Rolls-royce Corporation

Philip A Mansfield

Robert Charles Tonks

Leslie R Harper

A nozzle arrangement for a VTOL or STOVL aircraft having an airframe mounted lift system comprises a hinged deflector door pivotally mounted on the underside of the airframe for exhaust efflux deflection. The door is movable about its axis to vector impinging exhaust gases rearwards during the transition between vertical and horizontal flight, and in addition comprises a pair of lateral sidewalls which are movable in the plane of the door to direct the exhaust efflux sideways for improved aircraft yaw control.

VTOL aircraft nozzle

A vectorable nozzle for directing the thrust produced by an aircraft mounted lift fan includes three relatively rotatable nozzle sections. A first of the nozzle sections is part toroidal in form, and is mounted for rotation at the downstream end of the fan casing about an axis tangential to the casing periphery. The second and third sections define corresponding scarf nozzle sections which are mounted for rotation about respective axes perpendicular to the exit flow plane of the respective upstream nozzle section.

Vectorable nozzle

A cam operated valve mechanism for directing the flow in a fluid flow duct to selective alternative outlets. The valve comprises an annular array of segmented elements which are each pivotally mounted to an axially translatable sleeve disposed coaxially within the duct. In a first axial position the sleeve extends across port and starboard alternative flow outlets, and in a second axial position extends downstream thereof. Each valve element comprises a cam follower which engages an axially extending cam track formed in the duct surface. The profile of the cam track is such that translation of the sleeve from its first to second axial position causes each of the valve elements to rotate from a stowed to a deployed position, and thereby obturate the duct.

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Bristol, United Kingdom

Philip A Mansfield