Supersonic Aerospace International, LLC

Lockheed Martin Corporation

Brian Quayle

John M Morgenstern

Alan E Arslan

Walter McRae Franklin, Iii

Stephen G Justice

Howard Lee

Kenneth G Gousman

Steven P Ericson

Edward L Burnett

John Scarcello

Michael C Carter

John W Vinson

Michael W Harbeck

Scott Wan Weelden

Ken Hajic

An air vehicle fuselage adapted for transonic operation is disclosed. The fuselage has a body and a close-out. A lower surface of the body has a waterline value that varies along a fore-aft direction of the fuselage and is equal to a first waterline value at a forward end of the close-out and rise to a second waterline value at an aft end of the close-out. The lower surface has a drag-reduction blivet that includes a first region wherein the lower surface drops to a point comprising a third waterline value that is below the first waterline value and a first inward radius and then rises over a second region disposed aft of the first region wherein a second radius that is a minimum radius of the lower surface within the second region is greater than the first radius.

Aircraft fuselage drag reduction blivet

A supersonic cruise configuration aircraft comprises a fuselage extending on a longitudinal axis from a forward nose to an aft tail, and a wing coupled at an inboard section to the fuselage and extending to an outboard tip, and having a leading edge and a trailing edge. The aircraft further comprises a landing gear that is coupled to the wing and capable of stowing into the wing and fuselage on retraction. The landing gear has a landing gear strut. The wing is gulled with a dihedral at an angle that is increased inboard and aligns with the retracted landing gear. The wing has a minimum thickness sufficient to enclose the landing gear.

Wing gull integration nacelle clearance, compact landing gear stowage, and sonic boom reduction

An aircraft landing gear is movable between a retracted position and an extended position. The aircraft landing gear comprises a nonfolding, nonhinged shock strut that extends along a shock strut axis from a proximal end to a distal end and remains at an essentially constant length throughout an extension/retraction cycle. A trunnion is coupled to the proximal end of the shock strut and capable of pivoting in combination with the shock strut about a canted trunnion axis. A multiple-wheel truck is coupled to the distal end of the shock strut. A drag strut is coupled to the shock strut at a position intermediate to the shock strut proximal and distal end and is capable of folding as the landing gear is retracted and straightening as the landing gear is extended. The canted trunnion axis is canted so that the shock strut retracts in a forward and inboard direction and extends downward and outboard.

Forward inboard retracting main landing gear

A supersonic aircraft comprises a wing having upper and lower surfaces and extending from a leading edge to a trailing edge and at least two engine nacelles coupled to the lower surface of the wing on the trailing edge. The supersonic aircraft further comprises an inverted V-tail abutting to the upper side of the wing comprising a central vertical stabilizer, at least two inverted stabilizers coupled to sides of the central vertical stabilizer and coupled to the wing and supporting at least two engine nacelles, and at least two ruddervators respectively pivotally coupled to at least two inverted stabilizers. The supersonic aircraft also comprises a controller coupled to at least two ruddervators and capable of adjusting the aircraft longitudinal lift distribution throughout a flight envelope to maintain a reduced sonic boom and reduced drag trim condition.

Aircraft tail configuration for sonic boom reduction

A vehicle is disclosed having a hull with a longitudinal, vertical and lateral axis, the hull further having front end and rear ends and first and second sides. A turbofan engine mounted in said hull, said engine having an exhaust duct. First and second front exhaust nozzles are mounted on the first and second sides of the front end of the hull. First and second rear exhaust nozzles are coupled to the first and second sides of said hull at said rear. All of the exhaust nozzles are rotatable from a vertically downward position to at least a partially horizontal direction and incorporating shudders to adjust the flow rate of exhaust gas from said turbofan engine therethrough. A duct system for coupling the exhaust duct of the turbofan engine to all of the nozzles.

Vehicle

Growing community of inventors

Lancaster, CA, United States of America

Brian Quayle