Multi-engine aircraft

• US 7,905,449 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2005
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus France
• Inventors: Cazals, Olivier, Rittinghaus, Denis, Genty de la Sagne, Jaime
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh; Tien
• Assistant Examiner(s): BENEDIK, JUSTIN M
• Application Number:
  US11/632,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20080073459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,085 Days
• Field of Search: 244/55, 244/53.R, 244/54, 244/58, 244/60
• US Class Current: 244/55
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 5/06 Fins B64C5/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/20 within, or attached to, fuselages
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

A multi-engine aircraft includes at least two first engines and a third engine located at a rear part of the fuselage, containing rear tail sections, along a vertical longitudinal plane of symmetry of the fuselage. The rear tail sections define a channel which is symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal plane of the fuselage. The third engine is arranged in the plane of symmetry of the channel corresponding to the longitudinal plane and is mounted on the upper part of the fuselage in a raised manner and in front of the tail sections, so that the outlet of the third engine is situated substantially at the inlet of the channel defined by the tail sections.

Claims

1. A multi-engine long-haul aircraft comprising at least two first turbofan engines and a third turbofan engine which is provided at a rear part of a fuselage of the multi-engine aircraft, the fuselage connected to rear tail sections each respectively comprising a horizontal tail section and a vertical tail section, said vertical tail section oriented parallel to a vertical longitudinal plane of symmetry of the fuselage, said rear tail sections defining a channel which is symmetrical with respect to said longitudinal plane of the fuselage, and said third turbofan engine being arranged in a plane of symmetry of said channel corresponding to said longitudinal plane and being mounted on an upper part of said fuselage in a raised manner and in front of said tail sections, so that an outlet of the third turbofan engine is situated at least partially in and extending forward of an inlet of said channel defined by said rear tail sections, wherein said two first turbofan engines are joined to fuselage wings respectively and symmetrically with respect to the vertical longitudinal plane of symmetry of said fuselage, said horizontal tail sections each comprise stabilizers, and said stabilizers of the horizontal tail section are slightly inclined symmetrically toward a rear section of said fuselage so as to form, when viewed in a horizontal plane perpendicular to said vertical longitudinal plane, an open V-shape comprising a center point corresponding to a section where said stabilizers connect to the rear part of said fuselage and having lateral branches which correspond to two fins of the vertical rear tail sections which are situated at distal ends of said stabilizers.

2. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein said channel defined by the rear tail sections has the approximate shape of a U having a base which corresponds to the two stabilizers of the horizontal rear tail sections which emerge respectively on either side of the rear part of said fuselage.

3. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rear tail sections form an H-shape in which an upper part of said H corresponds to said channel.

4. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein said third turbofan engine arranged in front of said channel is arranged in such a way that a geometric axis of said third engine, contained in said vertical longitudinal plane of symmetry, passes through a base of said channel.

5. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper portion of the rear part of said fuselage is flattened in a plane which is perpendicular to said vertical longitudinal plane of symmetry of the fuselage.

6. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein said stabilizers of the horizontal tail section are inclined symmetrically in an upward direction so as to form, when viewed in a vertical plane perpendicular to said vertical longitudinal plane, an open V-shape

comprising a center point corresponding to a section where said stabilizers to the rear part of said fuselage.

7. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein said turbofan engines are identical.

8. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein said third turbofan engine is different than the other two wing turbofan engines.

10. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein acoustic waves generated by the turbofan engine and exiting a nozzle and fan are diffused.

11. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vertical tail section extends forward, aft and downward from the horizontal tail section.

9. A method to reduce a noise level emitted by a long-haul aircraft equipped with two wing engines, the two turbofan wing engines being symmetrical to each other with respect to a vertical longitudinal plane of symmetry of a fuselage of said aircraft, the method comprising:

reducing a power output of each of said two turbofan wing engines;

equipping a fuselage tail with rear tail sections defining a channel, which is symmetrical with respect to said vertical longitudinal plane of the fuselage and which has lateral branches which correspond to two fins of the rear tail sections and are situated at distal ends of corresponding stabilizers; and

mounting a third turbofan engine on an upper part of the fuselage tail so that said third turbofan engine;

is arranged in a raised position with respect to the upper part of the fuselage tail, and

is disposed in front of said rear tail sections, so that an outlet of said third turbofan engine is disposed at least partially in and extending forward of an inlet of said channel.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the vertical tail section extends forward, aft and downward from the horizontal tail section.