Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

Todd Schartner

Clint Rupp

Roy Linwood Woodard, Jr

Julien Talbot

Door assemblies, aircraft including door assemblies, and method for making door assemblies are provided. In one example, a door assembly includes a hinge subassembly and a door pivotally coupled to the hinge subassembly. The door has a channel disposed therein with a holding member disposed proximate a channel distal portion. A sliding member is movably disposed in the channel. An arm has a first portion pivotally coupled to a second hinge subassembly and a second portion pivotally coupled to the sliding member to move the sliding member as the door moves between a closed position and an open position. A stay member is coupled to the sliding member to move towards the holding member which holds the stay member in position when the door is moved to the open position to hold the door open.

Door assembly and method for making the same, and aircraft including a door assembly

A tunable stay device for an aircraft closure has a mounting base that is mountable to the closure or in an area of the aircraft in close proximity to the closure. The mounting base extends, at least in part, along a mounting axis. A holding element is mounted for movement along the mounting axis and configured to effect, at least in part, a hold force. An adjuster is mounted to at least one of the mounting base and the holding element and is configured and arranged to effect a change in position of the holding element with respect to the mounting base along the mounting axis. When the stay device is mounted to the closure or in the area of the aircraft in proximity to the closure, the hold force biases the closure in one of an open orientation and a closed orientation.

Tunable stay for aircraft compartment closure

Methods for characterizing shape changes of an aircraft due to flight loads are provided. In one example, a method for characterizing shape changes of an interior portion of an aircraft from flight loads includes positioning one or more 3D scanners within the interior portion of the aircraft. A reference scan of the interior portion is created with the one or more 3D scanners while the aircraft is substantially stationary and/or on the ground. A deformed scan of the interior portion is created with the one or more 3D scanners while the aircraft is in flight subject to substantial flight loads. The reference scan and the deformed scan are postprocessed and analyzed to characterize the shape changes of the interior portion of the aircraft from the substantial flight loads.

Method for characterizing shape changes of an aircraft due to flight loads

The disclosed embodiments relate to an aircraft having an interior cabin door with a retractable header. Accordingly to non-limiting embodiments, an interior cabin door for an aircraft includes a door panel having an opening in a top portion thereof. A retractable header configured to retract into the opening in the door panel as the door panel moves toward an open position. As the door panel moves toward a closed position, a lifting system is configured to raise the retractable header to interface with the ceiling of the aircraft. The lifting system includes a four-bar mechanism, a cable and pulley system and a biasing member configured to upwardly bias the retractable header.

Growing community of inventors

Savannah, GA, United States of America

Todd Schartner