Folding internal cover

Details Folding internal cover Folding internal cover

1990-04-10

1992-03-17

Barefoot, Galen

Aeronautics and astronautics

Aircraft control

Rudders and empennage

244130, B64C 902

Patent

active

050961420

ABSTRACT:
An aerodynamic fairing seal for use on a variable incident airfoil which protrudes through a structural opening in an aircraft such that the fairing covers the opening as the airfoil is moved during flight. In the preferred embodiment on a T-tail configuration aircraft which utilizes a vertical stabilizer that supports a variable incident horizontal stabilizer at its uppermost section, a cover plate is attached to the upper surface of the horizontal stabilizer support structure such that it moves with the horizontal stabilizer. In addition, the cover plate is mounted internally to and adjacent to the structural opening in the vertical stabilizer through which the horizontal stabilizer protrudes. The cover plate is composed of two panels, an upper end and a lower panel, connected by a hinge and a torsion spring. A means is provided to hold the panels adjacent the structural opening when the horizontal stabilizer is in its lowermost position. When the horizontal stabilizer is raised, the cover plate rises within the vertical stabilizer and a means is provided to allow the upper panel to fold thereby greatly reducing the area needed on the vertical stabilizer to cover the structural opening. The folding action of the top panel allows a designer to reduce the height of a vertical stabilizer in a T-tail configuration as compared to a design which uses a conventional cover plate. The mounting of this aerodynamic seal within the vertical stabilizer also reduces the overall aerodynamic drag on the aircraft.

REFERENCES:
patent: 2338950 (1944-01-01), Linke et al.
patent: 2573434 (1951-10-01), Corahan
patent: 2981504 (1961-04-01), Parker
patent: 3307807 (1967-03-01), Stoppe
patent: 3756529 (1973-09-01), Backlund et al.
patent: 4034939 (1977-07-01), Ridley et al.

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