Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation

United Technologies Corporation

Fred W Kohlhepp

James P Cycon

Vincent F Millea

Peter F Lorber

Bruce D Hansen

David F Sandy

Steven A Lozyniak

Lee A Hoffman

Robert D Beatty

Kenneth M Furnes

Robert Morton

Richard B Ferraro

Marvin D Farrell

Michael C Lonergan

A stationary ground tube for use in an aircraft rotor fairing includes a first cylindrical portion including a first bore aligned along a longitudinal axis, the cylindrical body portion having a tubular body from a first end to a second end; and a second cylindrical portion coupled to the first cylindrical portion, the second cylindrical portion including a second bore aligned along the longitudinal axis. The second cylindrical portion is coupled to the aircraft rotor fairing via at least one attachment device.

Non-rotating stationary ground tube for a wind fairing

A flap angle measurement system is disclosed for a helicopter rotor blade. The blade includes a trailing edge and a flap hinged to at least a portion of the trailing edge about a pivot axis. The flap angle measurement system includes a Hall effect sensor mounted to the trailing edge of the rotor blade. The Hall effect sensor has a sensing face. A magnet is mounted to the flap at a location spaced apart from the pivot axis. The magnet has a pole axis that is located parallel to the sensing face of the Hall effect sensor. A power source supplies power to the Hall effect sensor. A controller receives output signals from the Hall effect sensor which are indicative of the location of the magnet with respect to the sensing face of the Hall effect sensor. The position of the flap relative to the trailing edge is determined based on the received signals from the Hall effect sensor. In one embodiment of the invention, there is a second Hall effect sensor mounted on the other end of the flap. The sensing face of the second Hall effect sensor points in a direction opposite from the sensing face of the first Hall effect sensor.

Flap angle measurement system for an active rotor control system

A flap actuation system for a helicopter rotor blade. The rotor blade includes a root end, a tip end, a trailing edge and a flap hinged to at least a portion of the trailing edge about a pivot axis. The flap actuation system includes at least one supply line mounted within the rotor blade and extending outward from the root end. The supply line is adapted to channel pressurized fluid. At least one actuator fluidly connected to the supply line. The actuator includes a displacement member and a head member. The head member is engaged with the flap and is adapted to pivot the flap about its pivot axis when pressurized fluid is conveyed through the supply line. In one embodiment of the invention there are two supply lines, each extending outward from the root end and is adapted to channel pressurized fluid. There is at least one actuator fluidly connected to each supply line. The actuator on one of the supply lines is adapted to pivot the flap upward when pressurized, and the actuator on the other supply line is adapted to pivot the flap downward when pressurized.

Actuation system for an active rotor control system

An actuation system for pivoting a flap on a helicopter rotor blade to reduce the interaction of the blade with the preceding blade vortex. The actuation system includes a fluid supply which is connected to first and second fluid supply lines. The fluid supply lines convey flows of pressurized fluid from the fluid supply to an actuator. The actuator includes a housing mounted within the rotor blade and having a channel formed in it. A butterfly shaft is pivotally mounted within the channel and has laterally extending arms which separate the channel into four lobes. A first port connects the first fluid supply line with two diametrically opposed lobes in the channel. A second port connects the second fluid supply line with the other two diametrically opposed lobes in the channel. A torque coupling is attached to the butterfly shaft and engaged with the flap such that rotation of the torque coupling produces concomitant rotation of the flap. The pressurization of the first fluid supply line causes the torque coupling to rotate in a first direction. The pressurization of the second supply fluid line causes the torque coupling to rotate in the opposite direction.

High torque actuation system for an active rotor control system

One embodiment of a coaxial transmission/center hub subassembly for a rotor assembly having ducted, coaxial counter-rotating rotors includes a single stage transmission, a transmission housing, and a center hub support structure that are structurally and functionally interactive. The transmission housing includes upper and lower standpipe housings secured in combination with a middle housing. The single stage transmission includes an input pinion gear rotatably mounted in combination with the middle housing, and upper and lower spiral bevel gears rotatably coupled in combination with the input pinion gear to provide counter-rotation thereof. The spiral bevel gears include integral rotor shafts, respectively, rotatably mounted in the standpipe housings. The hub support structure is configured for securement of the middle housing internally in combination therewith, with respective surfaces thereof in abutting engagement so that dynamic loads of the rotors and thermal loads are directly coupled into the hub support structure via the middle housing while bending moments of the rotors are canceled in the middle housing. The hub support structure has radially extending arms for mounting the coaxial transmission/center hub subassembly in fixed coaxial relation to an airframe structure and for coupling the dynamic and thermal loads to the airframe structure. External surfaces of the standpipe housings function as sliding surfaces for linear motion of swashplate subassemblies to minimize the separation between the rotors so that the airframe structure has a compact aerodynamic and structural envelope. The transmission housing is internally configured to provide a splash lubrication subsystem.

Coaxial transmission/center hub subassembly for a rotor assembly having

An unmanned aerial vehicle having a toroidal fuselage structure that surrounds a pair of coaxial, multi-bladed, counter-rotating rotors. The toroidal fuselage structure is optimized to provide a highly efficient structure for reacting aerodynamic flight loads and rotor thrust loads of the UAV. The toroidal fuselage structure is further optimized to provide weight efficiency for minimizing power requirements.

Toroidal fuselage structure for unmanned aerial vehicles having ducted,

A drive train assembly for a rotor assembly having ducted, coaxial counter-rotating rotors includes a sprag clutch, an engine coupling subassembly, a transmission coupling subassembly, and a drive shaft mechanically interconnected at the ends thereof to the engine and transmission coupling subassemblies, respectively. The drive train assembly is design optimized to maximize the functional capability of the sprag clutch, the engine coupling subassembly including an external crown spline coupling, internal spline coupling combination that is mounted in combination with the sprag clutch so that loads transmitted through the external crown spline coupling react through the center of the sprag clutch. Further, the drive train assembly is design optimized to maximize allowable axial, angular, and/or parallel misalignments between the engine and the rotor assembly as a result of the mechanical interconnection of the drive shaft to the external crown spline coupling, internal spline coupling combination of the engine coupling subassembly and to the external crown spline coupling, gear spline coupling combination of the transmission coupling subassembly. The drive shaft is configured as a torque tube having inside and outside diameters sized to provide torsionally soft drive shaft such that the drive shaft functions as a torsional spring to isolate spline coupling teeth, the sprag clutch, transmission gearing, and the rotor assembly from vibratory torque generated by the engine.

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Hamden, CT, United States of America

Fred W Kohlhepp