Zsm Holdings LLC

American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

Scott David Rewerts

Etan D Karni

Mark Emil Lundstrom

Ravi Singh

Nicholas James Jenkins

Avram E Rosenfeld

Michimasa Fujino

Mathew James Isler

Kui Ou

Yuichi Kawamura

Kazuhisa Mahiko

A fixed-wing, powered, non-buoyant, enclosed cargo aircraft design for carrying low-density wind turbine components is disclosed. The cargo aircraft can include a fuselage defining a forward end, an aft end, and a continuous interior cargo bay that spans almost all of a length of the fuselage from the forward end to the aft end, the cargo bay being capable of enclosing a maximum payload length approximately in the range of about 75 meters and about 125 meters. The aircraft is capable of short takeoff and landing (STOL) operations while carrying a maximum payload weight. The takeoff field length can be less than about 10 lengths of the maximum pay load length.

Low-density fixed-wing cargo aircraft designs for enclosed non-buoyant transportation of wind turbine components

Systems, methods, and aircraft for managing center of gravity (CG) while transporting large cargo are described. Management of CG is achieved in many ways. In some instances, the aircraft itself is designed to assist in managing CG by providing fuel tanks that minimize the impact of fuel on the net CG of the aircraft. The fuel tanks utilize only a small amount of available volume in the wings for fuel. Disclosures related to properly managing CG while loading wind turbines onto cargo aircraft are also provided. The CG management techniques provided for herein allow for the transportation of wind turbine blades via aircraft, running counter to the typical rail or truck transportation of the same. One such management technique includes accounting for how a rotation of the blades when loading impacts the CG of the blades, and thus taking this into account when placing the blades in the aircraft.

Methods for managing center of gravity while loading wind turbine blades on a cargo aircraft using internally-extending rails

Systems and methods for loading a cargo aircraft are described. The system includes at least one rail disposed in an interior cargo bay of a cargo aircraft that extends at an angle relative to an interior bottom contact surface of a forward portion of the interior cargo bay, through a kinked portion and an aft portion of the interior cargo bay. Payload-receiving fixtures are described that can be used in conjunction with the rail system, allowing for large cargo, such as wind turbine blades, to be transported by aircraft. Methods of loading a cargo aircraft can include advancing the large payload into the interior cargo bay of the aircraft such that at least one of the payload-receiving fixtures rises relative to a plane defined by the interior bottom contact surface of the forward portion of the interior cargo bay. Various systems, methods, components, and related tooling are also provided.

Systems and methods for loading and unloading a cargo aircraft

A fixed-wing cargo aircraft having a kinked fuselage to extend the useable length of a continuous interior cargo bay while still meeting a tailstrike requirement is disclosed. The fuselage defines a continuous interior cargo bay along a majority of its length and a pitch axis about which the cargo aircraft rotates during takeoff while still on the ground. The fuselage includes a forward portion defining longitudinal-lateral plane of the cargo aircraft an aft portion extending aft from the pitch axis to the aft end and containing an aft region of the continuous interior cargo bay that extends along a majority of a length of the aft portion. The aft portion has a centerline extending above the forward upper surface of the aircraft.

Aircraft fuselage configurations for avoiding tail strike while allowing long payloads

Methods of determining a final space reservation for a new aircraft are disclosed. The methods include using parametric definitions of potential payloads to generate a population of representative payloads for use in creating an initial space reservation. The methods include accounting for and applying a variety of margins on each potential payload and taking the union of potential payloads. Alternatively, the union can be taken first and then the margins applied. A homogenous space reservation can be determined based upon a variety of differently shaped or sized payloads, including a margin build-up to mitigate risk of unknowns associated with future changes in specific payload shapes and sizes, build tolerances, environmental conditions, and/or loading and unloading motions and clearances. Once this space reservation is known, it is possible to design an external shape of a carrying vehicle by staying outside of this space reservation.

Systems and methods for homogeneous cargo or payload space reservation with heterogeneous cargos and payloads

A fixed-wing cargo aircraft having a kinked fuselage is disclosed. The fuselage contains a continuous interior cargo bay, and includes a forward portion, an aft portion, and a kinked portion forming a junction in the fuselage between the forward and aft portions. The kinked portion contains a transition region of the cargo bay and defines a bend between a forward centerline and an aft centerline. The kinked portion is formed with a forward transverse frame section, a separate aft transverse frame section, and a plurality of longitudinal frame elements extending between the forward and aft frame sections, the forward frame being coupled to an aft end of the forward portion and the aft frame section being coupled to a forward end of the aft portion such that the aft frame section is angled with respect to the forward frame section about a lateral axis of the cargo aircraft.

Aircraft fuselage configurations for upward deflection of aft fuselage

An installation configuration for a ram air turbine on an aircraft arranged to operate during a low speed operation. An example aircraft includes a fuselage and a lifting body connected to the fuselage and configured to provide a lifting force on the fuselage, the lifting body including a suction surface and a pressure surface disposed on opposite sides of the lifting body from each other, the suction surface extending from a leading edge of the lifting body to a trailing edge of the lifting body. A ram air turbine is coupled to the lifting body and configured to move between a retracted position where the ram air turbine is stowed inside the aircraft and an extended position where the ram air turbine is disposed above the suction surface of the lifting body.

Ram air turbine installation allowing low speed flight

Methods and systems for efficiently loading cargo transports, such as cargo aircraft, are described. The methods and systems rely upon payload profiles for various payloads where the payloads include repeatable payloads that have the same characteristics. Based on the payload profile, the payload is positioned at a designated location in an interior cargo bay of the cargo transport. The designated location is denoted by one or more pre-formed markings in the interior cargo bay that establish where a payload having the respective payload profile should be positioned in the bay. The payload can then be secured in the bay. Because the designated location accounts for centers of gravity, the payload can be loaded and secured in the bay without having to run various calculations each time a payload is loaded. Systems and methods related to how the payloads are packaged in an efficient, expeditious manner are also provided.

Systems and methods for assembling large cargo and loading it onto a cargo aircraft

Aircraft fuselage configurations for upward deflection of AFT fuselage

A wing of an aircraft that includes a wing leading edge, a wing trailing edge, and a wing surface defined by a wing upper surface and a wing lower surface is described herein. The wing extends from the wing root to the wingtip, and the wingtip has a wingtip chord. A winglet extends from the wingtip and has a winglet leading edge, a winglet trailing edge, a winglet inboard surface, a winglet outboard surface, a winglet root having a winglet root chord, and a winglet tip. A flow fence is disposed on the wing surface inboard from the winglet and overlapping with the winglet. The flow fence is adapted to delay and/or prevent airflow separation on the winglet inboard surface at high angle of sideslip, increasing lateral stability and linearizing aircraft behavior at high angle of sideslip.

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Summerfield, NC, United States of America

Scott David Rewerts