Aircraft collapsible fuel tank

Details Aircraft collapsible fuel tank Aircraft collapsible fuel tank

1978-04-14

1980-07-29

Kelmachter, Barry L.

Aeronautics and astronautics

Aircraft structure

Fuel supply

220 6, 220 85B, B64D 3704, B64D 3706

Patent

active

042147212

ABSTRACT:
A collapsible fuel tank for aircraft, the tank having rigid top and bottom elements and foldable rigid side walls containing therein a non-vented fluid-impervious elastomeric bladder. When fluid is pumped into the bladder, it distends to deploy the top, bottom, and side walls whereby a box-like structure whose rigid walls protect the bladder is erected. The withdrawal of fluid from the bladder causes it to contract such that the walls are folded and the tank thereby collapsed into a space-saving volume. The tank can be mounted on the outside surface of an aircraft and the contraction of the tank as fuel is expended effects a reduction of the aircraft frontal area to reduce drag. When used in supersonic polymorphic aircraft, the collapsible tank of this invention allows fuel to be carried in space left vacant when the aircraft is in a slow-flight configuration and the collapse of the tank when the fuel therein is expended permits the volume thus left vacant to be employed when the aircraft is put into its supersonic flight configuration.

REFERENCES:
patent: 2308479 (1943-01-01), Young
patent: 2355084 (1944-08-01), Kurrle
patent: 2361743 (1944-10-01), Butler
patent: 2373221 (1945-04-01), Blaylock et al.
patent: 2552119 (1951-05-01), Scharenberg
patent: 2714999 (1955-08-01), Thieblot et al.
patent: 2749064 (1956-06-01), Kuhlman
patent: 2777656 (1957-01-01), Clifton
patent: 3084825 (1963-04-01), Hultquist
patent: 3101921 (1963-08-01), Price
patent: 3114526 (1963-12-01), Morgan
patent: 3765626 (1973-10-01), Maynard et al.

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