Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Kenneth E Seho

Heinz A Gerhardt

Barnaby S Wainfan

Douglas K Lee

Matthew N Mrdeza

Kenneth Ray Cox

Daniel Richard Rihn

Bryan D Kahara

Michael J Sturm

Aaron Robert Munger

Myles Francis Schwendemann

Joan Nolan

John Hector Chauvin

Richard T Priestley

Unmanned air vehicle

An aircraft with a variable forward-sweep wing and the method of configuring the wing in an optimal position for a desired flight regime. The variable forward-sweep wing is positionable from an essentially unswept position to a full-forward sweep position. In the unswept position the wing is approximately orthogonal to a fuselage centerline, while in the full-forward sweep position the wing has approximately a delta wing planform. Moreover, as the wing position changes from the unswept position to the full-forward sweep position the trailing edge becomes the leading edge. In addition, the aforementioned apparatus may be used in a method to configure the aircraft for flight in a desired flight regime. This method includes moving the wing to an optimal position for the desired flight regime.

Aircraft with variable forward-sweep wing

An airplane arresting gear has a generally planar frame (20) having a front end and a rear end that is adapted to be attached at the front end to a structure of the airplane for pivotal movement about a frame pivot axis (FPA) substantially parallel to the airplane z-axis between a stowed position in which the frame (20) resides within the fuselage skin and a deployed position in which the frame (20) extends rearwardly and obliquely downwardly with respect to the x-axis of the airplane. A shank (30) having a cable hook (80) at the rear end is coupled at its front end to the rear end of the frame (20) for pivotal movement about a shank pivot axis between a deployed position in which the shank (30) extends rearwardly from the shank pivot axis and a stowed position in which the shank (30) extends generally forwardly from the shank pivot axis and lies abreast of the frame (20). A deploying damper-actuator (70), which is coupled between the frame (20) and the structure of the airplane moves the frame (20) from the stowed position to the deployed position. A retractor actuator (92), which is likewise coupled between the frame (20) and the structure of the airplane, moves the frame (20) from the deployed position to the stowed position. An actuator mechanism (74), which is connected between the frame (20) and the shank (30), moves the shank (30) between the deployed and stowed positions. An up-swing damper (52) prevents the frame/shank unit (10) from contacting the fuselage.

Side-folding airplanes arresting gear

A variable displacement fuel tank for aircraft is provided. The variable displacement fuel tank may be disposed within an upper medial portion (12) of a fuselage (18) of an aircraft (10). In one embodiment, a variable displacement fuel tank (20) includes a fuel bladder (22) adapted to contain fuel and a plurality of panels (30, 34, and 36) coupled to the fuselage (18) and acting on the fuel bladder (22) to restrain and control the shape of the fuel bladder (22). The variable displacement fuel tank (20) also include a power drive system (26) that operates to move the plurality of panels (30, 34, and 36) through a continuum of positions between fully deployed and stowed in order to maintain substantially zero ullage within the fuel bladder (22).

Variable displacement fuel tank for aircraft

Growing community of inventors

Garden Grove, CA, United States of America

Kenneth E Seho