficient of the actual lower surface within the close-out is less than a second peak pressure coefficient of the reference lower surface within the close-out.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The fuselage of claim 10, wherein a first total drag of a fuselage having the actual lower surface within the close-out is less than a second total drag of a fuselage having the reference lower surface within the close-out.