The Boeing Company

Richard C Odle

Blaine Knight Rawdon

Dino L Roman

Sean R Wakayama

A blended wing body cargo aircraft is disclosed. A body section defines a cargo volume, where an outer surface of the body section is shaped to provide an aerodynamic lifting surface. A cargo door and ramp structure is located in an aft end of the body section and is shaped to conform to an outer shape of the aerodynamic lifting surface when in a closed position. A control surface has a slightly cambered downward shape, and is positioned substantially near an aft end of the cargo door and ramp structure.

Blended wing body cargo airplane

An exemplary embodiment provides an air transport that has a scalloped aerodynamic underside that includes at least one depression. The depression is configured to receive at least an upper portion of a cargo pod to preclude an air passage way between an upper surface of a pod and the scalloped underside of the transport. Certain embodiments provide conformal pods that nest into the depressions so that pod under surfaces blend smoothly with the scalloped underside of the transport to provide a smooth aerodynamic underside. The scalloped underside may be retrofitted to existing aircraft or supplied as original equipment on new transports, and may be of composite, plastic or other light weight materials.

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Long Beach, CA, United States of America

Richard C Odle