United Technologies Corporation

Untied Technologies Corporation

Peter L Grant

Darryl Mark Toni

William V Forster

Kenneth M Nowak

Larry J Osiecki

Steven R Hayse

Craig F Johnson

A duct cover for use with a duct within a vehicle, the duct cover operative for directing a fluid flow. The duct cover being further operative for minimizing the entrance of foreign object debris into the duct. The duct cover has a flow directing honeycomb portion for conducting the passing fluid flow in a preferred direction. The flow directing honeycomb comprises an array of continuous, polygon shaped open cells which are biased with respect to the initial fluid flow direction. The periphery of the flow directing honeycomb is rigidized to stiffen the same for minimizing the displacements thereof. The rigidity is provided by a framing member comprising upper and lower skin structures affixed to a core material. The framing member is preferably adhesively bonded to the flow directing honeycomb by means of a foaming adhesive and a barrier member. The barrier member is operative for minimizing the expansion of the foaming adhesive into the open cells of the honeycomb. In order to improve the low observability characteristics of the structure, the cells of the flow directing honeycomb are preferably coated with a radar absorbent material, such as carbon, which acts to minimize the amount of electromagnetic energy that is reflected therefrom.

Duct cover for directing a fluid therethrough

A fairing 122 is provided for covering a wire strike cutter 120. The fairing 122 comprises a microwave energy absorbing core 150 covered by dielectric skin 160,161,165,166. The fairing 122 reduces the radar signature of the wire cutter and fractures in response to a wire strike so as to permit the cutter to capture and cut a wire/cable. At least one projection 135 is formed on the fairing 122 for catching a slack wire/cable as it slides up the fairing, the projection holds the wire/cable until tension develops to fracture the fairing, thereby permitting the wire/cable to pass through to the wire cutter where it is subsequently cut. The fairing 122 minimizes drag and improves the aircraft's aerodynamic characteristics by directing the airflow around the wire cutter and equipment adjacent to the wire cutter.

Wire cutter system having aerodynamic, microwave energy absorbing fairing

A support truss for the main rotor assembly of a helicopter is configured to structurally support the main rotor assembly in integrated combination with the helicopter airframe and to transmit dynamic and static longitudinal, lateral, vertical, and torsional loads of the main rotor assembly into the helicopter airframe at two distinct, spaced-apart load transfer levels. The support truss is an integrally formed structure that includes a generally cylindrical body member configured to provide attachment points for the static rotor mast and the transmission of the main rotor assembly, a pair of forward facing primary support ribs configured to secure the support truss to a primary load transfer level of the helicopter airframe and to transmit dynamic and static longitudinal, lateral, vertical, and all torsional loads to the primary load transfer level, and a pair of aft facing support struts configured to secure the support truss to a secondary load transfer level and to transmit only axial loads to the secondary transfer level. The support truss also includes a forward facing secondary support rib that provides fail-safe redundancy in the event of a loss of one of the primary support ribs. The support truss may also include a cross stringer extending between and integrally interconnecting the primary and secondary support ribs. A plurality of servo lugs may be integrally formed with the body member to provide lower attachment points for rotor servo actuators of the main rotor assembly.

Main rotor assembly support truss

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Hamden, CT, United States of America

Peter L Grant