Cross section for a supersonic airplane

• US 20050061916A1
• Filed: 09/22/2003
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Sankrithi, Mithra M. K. V.
• Granted Patent: US 7,000,869 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/119
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/0009 Aerodynamic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/10 Bulkheads
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2001/0045 Fuselages characterised by special shapes
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 30/00 Supersonic type aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/029 Asymmetrical aircraft

Abstract

A fuselage for an airplane comprising a first side of the fuselage having a first curvature; and a second side of the fuselage having a second curvature; wherein the first curvature is different from the second curvature at a substantially vertical cross section of the fuselage. The invention can also be characterized as a cross section of an airplane comprising a first side of a fuselage with a first curvature; a second side of the fuselage with a second curvature that is coupled to the first side of the fuselage; a storage compartment within the fuselage; a seat within the fuselage; and an aisle within the fuselage; wherein the first curvature is different from the second curvature. The invention can reduce or eliminate sonic boom when applied to a supersonic airplane such as a supersonic business jet with a long slender fuselage.

Claims

1. A substantially vertical cross-section of a fuselage for an airplane comprising:

a first side of the cross-section having a first curvature; and

a second side of the cross-section having a second curvature;

wherein the first curvature is different from the second curvature.

2. The fuselage of claim 1 further comprising:

a first width corresponding to the first side of the cross-section; and

a second width corresponding to the second side of the cross-section.

3. The fuselage of claim 2 further comprising:

a storage compartment coupled to the first side of the cross-section; and

a seat inside the cross-section.

4. The fuselage of claim 3 further comprising an aisle in between the seat and the storage compartment.

5. The fuselage of claim 4 wherein the first curvature is an elliptical curve.

6. The fuselage of claim 4 wherein the second curvature is an elliptical curve.

7. The fuselage of claim 4 wherein the first curvature is a circular curve.

8. The fuselage of claim 4 wherein the second curvature is a circular curve.

9. The fuselage of claim 4 wherein the first curvature is a digitally specified curve.

10. The fuselage of claim 4 wherein the second curvature is a digitally specified curve.

11. The fuselage of claim 4 wherein the first curvature is a conic curve.

12. The fuselage of claim 4 wherein the second curvature is a conic curve.

13. The fuselage of claim 1 further comprising:

an aisle inside of the cross-section; and

a seat inside of the cross-section.

15. The fuselage of claim 1 wherein the fuselage is designed to travel at supersonic speed.

16. The fuselage of claim 15 wherein the fuselage is designed to travel over land with a reduced sonic boom signature.

17. The fuselage of claim 1 wherein the first curvature is a curvature selected from the group consisting of elliptical, conic, circular and digitally specified.

18. The fuselage of claim 17 wherein the second curvature is a curvature selected from the group consisting of elliptical, conic, circular and digitally specified.

19. The fuselage of claim 1 further comprising a fuselage height;

wherein the cross-sectional area of the fuselage is reduced relative to the smallest circular cross-sectional area of a second fuselage with the same fuselage height.

20. The fuselage of claim 1 further comprising a aisle height;

wherein the cross-sectional area of the fuselage is reduced relative to the smallest circular cross-sectional area of a second fuselage with the same aisle height.

21. The fuselage of claim 1 wherein the cross-sectional area of the fuselage is reduced relative to the cross-sectional area of a second fuselage with each half having two equal curvatures.

22. The fuselage of claim 1 further comprising:

a height;

a first width corresponding to the first curvature; and

a second width corresponding to the second curvature.

23. The fuselage of claim 22 wherein the cross-sectional area of the fuselage is reduced relative to the smallest elliptical cross-sectional area of a second fuselage having a second fuselage height equal the height and a second fuselage width of double the greater of the first width and the second width.

24. The fuselage of claim 1 further comprising:

a height;

a first width corresponding to the first curvature; and

a second width corresponding to the second curvature;

wherein the height is greater than the sum of the first width and the second width.

25. The fuselage of claim 24 wherein the first width is less than the second width.

14. (canceled)

26. A cross section of an airplane comprising:

a first side of a fuselage with a first curvature;

a second side of the fuselage with a second curvature which is coupled to the first side of the fuselage;

a storage compartment within the fuselage;

a seat within the fuselage; and

an aisle within the fuselage;

wherein the first curvature is different from the second curvature.

27. The cross section of the airplane of claim 26 wherein the aisle is between the seat and the storage compartment.

28. The cross section of the airplane of claim 26 further comprising:

a first width corresponding to the first side of the fuselage; and

a second width corresponding to the second side of the fuselage.

29. The cross section of the airplane of claim 28 wherein the first curvature is an elliptical curvature;

wherein the second curvature is an elliptical curvature; and

wherein the second width is greater than the first width.

30. The cross section of the airplane of claim 29 wherein the first width is between 20 and 30 inches;

and wherein the second width is between 37.65 and 47.65 inches.

31. The cross section of the airplane of claim 30 wherein the fuselage has a height of between 87 and 97 inches;

wherein the cross sectional area of the fuselage is between 4650 and 5150 square inches.

32. The cross section of the airplane of claim 26 wherein the first curvature is an elliptical curve.

33. The cross section of the airplane of claim 26 wherein the second curvature is an elliptical curve.

34. The cross section of the airplane of claim 26 wherein the first curvature is a circular curve.

35. The cross section of the airplane of claim 26 wherein the second curvature is a circular curve.

36. The cross section of the airplane of claim 26 wherein the first curvature is a digitally specified curve.

37. The cross section of the airplane of claim 26 wherein the second curvature is a digitally specified curve claim 38. The cross section of the airplane of claim 26 wherein the first curvature is a conic curve.

39. The cross section of the airplane of claim 26 wherein the second curvature is a conic curve.

40. The cross section of the airplane of claim 26 wherein the storage compartment and the seat are on the same side of the aisle.

44. The cross section of the airplane of claim 26 further comprising a widow in the fuselage.

45. The cross section of the airplane of claim 26 further comprising a door in the fuselage.

46. The cross section of the airplane of claim 26 further comprising a fuselage height corresponding to the first side of the fuselage and the second side of the fuselage;

wherein the cross sectional area of the fuselage is reduced relative to the smallest circular cross-sectional area of a second fuselage with the same fuselage height.

47. The cross section of the airplane of claim 46 wherein the sonic boom signature of the fuselage has been reduced relative to the sonic boom signature of the second fuselage.

48. The cross section of the airplane of claim 26 further comprising a fuselage height corresponding to the first side of the fuselage and the second side of the fuselage;

wherein the cross sectional area of the fuselage is reduced relative to the smallest circular cross-sectional area of a second fuselage with the same fuselage height.

49. The cross section of the airplane of claim 47 wherein the sonic boom signature of the fuselage has been reduced relative to the sonic boom signature of the second fuselage.

50. The fuselage of claim 26 wherein the cross-sectional area of the fuselage is reduced relative to the cross-sectional area of a second fuselage with each half of the second fuselage having two equal cross-sectional curvatures.

51. The fuselage of claim 50 wherein the sonic boom signature of the fuselage has been reduced relative to the sonic boom signature of the second fuselage.

41-43. -43. (Canceled)