Spirit Aerosystems, Inc.

Henry Arnold Schaefer

Mark Anthony Wadsworth

Michael Patrick Urban

John Michael Welch

Matthew Tymes

Randall Ray West

A ducted fan housing for directing a duct flow includes an annular cowling and an adjustable fan duct nozzle. The nozzle includes a flexible sleeve having rigid areas arranged circumferentially around the nozzle orifice and connected by flexible areas so as to form a unitary sleeve structure. The rigid areas are radially moveable between a normal configuration in which the orifice is smaller and a dilated configuration in which the orifice is larger. A drive mechanism uses drive elements to move at least some of the rigid areas between the configurations to adjust the size of the orifice. The rigid areas may be constructed from laminated graphite and epoxy, and the flexible areas may be constructed from laminated graphite and soft resin. If the housing includes a thrust reverser, then a flexible joint area extends circumferentially around the housing and connects the flexible sleeve to a thrust reverser cowl.

Flexible sleeve for adjustable fan duct nozzle

A method of fabricating a thrust reverser cascade assembly including positioning a first frame section on an assembly fixture, positioning a first set of turning vanes on a first elongated stiffener of the first frame section, securing the first set of turning vanes to the elongated stiffener, positioning a second frame section on the assembly fixture adjacent to the first frame section such that the first set of turning vanes are between the elongated stiffeners of the first and second frame section, adding additional sets of turning vanes and frame sections, and fastening the frame sections together.

Method of fabricating a thrust reverser cascade assembly

A thrust reverser for reversing a thrust of a turbofan engine of an aircraft. The reverser includes a pivot door, a cascade component, and an actuation system. The door is moveable between lowered and raised positions in which a side outlet is, respectively, covered and uncovered. The cascade includes turning vanes, and is moveable between forward and rearward positions in which the cascade is positioned, respectively, not over and over the side outlet. The actuation system deploys the reverser by simultaneously moving the door to the raised position and moving the cascade to the rearward position over the side outlet, and stows the reverser by simultaneously moving the cascade to the forward position and moving the door to the lowered position. When the door is raised and the cascade is over the side outlet, airflow through the side outlet is directed at least partially forward to provide reverse thrust.

Cascade pivot door-type thrust reverser for turbofan engine

A method of fabricating a bonded cascade assembly of a thrust reverser for an aircraft nacelle. The method may include inserting individual turning vanes between spaced apart elongated stiffeners at an aft end thereof and sliding the turning vanes toward a front frame piece attached to or integrally formed with forward ends of the elongated stiffeners. The elongated stiffeners may have inner and outer flanges for trapping and limiting radial movement of the turning vanes. The method may further include bonding the turning vanes to the structural frame with a structural adhesive and attaching a closeout cap to the aft ends of each of the elongated stiffeners.

Method of fabricating a bonded cascade assembly for an aircraft thrust reverser

A method and aerodynamic device for modifying at least one vane of a cascade thrust reverser. One or more of the aerodynamic devices may be formed and attached to forward-facing surfaces of vanes of the thrust reverser. The aerodynamic device may include a first side shaped to rest flush against at least a portion of the forward-facing surface of the vane, a second side opposite of the first side, a ledge portion protruding from the first side and configured to rest flush against a blunt leading edge of the vane, a rounded first end portion extending from the ledge portion to the second side of the aerodynamic device, and a second end opposite of the first end portion at which the first side and the second side converge. The aerodynamic device changes the size and contour of airflow channels between the vanes, increase the efficiency of the thrust reverser.

Aerodynamic device for thrust reverser cascades

Latch beams and hinge beams of an aircraft thrust reverser and a method for manufacturing the beams. The latch and hinge beams may comprise a plurality of hollow composite tubes joined with a plurality of machined metal fittings in alternating succession. The metal fittings may comprise at least one of hinge fittings and latching fittings. The latch and hinge beams may further comprise slider tracks configured to slidably attach to a translating sleeve of the thrust reverser. The hinge beams may each be rotatably attached to an engine strut or pylon of the aircraft, and the latch beams may each be mechanically latched with each other. Each of the latch and hinge beams may also be fixedly attached to an inner engine cowling of the thrust reverser.

Hybrid beam for a thrust reverser unit

A thrust reverser comprises a translating sleeve, a torque beam, a plurality of cascades, a plurality of blocker doors, and a plurality of actuators. The translating sleeve is positioned at the rear of an aircraft nacelle and is translated rearward during thrust reverser deployment. The torque beam is positioned within the nacelle and configured to prevent airflow into the nacelle during thrust reverser deployment. The plurality of cascades are positioned around the circumference of the torque beam during thrust reverser stowage and are translated rearward during thrust reverser deployment. The plurality of blocker doors are positioned in alignment with the plurality of cascades and direct airflow through the plurality of cascades during thrust reverser deployment. The plurality of actuators are coupled to the forward edge of the sleeve and configured to translate the sleeve rearward during thrust reverser deployment.

Thrust reverser configuration for a short fan duct

A hybrid torque box comprising a plurality of composite tubes and metal fittings attached together in alternating succession and configured to attach a thrust reverser to an engine fan case of an aircraft. The hybrid torque box may be substantially hollow and may comprise two V-blades for attaching the torque box to the engine fan case. The hybrid torque box may also be attached to or integral with a bull nose fairing configured for attachment with a cascade of the thrust reverser. Furthermore, the hybrid torque box may comprise and/or attach to a cowl interface flange configured for interfacing with an outer cowl of the thrust reverser.

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Wichita, KS, United States of America

Henry Arnold Schaefer