Aircraft with its fuselage suspended under the wing

• US 8,336,811 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2009
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Cazals, Olivier, Druot, Thierry
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Tien
• Assistant Examiner(s): KREINER, MICHAEL B
• Application Number:
  US12/541,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20100059623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 244/2, 244/87, 244/88, 244/38, 244/39, 244/138.R, 244/139, 244/140, 244/46, 244/99.11
• US Class Current: 244/46
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/26 Attaching the wing or tail units or stabilising surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 17/00 Aircraft stabilisation not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/38 Adjustment of complete wings or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/385 Variable incidence wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/42 Adjusting about chordwise axes
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/02 characterised by special use
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/04 having multiple fuselages or tail booms
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/10 Drag reduction

Abstract

An aircraft includes a reference system including a longitudinal X axis, a vertical Z axis perpendicular to the X axis, and a lateral Y axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the X and Z axes, a fuselage, a wing affixed to an upper central part of the fuselage, a set of rear airfoils situated behind the wing, and propulsion engines mounted on the wing, where the wing, the set of rear airfoils and the propulsion engines are parts of an aero-propulsive unit forming a structure independent of the fuselage, and where the aero-propulsive unit is connected to the fuselage by a six degrees of freedom connection system using arms with lengths modified to control a position of the aero-propulsive unit relative to the fuselage along the X, Y and Z axes and in rotation about the X, Y and Z axes, during flight.

Claims

1. An aircraft comprising:

a reference system determined by a longitudinal X axis oriented positively toward a front of the aircraft, a vertical Z axis perpendicular to the X axis and oriented positively toward a bottom of the aircraft and a lateral Y axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the X and Z axes and oriented positively toward a right side of the aircraft;

a wing affixed to an upper central part of the fuselage along the longitudinal X axis;

a set of rear airfoils situated behind the wing; and

propulsion engines mounted on the wing,

wherein the wing, the set of rear airfoils and the propulsion engines are parts of an aero-propulsive unit, said aero-propulsive unit being a structure independent of the fuselage;

and wherein the aero-propulsive unit is connected to the fuselage by a six degrees of freedom connection system using arms the lengths of which are modified to control a position of the aero-propulsive unit relative to the fuselage along the X, Y and Z axes of the reference system of the aircraft and in rotation about the three axes X, Y and Z, during flight.

2. The aircraft according to claim 1, in which the connection system comprises at least six arms, each having a lower end ball-jointed to the upper central part of the fuselage, and an upper end ball-jointed to a lower part of the wing.

3. The aircraft according to claim 2, wherein the upper ends of the supporting arms are ball-jointed in proximity to structural ribs of the wing.

4. The aircraft according to claim 2, wherein each arm comprises an actuator whose length is adaptable.

5. The aircraft according to claim 4, wherein each arm comprises an aerodynamic fairing enveloping the actuator.

6. The aircraft according to claim 5 wherein the lower ends of the arms are hinged to a support assembly having a front frame part, a rear frame part and spars solidly connected to said parts of the front and rear frame.

7. The aircraft according to claim 6, in which the support plate is fixed in a holder of the fuselage between a strong front frame and a strong rear frame and above a ceiling of a cabin of the fuselage.

8. The aircraft according to claim 7, in which the support assembly is attached to the fuselage by removable fasteners such that the aero-propulsive unit assembled with the connection system incorporating the support assembly can be separated from the fuselage.

9. The aircraft according to claim 5 in which at least one aerodynamic fairing enveloping an actuator also envelops conduits or cables of systems.

10. The aircraft according to claim 2, wherein the arms are arranged so that said arms constitute, with the structures to which they are attached, a unit having a latticework geometry with triangular meshes that is at least isostatic when the arms each have a specified length.

11. The aircraft according to claim 10, in which the connection system has eight.

12. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein a flight control system of said aircraft controls the length of the arms of the connection system to modify the position of the aero-propulsive unit relative to the fuselage as a function of a position of a center of gravity of the aircraft.

13. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein a flight control system of said aircraft controls the length of the arms of the connection system to modify the position of the aero-propulsive unit relative to the fuselage to modify a position relative to the wing relative to the fuselage as a function of a phase of flight.

14. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein a flight control system of said aircraft controls the length of the arms of the connection system to modify the position of the air aero-propulsive unit relative to the fuselage to modify or to maintain a trajectory of the aircraft.

15. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein a flight control system of said aircraft controls the length of the arms of the connection system to modify the position of the aero-propulsive unit relative to the fuselage to attenuate the effects of turbulence.

16. The aircraft according to claim 1, in which the rear airfoils are solidly affixed to the wing by two longitudinal beams.

17. The aircraft according to as claim 16, in which lengths of the longitudinal beams along the X axis are sufficient to permit an opening of a cargo door in a rear of the fuselage without mechanical interference between said cargo door and said beams and between said cargo door and the set of rear airfoils.