Textron Innovations Inc.

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Michael Kenneth Farrell

Brendan P Lanigan

Helmuth Peter Koelzer

Brendan Patrick Lanigan

A proprotor assembly for a tiltrotor aircraft having a forward flight mode. The proprotor assembly includes a spinner subjected to freestream airflow during forward flight. The spinner is elongated to form a tapered leading portion and a substantially cylindrical aft portion. The spinner forms a plurality of rotor blade cutouts exposing an inner chamber. The proprotor assembly includes a plurality of proprotor blade assemblies protruding radially from the spinner through the rotor blade cutouts. The rotor blade cutouts are formed at the substantially cylindrical aft portion of the spinner to reduce the freestream airflow into the inner chamber via the rotor blade cutouts during forward flight, thereby reducing drag experienced by the tiltrotor aircraft.

Growing community of inventors

Fort Worth, TX, United States of America

Michael Kenneth Farrell