The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 02, 2018
Filed:
Aug. 24, 2015
The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US);
Mitchell L. R. Mellor, Bothell, WA (US);
The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US);
Abstract
A system includes an aircraft having a fuselage with a tail portion. A tail skid is disposed in an opening of the tail portion. The tail skid includes a ground contact shoe and a mechanism configured to selectably move the ground contact shoe between respective ones of a stow position disposed within the opening, a landing position disposed below the opening, and a takeoff position different than the stow and landing positions. Before a takeoff or a landing, the ground contact shoe is moved to a corresponding one of the takeoff or landing positions. In the event of an over-rotation or an over-flaring of the aircraft during a takeoff or a landing, respectively, the ground contact shoe makes contact with the ground and a shock absorber of the system absorbs a shock of the contact and thereby prevents tail strike damage to the aircraft.