Reconfigurable payload systems (RPS) with operational load envelopes for aircraft and methods related thereto

• US 9,669,927 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2015
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L3harris Technologies Integrated Systems LP (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: L-3 Communications Integrated Systems LP (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hodge, Ben D., Troup, Timothy W., Cropper, Richard D., Stokes, Brandy D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bonzell, Philip J
• Application Number:
  US14/604,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20150210392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2211/00 Modular constructions of airplanes or helicopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 7/00 Arrangements of military equipment, e.g. armaments, armament accessories, or military shielding, in aircraft; Adaptations of armament mountings for aircraft dropping bombs or the like B64D1/00; armaments or mountings therefor per se F41
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 9/00 Equipment for handling freight; Equipment for facilitating passenger embarkation or the like emergency equipment B64D17/00, B64D19/00, B64D25/00; structures integral with fuselage to facilitate loading, fuselage floors specially adapted for freight, steps mounted on and retractable within aircraft B64C; ground installations B64F

Abstract

Reconfigurable payload systems (RPS) and methods of configuring and using the same with operational load envelopes are disclosed that may be employed to enable external aircraft payloads to be rapidly interchanged or swapped out together with associated internal equipment within a given aircraft so as to modify or change payload capability of the aircraft, e.g., to meet a particular mission and/or to enable use of future payload types as they are developed. The RPS and associated methods may be implemented to allow multiple different payload systems to be swapped in and out on a given aircraft as required based on needs for a given mission.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable payload system (RPS), comprising one or more external and interchangeable baseplates mechanically attached to extend across a given section of a fuselage of an aircraft in a position outside the fuselage, the one or more interchangeable baseplates being configured to be attached to external payload components, external fairings, or a combination thereof to transfer the aerodynamic loads and inertial loads of the external payload components and/or external fairings through the interchangeable baseplates to the aircraft fuselage;

and where the one or more external interchangeable baseplates are configured with an available RPS loads envelope of total permissible aircraft load at given locations within the section, further comprising a RPS disconnect panel assembly mechanically attached to the interior of the aircraft fuselage.

2. The RPS of claim 1, where the one or more external and interchangeable baseplates comprise multiple separate interchangeable baseplates that each has opposing first and second sides, a first side of each interchangeable baseplate being mechanically attached to the aircraft fuselage so that the multiple separate interchangeable baseplates are mechanically attached to the aircraft fuselage in adjacent end-to-end manner to extend longitudinally across the given section of the aircraft fuselage;

where the second side of each of the multiple separate interchangeable baseplates is provided with at least one of;

one or more payload rails provided on the second side of the baseplate and having multiple regularly-spaced rail fastener locations provided on each rail to which mating payload fastener locations of an interchangeable external payload component that has a payload fastener location spacing that is complementary to the regular spacing of the rail fastener locations are selectively attached;

or

multiple payload hardpoints provided on the second side of the baseplate that are each configured with a hardpoint fastener location with the payload hardpoints being spaced apart from each other such that the spacing between the hardpoint fastener locations is regularly spaced to which mating payload fastener locations of an interchangeable external payload component that has a payload fastener location spacing that is complementary to the regular spacing of the hardpoint fastener locations are selectively attached; and

where the multiple interchangeable baseplates are mechanically attached to extend across the given section of the aircraft fuselage such that;

the rail fastener location spacing remains regular across the payload rails of the different mounting adapter sections so as to allow the mating payload fastener locations of the interchangeable external payload component to align with and simultaneously attach to mating regularly-spaced rail fastener locations on two or more of the multiple separate mounting adapter sections to mechanically attach the interchangeable external payload component to the aircraft fuselage with the baseplate positioned between the aircraft fuselage and the interchangeable external payload component, or

the hardpoint fastener location spacing remains regular across the payload hardpoints of the different mounting adapter sections so as to allow the mating payload fastener locations of the interchangeable external payload component to align with and simultaneously attach to mating regularly-spaced hardpoint fastener locations on two or more of the multiple separate mounting adapter sections to mechanically attach the interchangeable external payload component to the aircraft fuselage with the baseplate positioned between the aircraft fuselage and the interchangeable external payload component.

3. The RPS of claim 1, where the one or more external and interchangeable baseplates comprise at least one interchangeable baseplate having opposing first and second sides, a first side of the interchangeable baseplate being mechanically attached to the aircraft fuselage and including multiple payload hardpoints attached to the second side of the baseplate and configured to be selectably attached to multiple different types of interchangeable external payload components with the baseplate positioned between the aircraft fuselage and the interchangeable external payload components, each of the payload hardpoints being configured with a hardpoint fastener location and the payload hardpoints being spaced apart from each other such that the spacing between the hardpoint fastener locations is regularly spaced.

4. The RPS of claim 1, where the interchangeable baseplates are mechanically attached to extend across a pressurized section of the aircraft fuselage.

5. The RPS of claim 1, where the available RPS loads envelope of total permissible aircraft load includes an allowable combination of external payload component load and external fairing load outside the aircraft fuselage with internal fuselage payload component load inside the aircraft fuselage, the internal fuselage payload component load including crew positioned within the given section of the aircraft fuselage.

6. The RPS of claim 1, where the aircraft is a Beechcraft King Air 350 fixed wing aircraft, and where the fuselage is a fuselage of the Beechcraft King Air 350.

7. The RPS of claim 1, comprising only a single interchangeable baseplate mechanically attached to extend across the given section of the aircraft fuselage in a position outside the fuselage, the single interchangeable baseplate being configured to be attached to and support the external payload components, external fairings, or a combination thereof to transfer all the aerodynamic loads and inertial loads of the external payload components and/or external fairings through the single interchangeable baseplate to the aircraft fuselage.

8. The RPS of claim 1, where each of the one or more external interchangeable baseplates has opposing upper and lower sides;

where the upper sides of each of the external interchangeable baseplates face the bottom side of the aircraft fuselage and are mechanically attached to extend across a given section of a bottom side of the aircraft fuselage and separate the fuselage bottom from the external payload components to allow the external payload components to be supported from the opposing lower side of each of the external interchangeable baseplates in a position beneath the baseplates and underneath the aircraft and to transfer all the aerodynamic loads and inertial loads of the external payload components through the interchangeable baseplates to the bottom of the aircraft fuselage.

9. The RPS of claim 8, further comprising one or more of the external payload components mechanically attached to the lower side of at least one of the external interchangeable baseplates to support the external payload components in a position beneath the baseplate and underneath the aircraft with the baseplate mechanically attached between the fuselage bottom and the external payload components to transfer all the aerodynamic loads and inertial loads of the external payload components through the interchangeable baseplate to the bottom of the aircraft fuselage.

10. The RPS of claim 9, where the external payload components are mechanically attached to the lower side of at least one of the external interchangeable baseplates with one or more threaded fasteners.

11. The RPS of claim 1, where each of the interchangeable baseplates includes payload rails and/or payload hardpoints attached to the baseplate to transfer the aerodynamic loads and inertial loads of the external payload components through the interchangeable baseplate to the aircraft fuselage.

12. The RPS of claim 11, further comprising multiple fuselage fittings that are mechanically attached to the aircraft fuselage;

and where the one or more interchangeable baseplates are mechanically attached to the multiple fuselage fittings with the fuselage fittings being positioned between a first side of the baseplate and an outer surface of the aircraft fuselage.

13. The RPS of claim 11, where the external interchangeable baseplates further comprise a fairing interface defined in at least a portion of a peripheral surfaces of one or more of the interchangeable baseplates, the fairing interface including multiple spaced fairing interface fastener locations that are configured to align with and be selectably attached to mating complementary spaced fairing fastener locations to mechanically attach the interchangeable fairing component to the aircraft fuselage through the fairing interface and the baseplates.

14. The RPS of claim 1, further comprising external structural modification components and internal structure modification components added to an existing aircraft structure having an unmodified aircraft loads envelope so as to strengthen the existing aircraft structure to add loads capacity to increase the unmodified aircraft loads envelope to a greater RPS loads envelope of total permissible aircraft load that is capable of supporting the external payload attachment features together with the attached external payload components at the given locations within the section of the fuselage, the difference between the RPS loads envelope and the unmodified aircraft loads envelope being the additional loads capacity added by the external structural modification components and internal structure modification components to the existing aircraft structure.

15. The RPS of claim 14, where the internal structure modification components comprise strengthened frames and intercostals added between original equipment manufacturer (OEM) structural frame components.

16. The RPS of claim 1, where the one or more external and interchangeable baseplates comprise at least one interchangeable baseplate having opposing first and second sides, a first side of the interchangeable baseplate being mechanically attached to the aircraft fuselage and including at least one payload rail provided on the second side of the baseplate and configured to be selectably attached to multiple different types of interchangeable external payload components with the baseplate positioned between the aircraft fuselage and the interchangeable external payload components.

17. The RPS of claim 16, where each of the payload rails is configured with multiple regularly-spaced rail fastener locations.

18. A method of modifying the fuselage of an existing aircraft having an unmodified aircraft loads envelope, the method comprising:

defining a baseline reconfigurable payload system (RPS) configuration configured to support a given survey of selected interchangeable external payload components, interchangeable internal payload components, and/or interchangeable external aerodynamic fairings;

determining an RPS loads envelope of total permissible aircraft loads by fuselage locations for the baseline reconfigurable payload system (RPS) configuration, the total permissible aircraft loads including the sum of unmodified aircraft loads for the existing aircraft together with RPS aerodynamic loads, RPS internal payload loads, and RPS external payload component loads by fuselage location;

providing a modified aircraft by modifying the aircraft fuselage with the baseline RPS configuration to accommodate the RPS loads envelope, the RPS loads envelope including aircraft load limits that are greater than the load limits of the unmodified aircraft loads envelope of the existing aircraft;

defining new operational RPS load limits for the modified aircraft that are within the RPS loads envelope; and

coupling a RPS disconnect panel assembly to the interior of the aircraft fuselage adjacent a location of the external interchangeable baseplates.

19. The method of claim 18, where the aircraft is a Beechcraft King Air 350, and where the fuselage is a fuselage of the Beechcraft King Air 350.

20. The method of claim 18, where the baseline RPS configuration that corresponds to the determined RPS loads envelope comprises one or more external interchangeable baseplates mechanically attached to extend across a given section of the aircraft fuselage of the aircraft;

and where the method further comprises modifying the existing aircraft fuselage by mechanically attaching the one or more external interchangeable baseplates to an exterior of the aircraft fuselage to extend across the given section of the aircraft fuselage of the aircraft.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising mechanically attaching one or more of the external payload components to the lower side of at least one of the external interchangeable baseplates to support the external payload components in a position beneath the baseplate and underneath the aircraft with the baseplate mechanically attached between the fuselage bottom and the external payload components to transfer all the aerodynamic loads and inertial loads of the external payload components through the interchangeable baseplate to the bottom of the aircraft fuselage.

22. The method of claim 20, where each of the interchangeable baseplates includes payload rails and/or payload hardpoints;

where the existing aircraft does not include the interchangeable baseplates; and

where the method further comprises modifying the aircraft fuselage by adding the interchangeable baseplates to the existing unmodified aircraft by mechanically attaching the one or more external interchangeable baseplates with the payload rails and/or payload hardpoints to the exterior of the aircraft fuselage.

23. The method of claim 20, where the one or more external and interchangeable baseplates comprise multiple separate interchangeable baseplates that each has opposing first and second sides;

where the method further comprises mechanically attaching a first side of each interchangeable baseplate to the aircraft fuselage so that the multiple separate interchangeable baseplates are mechanically attached to the aircraft fuselage in adjacent end-to-end manner to extend longitudinally across the given section of the aircraft fuselage; and

where the second side of each of the multiple separate interchangeable baseplates is provided with at least one of;

one or more payload rails provided on the second side of the baseplate and having multiple regularly-spaced rail fastener locations provided on each rail that are configured to align with and be selectably attached to mating payload fastener locations of an interchangeable external payload component that has a payload fastener location spacing that is complementary to the regular spacing of the rail fastener locations;

or

multiple payload hardpoints provided on the second side of the baseplate that are each configured with a hardpoint fastener location with the payload hardpoints being spaced apart from each other such that the spacing between the hardpoint fastener locations is regularly spaced and configured to align with and be selectably attached to mating payload fastener locations of an interchangeable external payload component that has a payload fastener location spacing that is complementary to the regular spacing of the hardpoint fastener locations; and

where the method further comprises at least one of;

mechanically attaching the multiple interchangeable baseplates to extend across the given section of the aircraft fuselage so that the rail fastener location spacing remains regular across the payload rails of the different mounting adapter sections, and aligning and attaching the mating payload fastener locations of the interchangeable external payload component to mating regularly-spaced rail fastener locations on two or more of the multiple separate mounting adapter sections to mechanically attach the interchangeable external payload component to the aircraft fuselage with the baseplate positioned between the aircraft fuselage and the interchangeable external payload component, or

mechanically attaching the multiple interchangeable baseplates to extend across the given section of the aircraft fuselage so that the hardpoint fastener location spacing remains regular across the payload hardpoints of the different mounting adapter sections, and aligning and attaching the mating payload fastener locations of the interchangeable external payload component to mating regularly-spaced hardpoint fastener locations on two or more of the multiple separate mounting adapter sections to mechanically attach the interchangeable external payload component to the aircraft fuselage with the baseplate positioned between the aircraft fuselage and the interchangeable external payload component.

24. The method of claim 20, where the one or more external and interchangeable baseplates comprise at least one interchangeable baseplate having opposing first and second sides with two or more parallel payload rails provided on the second side of the baseplate;

and where the method further comprises mechanically attaching a first side of the interchangeable baseplate to the aircraft fuselage, and attaching multiple different types of interchangeable external payload components to the two or more parallel payload rails with the baseplate positioned between the aircraft fuselage and each of the interchangeable external payload components.

25. The method of claim 20, where the one or more external and interchangeable baseplates comprise at least one interchangeable baseplate having opposing first and second sides with multiple payload hardpoints provided on the second side of the baseplate;

and where the method further comprises mechanically attaching a first side of the interchangeable baseplate to the aircraft fuselage, and attaching multiple different types of interchangeable external payload components to the multiple payload hardpoints with the baseplate positioned between the aircraft fuselage and each of the interchangeable external payload components.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising mechanically attaching only a single interchangeable baseplate mechanically to extend across the given section of the aircraft fuselage in a position outside the fuselage;

mechanically attaching the external payload components, external fairings, or a combination thereof to only the single interchangeable baseplate to transfer all the aerodynamic loads and inertial loads of the external payload components and/or external fairings through the single interchangeable baseplate to the aircraft fuselage.

27. The method of claim 20, comprising mechanically attaching only a single interchangeable baseplate mechanically to extend across the given section of the aircraft fuselage in a position outside the fuselage;

mechanically attaching the external payload components, external fairings, or a combination thereof to only the single interchangeable baseplate to transfer all the aerodynamic loads and inertial loads of the external payload components and/or external fairings through the single interchangeable baseplate to the aircraft fuselage.

28. The method of claim 20, where each of the one or more external interchangeable baseplates has opposing upper and lower sides;

and where the method further comprises;

mechanically attaching upper sides of the external interchangeable baseplates to a bottom side of the aircraft fuselage so that the upper sides of the interchangeable baseplates face the bottom side of the aircraft fuselage and extend across a given section of the bottom side of the aircraft fuselage to separate the fuselage bottom from the external payload components; and

mechanically attaching the external payload components to the opposing lower sides of the external interchangeable baseplates to support the interchangeable baseplates from the opposing lower sides of the external interchangeable baseplates in a position beneath the baseplates and underneath the aircraft, and to transfer all the aerodynamic loads and inertial loads of the external payload components through the interchangeable baseplates to the bottom of the aircraft fuselage.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising mechanically attaching the external payload components to the opposing lower sides of the external interchangeable baseplates with one or more threaded fasteners.

30. The method of claim 20, where the baseline RPS configuration that corresponds to the determined RPS loads envelope comprises structural modifications to existing aircraft structure of an existing fuselage of the aircraft that is not capable of supporting the external payload attachment features together with the attached external payload component loads, aerodynamic loads and internal payload component loads at the given locations within a given section of the fuselage;

and where the method further comprises modifying the existing aircraft fuselage by adding external structural modification components and internal structure modification components to the existing aircraft structure of the existing aircraft fuselage to strengthen the existing aircraft structure to provide the available RPS loads envelope of total permissible aircraft load that is capable of supporting the external payload attachment features together with the attached external payload component loads, aerodynamic loads and internal payload component loads at the given locations within a given section of the fuselage.

31. The method of claim 30, where the internal structure modification components comprise strengthened frames and intercostals added between original equipment manufacturer (OEM) structural frame components;

and where the method further comprises adding the strengthened frames and intercostals between the OEM structural frame components to the existing aircraft structure of the existing aircraft fuselage to strengthen the existing aircraft structure to provide the available RPS loads envelope.

32. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

selecting and mechanically attaching a first set of one or more interchangeable baseplates to an exterior of the aircraft fuselage to extend across the given section of the aircraft fuselage of the aircraft;

selecting a first set of one or more external payload components, internal payload components and/or aerodynamic fairings for attachment to the modified aircraft;

evaluating the first set of one or more external payload components, internal payload components and/or aerodynamic fairings for installation on the modified aircraft at locations for compliance with RPS loads envelope by fuselage locations;

then mechanically attaching the first set of one or more external payload components, internal payload components and/or aerodynamic fairings to the first set of interchangeable baseplates at locations in compliance with the RPS loads envelope by fuselage locations; and

using the modified aircraft to fly a first mission with the first set of one or more external payload components, internal payload components and/or aerodynamic fairings mechanically attached to the first set of interchangeable baseplates at the locations in compliance with the RPS loads envelope.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

then selecting a second and different set of one or more external payload components, internal payload components and/or aerodynamic fairings that is different than the first set of one or more external payload components for attachment to the modified aircraft;

evaluating the second and different set of one or more external payload components, internal payload components and/or aerodynamic fairings for installation on the modified aircraft at locations in compliance with the RPS loads envelope by fuselage locations;

then mechanically attaching the second set of one or more external payload components, internal payload components and/or aerodynamic fairings to the first set of interchangeable baseplates at locations in compliance with the RPS loads envelope by fuselage locations; and

using the same modified aircraft to fly a second mission with the second set of one or more external payload components, internal payload components and/or aerodynamic fairings mechanically attached to the same first set of interchangeable baseplates at the locations in compliance with the RPS loads envelope.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

then removing at least a portion of the first set of one or more interchangeable baseplates from the aircraft fuselage;

then selecting and mechanically attaching a second and different set of one or more interchangeable baseplates to an exterior of the aircraft fuselage to extend across at least a portion of the same given section of the aircraft fuselage of the aircraft, the second set of interchangeable baseplates having a different mechanical configuration than the removed portion of the first set of one or more interchangeable baseplates;

then selecting a second and different set of one or more external payload components, internal payload components and/or aerodynamic fairings that is different than the first set of one or more external payload components for attachment to the modified aircraft;

evaluating the second and different set of one or more external payload components, internal payload components and/or aerodynamic fairings for installation on the modified aircraft at locations in compliance with the RPS loads envelope by fuselage locations;

then mechanically attaching the second set of one or more external payload components, internal payload components and/or aerodynamic fairings to the second set of interchangeable baseplates at locations in compliance with the RPS loads envelope by fuselage locations; and

using the modified aircraft to fly a second mission with the second set of one or more external payload components, internal payload components and/or aerodynamic fairings mechanically attached to the second set of interchangeable baseplates at the locations in compliance with the RPS loads envelope.

35. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

removing one or more of the first set of one or more external payload components, internal payload components and/or aerodynamic fairings from the modified aircraft;

then evaluating the modified aircraft without the removed external payload components, internal payload components and/or aerodynamic fairings at locations for compliance with the RPS loads envelope by fuselage locations; and

then using the modified aircraft to fly a second mission without the removed external payload components, internal payload components and/or aerodynamic fairings at the locations in compliance with the RPS loads envelope.

36. The method of claim 20, further comprising mechanically attaching the interchangeable baseplates to the exterior of the aircraft fuselage to extend across a given pressurized section of the aircraft fuselage.

37. The method of claim 36, where the available RPS loads envelope includes an allowable combination of external payload component load and external fairing load outside the aircraft fuselage with internal fuselage payload component load inside the aircraft fuselage, the internal fuselage payload component load including crew positioned within the given section of the aircraft fuselage;

and where the method further comprises;

mechanically attaching the first set of one or more external payload components, internal payload components and/or aerodynamic fairings to the interchangeable baseplates at locations in compliance with the RPS loads envelope by fuselage locations; and

using the modified aircraft to fly a mission with the one or more external payload components, internal payload components and/or aerodynamic fairings mechanically attached to the interchangeable baseplates with aircraft crew positioned within the given pressurized section of the aircraft fuselage.