Helicopter tail boom with venting for alleviation and control of tail boom aerodynamic loads and method thereof
First Claim
1. A flight vehicle tail assembly comprising:
- A. an exterior surface;
B. at least one first vent in the exterior surface;
C. at least one second vent in the exterior surface;
D. an air passage connecting the at least one first vent and at least one second vent allowing air to flow therebetween;
wherein the at least one first vent is-located at least near a high air pressure area acting on the exterior surface during a range of predefined flight conditions, and wherein the at least one second vent is located at least near a low air pressure area acting on the exterior surface during said predefined flight conditions; and
at least one first vent door attached to the tail assembly, wherein the at least one first vent door has a first door closed position, and wherein with the at least one first vent door is the first door closed position the at least one first vent door covers at least a portion of the at least one first vent.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In at least one embodiment, the apparatus of the invention is a flight vehicle tail assembly having an exterior surface, at least one first vent in the exterior surface, at least one second vent in the exterior surface, and an air passage connecting the at least one first vent to the at least one second vent allowing air to flow therebetween. Where the at least one first vent is located near a high air pressure area acting on the exterior surface during a range of predefined flight conditions. Further, the at least one second vent is located near a low air pressure area acting on the exterior surface during the predefined flight conditions. So that at the predefined flight conditions adverse loads on the tail assembly are reduced by venting air from the high pressure area, through the tail assembly, to the low pressure area. The method of the present invention includes the steps of: receiving air through the at least one first vent in the exterior surface, passing the air through the tail assembly from the at least one first vent to at least one second vent in the exterior surface, and ejecting the air out of the tail assembly at the at least one second vent.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A flight vehicle tail assembly comprising:
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A. an exterior surface;
B. at least one first vent in the exterior surface;
C. at least one second vent in the exterior surface;
D. an air passage connecting the at least one first vent and at least one second vent allowing air to flow therebetween;
wherein the at least one first vent is-located at least near a high air pressure area acting on the exterior surface during a range of predefined flight conditions, and wherein the at least one second vent is located at least near a low air pressure area acting on the exterior surface during said predefined flight conditions; and
at least one first vent door attached to the tail assembly, wherein the at least one first vent door has a first door closed position, and wherein with the at least one first vent door is the first door closed position the at least one first vent door covers at least a portion of the at least one first vent. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A helicopter tail boom for reducing adverse loads during a range of predefined flight conditions, the tail boom having a length, a first end and a second end, wherein the boom is mounted between a helicopter fuselage at the first boom end and a tail at the second boom end, said tail further comprising a yaw control apparatus, the boom comprising:
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A. an exterior surface;
B. a high pressure vent positioned substantially longitudinally along the length of the boom at least near a high air pressure area acting on the exterior surface during said range of predefined flight conditions;
C. a low pressure vent positioned substantially longitudinally along the length of the tail boom at least near a low air pressure area acting on the exterior surface during said range of predefined flight conditions; and
D. an air passage between said high pressure vent and said low pressure vent allowing air to flow therebetween, so that air can pass through the boom from said high pressure area to said low pressure area to cause a reduction of adverse loads on the tail boom. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for alleviating adverse loads on a flight vehicle tail assembly having an exterior surface, the method comprising:
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A. receiving air through at least one first vent in the exterior surface;
B. passing the air through the tail assembly from the at least one first vent to at least one second vent in the exterior surface;
C. ejecting the air out of the tail assembly at the least one second vent; and
at least one first vent door attached to the tail assembly, the at least one first vent door having a first door closed position, and wherein with the at least one first vent door in the first door closed position the at least one first vent door covers at least a portion of the at least one first vent, and at least one second vent door attached to the tail assembly, wherein the at least one second vent door has a second door closed position, and wherein with the at least one second vent door in the second door closed position the at least one second vent door covers at least a portion of the second vent. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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Specification