Aeronautics inventions 05/06

20060108468 - Munition with integrity gated go/no-go decision: A munition is presented which includes an integrity verification system that measures the integrity of the munition. When an integrity threshold is not met, engagement of the munition with a predetermined target is aborted. Also presented is a methodology for gating the engagement of the munition with the target. The...

20060108469 - Articulated folding wing structure and method: An articulated wing (20) is readily deployable from a stowed configuration that occupies minimal volume to an extended configuration for flight. The wing (20) includes a frame (24) having a pair of beams (30) spaced by one or more ribs (36), and a flexible covering material (26) over the frame...

20060108470 - Superconducting crawler system for a production line: An equipment-carrying crawler (20) includes a rolling track (44) and a structural support (70). The structural support (70) supports equipment (16). Lifting magnets (72) are coupled to the rolling track (44) and to the structural support (70). The lifting magnets (72) are configured to oppose each other, lift the structural...

20060108471 - Method and system for maintenance, in particular disassembly, of gas turbines: A system and method for maintenance, in particular disassembly, of gas turbines, in particular aircraft engines, wherein a gas turbine is introduced, before being disassembled, into a first apparatus which is at least largely sealed against a cleaning agent being emitted therein, the gas turbine is cleaned in the first...

20060108472 - Control system for an aircraft: The invention is a system for controlling an aircraft, the aircraft having a longitudinal axis, vertical and horizontal axis and right and left wings and right and left ailerons mounted on the right and left wings. In detail, the system includes a right stabilizer mounted to the right wing, the...

20060108473 - Emergency landing system - fixed wing airplane: The purpose of this invention is to prevent and/or reduce the loss of life during an emergency landing of an airplane away from an airport environment. This is possible by eliminating one of its wings and using the other wing to perform in the same manner as the rotor of...

20060108474 - Hollow assembly structure and fabrication method therefor: A movable trailing edge is composed of a main body including a structural frame member in which a spar and a rib intersect with each other, and a first outer plate that covers the main body. The first outer plate is placed on and cover the structural frame member, a...

20060108475 - Apparatus and method for controlling aerial refueling hose: The invention is a variable displacement hydraulic motor-controlled hose reel drive system (10) for aerial refueling of a receiver aircraft from a tanker aircraft. The system includes a variable displacement hydraulic motor (26), a tachometer (34), position sensor (34), a reaction torque sensor (36) and a microprocessor (29) which, depending...

20060108476 - System and method for enhancing the fuel storage volume and the fuel carriage capacity of external fuel stores carried by an aerial vehicle: A system and method for enhancing the fuel stores volume of an aerial vehicle is disclosed. An extended external fuel stores configuration utilizes an alternative fuel transfer path. An external fuel tank is suspended on a external fuel tank carrier pylon uploaded on a outboard wing “pseudo-wet” stores station. The...

20060108477 - Cargo aircraft: An aircraft for carrying at least one rigid cargo container includes a beam structure with a forward fuselage attached to the forward end of the beam structure and an empennage attached to the rearward end of the beam structure. Wings and engines are mounted relative to the beam structure and...

20060108478 - Assembly for carrying and ejecting stores: A carriage and ejection assembly for retaining different types of stores to an aircraft and selectively ejecting a carried one of the stores away from the aircraft is disclosed. The assembly can include a sway brace having at least one contact location for each type of store, wherein during ejection...

20060108479 - Winged spacecraft: A rocket-powered spacecraft having a wing which has hinged aft portions which can be elevated about a hinge line. Tail booms extend rearwardly from the outer ends of the aft wing portions, and rudders are mounted at the aft ends of the booms. Each tail boom supports a horizontal tail...

20060102775 - Landing gear: An aircraft landing gear (1) is described including a noise-reducing element that includes an air-deflecting surface, in the form of a fairing (4), and a perforated airflow-reducing region (8). In use, some air passes through the perforations, whilst other air is deflected by the fairing away from a noise-generating region...

20060102776 - Dual action inlet door and method for use thereof: An inlet door assembly and method for reducing noise from an auxiliary power unit (APU) contained within an aircraft housing is provided. The inlet assembly includes an inlet duct, an actuator, and a door. The inlet duct is configured to extend from the auxiliary power unit to the aircraft housing...

20060102777 - Coaxial rotorcraft control system: A control system for a coaxial rotorcraft comprises a coaxial rotor set, further comprising an upper rotor actuated by a first drive shaft and a lower rotor actuated by a second drive shaft, the lower rotor having a direction of rotation counter to a direction of rotation of the upper...

20060102778 - Drive section of a lift truck: A drive section of an industrial truck has a vehicle frame (1), a drive unit (4) having a steerable drive wheel, and at least one pivoting roller (5, 6) located at a lateral offset in relation to the drive wheel (4d). The vehicle frame (1), when viewed in the transverse...

20060102779 - Dual flow apu inlet and associated systems and methods: Dual flow auxiliary power unit (APU) inlets and associated systems and methods are disclosed. An inlet in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes an entrance aperture and a divider positioned in the inlet and located to separate a first portion of the inlet from a second portion of...

20060102780 - Ducted spinner for engine cooling: A system for cooling a ducted fan aircraft engine includes a first nacelle surrounding the engine and a second nacelle substantially concentrically surrounding the first nacelle. The system includes a first spinner coupled around a base of a rotor of the ducted fan and a second spinner substantially concentrically surrounding...

20060102781 - Dual action inlet door and method for use thereof: An inlet door assembly and method for reducing noise from an auxiliary power unit (APU) contained within an aircraft housing is provided. The inlet assembly includes an inlet duct, an actuator, and a door. The inlet duct is configured to extend from the auxiliary power unit to the aircraft housing...

20060102782 - Flying device utilizing natural principles: An efficient flying device having flapping wings, an ornithopter, which uses many of the principles seen in bird flight, is presented herein. The wings are highly flexible, translationally stable and oscillate as a natural pendulum. Described as a springboard, the wings have a singular natural frequency, and a pumping means...

20060102783 - Methods and apparatuses for capturing and recovering unmanned aircraft, including extendable capture devices: Methods and apparatuses for capturing and recovering unmanned aircraft and other flight devices or projectiles are described. In one embodiment, the aircraft can be captured at an extendable boom. The boom can be extended to deploy a recovery line to retrieve the aircraft in flight. The boom can be retracted...

20060102785 - Airplane seating arrangement: A method for increasing airline revenue with an improved passenger seating arrangement for passenger jets. A sufficient number of aisles are used such that the number of contiguous seats in each row does not exceed two. The seats and aisles can be arranged in multiple configurations. In the preferred embodiment...

20060102784 - Cut to fit powered seat track cover: A seat track cover for transferring at least one of electrical power and data between two seats. The cover has a housing and a cable. The housing is sized to extend between a first seat leg assembly of a first seat and a second seat leg assembly of a second...

20060102787 - Aircraft archway: An architectural archway for an aircraft. The archways can be positioned individually, or in pairs or other sets along the length of an aircraft fuselage. The archways are used to run or connect various transport elements, such as electrical wiring, water lines, and environmental control system conduits, between the upper...

20060102786 - Joint cover in aircraft: A joint cover in an aircraft has a clamp section and a cover section for covering a joint. The clamp section is used to mount the cover section over the joint. The joint cover is capable of concealing the joint and may be capable of mechanically securing the joint from...

20060102788 - Increased security flight deck door strike apparatus and method: A door strike apparatus for enabling opening of a door in the event of a decompression condition experienced within a flight deck area includes a housing supported adjacent the door and a strike arm movable between a locked state restricting rotation of the door and an unlocked state permitting rotation...

20060102789 - Linear shock wave absorber: A linear cavity is provided on the leading edge of an object that is subject to the flow of liquids or gasses, where said cavity preferably has a wall that follows the curvature of a diminishing sine wave, although other configurations are possible that do not follow a specific sine...

20060102790 - Electric-based secondary power system architectures for aircraft: Methods and systems for providing secondary power to aircraft systems. In one embodiment, an aircraft system architecture for providing power to an environmental control system includes an electric generator operably coupled to a jet engine. The jet engine can be configured to provide propulsive thrust to the aircraft, and the...

20060102791 - Interoperable aerial refueling apparatus and methods: Interoperable aerial refueling apparatus and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, a receptacle configured to fluidly receive a terminal portion of a refueling boom is coupled to a refueling drogue. A retainer is coupled to an aircraft that removably retains the receptacle when the aircraft is refueling another aircraft configured...

20060102792 - Pressurized sonobuoy deployment system: A jet aircraft with integrated, rotary sonobuoy launch system has storage racks for a number of sonobuoys in sonobuoy launch containers; and one or more launcher units in its cabin. Each launcher unit has a pressure shell with a door allowing loading of sonobuoys in sonobuoy launch containers from the...

20060102793 - Animal-scaring device: A method of scaring birds and animals includes launching a bird-scaring device in a substantially vertical manner and periodically causing the device to circle in the air in substantially opposite directions....

20060102794 - Control apparatus for kite powered conveyance device: A control apparatus for a kite powered conveyance device. Port and starboard kite leads (28,32) and/or port and starboard kite control lines (30, 36) connect ends of a control bar (26, 26′) to port and starboard ends of a kite (12). A tether guide (34, 34′, 34″) is connected to...

20060102795 - Fusion energy system and plasma propulsion aircraft to produce electricity from a controlled nuclear fusion reaction: The invention relates to plasma based aircraft maintained in a flight-mode by an uplifting Larmor gyro orbiting particle field, and an extensive capacitor system. Said aircraft is comprised of chromium steel, or higher ferrochromium steel can also be used. Said aircraft system can operate utilizing only energy required to initiate...

20060102796 - Folding retractable protective dome for space vehicle equipment: A folding, retractable dome for protecting a feature, such as a docking mechanism, a hatch or other equipment at an exterior surface of a space vehicle, includes a plurality of arcuate ribs, each having opposite ends respectively pinioned at opposite sides of the feature at the surface of the vehicle...

20060102797 - Method and device for guiding an aircraft for aiding parachute drops: The device (1) for guiding an aircraft at least over an intermediate trajectory between a first flight trajectory for a low-altitude flight and a second flight trajectory which starts at an initial point, and from which trajectory a parachute drop is carried out, comprises means (9) for determining a point...

20060102798 - Unmanned biplane for airborne reconnaissance and surveillance having staggered and gapped wings: The present invention provides an unmanned airborne reconnaissance vehicle having a fuselage, a forward wing pair and a rearward wing pair vertically separated by a gap and staggered fore and aft therebetween such that a general biplane configuration is formed. The present invention provides a pair of wing tip plates...

20060102799 - Device for the generation of eddies and method for operation of said device: According to the invention, a device for the generation of eddies creates or destroys eddies in a flowing medium in a particularly simple manner, with particularly low energy requirement with the lowest possible pressure drop, whereby the device comprises one or more profiles, for the flowing medium to flow around,...

20060102800 - Method and apparatus for modulating flow separation: An apparatus comprising: an aerodynamic surface adapted for producing an adverse pressure gradient in a fluid flow; and a first pulse detonation actuator disposed adjacent the aerodynamic surface and adapted for impulsively detonating a fuel/air mixture to produce a pressure rise and velocity increase of combustion products therein, the aerodynamic...

20060102801 - High-lift distributed active flow control system and method: The present invention is directed to a distributed active flow control (“DAFC”) system that maintains attached airflow over a highly cambered airfoil employed by an aircraft or other similar applications. The DAFC system includes a primary power source comprised of one or more aircraft engines, one or more power conversion...

20060102802 - Aircraft with forward opening inlay spoilers for yaw control: An aircraft comprises first and second wings positioned on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis with each of the first and second wings including an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein no control surfaces are attached to the lower surface of the wings. A first forward opening control surface...

20060102803 - Leading edge flap apparatuses and associated methods: The present invention is directed generally toward leading edge flap apparatuses and corresponding methods. One aspect of the invention is directed toward an aircraft system having an airfoil, an actuator driver, and a leading edge device with two flow surfaces and six links. In a further aspect of the invention,...

20060097102 - Active protection device and associated apparatus, system, and method: An interceptor device adapted to protect a platform associated therewith against an incoming threat having a trajectory by intercepting the threat in an intercept zone is provided. Such an interceptor device comprises a housing defining an axis and a countermeasure device operably engaged with the housing. At least one detonating...

20060097103 - Method and apparatus for vehicle control using variable blade pitch: An integrated propulsion and guidance system for an aircraft or other vehicle includes an engine coupled to a propeller via a driveshaft to produce propulsive force. One or more of the propeller blades are pivotably mounted with respect to the hub of the propeller. A control signal is provided to...

20060097104 - Method and a device for using a steerable tall fin to reduce the vibration generated on the fuselage of a helicopter: The present invention relates to a method and to a device for reducing the vibration generated on the structure 17 of a helicopter 2 by the flow of air through the main rotor 5 and by the flow of air along the fuselage 3. According to the invention, said device...

20060097105 - Propulsion and attitude control systems for aircraft: Systems for propelling and controlling attitude of aircraft. Systems according to certain embodiments of the invention employ a fan whose rotational axis is preferably generally parallel to the yaw axis of the aircraft and which is preferably generally aligned with the center of gravity of the aircraft at least during...

20060097106 - Aircraft landing gear snow ski tow bar: A snow ski tow bar adapts a prior art aircraft tow bar for attachment to a landing gear of an aircraft to which a snow ski has been attached. The snow ski tow bar modifies an existing tow bar with a second set of connectors that adapt the snow ski...

20060097107 - System and method for controlling engine rpm of a ducted fan aircraft: An aircraft including a ducted fan and an engine for driving the ducted fan includes a plurality of vanes movably mounted to the aircraft at a substantially rectangular exhaust end of the aircraft. Each of the plurality of vanes is substantially rectangular or square. The plurality of vanes are configured...

20060097108 - Scale factor calibration and compensation for angular position resolver: In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a resolver system has at least one resolver and at least one amplifier in electrical communication with each resolver. A reference circuit is in electrical communication with the amplifiers. The reference circuit provides reference signals to the amplifiers. A non-linearity calibration...

20060097109 - Telescoping powered seat track cover: A seat track cover having telescopically engaged first and second portions that enables an overall length of the seat track cover to be adjusted as needed to cover a portion of a seat track that separates two adjacent seats mounted to the seat tracks. A cable can be routed within...

20060097110 - Non-threaded structural insert for component attachment: The present invention provides a non-threaded insert operable to transfer or couple a mechanical load to a structure. This non-threaded insert includes an upper insert having a noncircular cross section and a lower insert. The coupled upper and lower insert are received within the structure and are operable to receive...

20060097111 - Methods and systems for rain removal and de-icing of monolithic windshields: Systems and methods for providing rain and ice removal on a windshield are. provided. The system may be implemented on a vehicle, such as an aircraft. In one embodiment, a system includes an injection molded windshield and a frame coupled to the injection-molded windshield and to the vehicle. The frame...

20060097112 - Fire fighting bucket suspendable from aircraft: Firefighting bucket (11) suspended from an aircraft by lines (15), has open top (12A) and a valve at base (13). The valve is attachable to the aircraft by remotely actuatable line (16) and independent movement of lines (15-16) may utilise the weight of the water to facilitate opening and closing...

20060097113 - Payload ejection system: A payload ejection system is provided for ejecting a payload from a transport vehicle. The system has an ejector mechanism for applying an ejection force to the payload to urge the payload away from the transport vehicle, and a release mechanism for releasing the payload from a restrained state. The...

20060097114 - Bridle assembly for a kite: A bridle assembly for attaching a control line to a kite has a bridle line extending between a first attachment point located at or near a first wing tip of a kite and a second attachment point located near a leading edge of the kite away from the wing tip....

20060091255 - Antiballistic missile defense: Multiwavelength satellites, illuminating satellites and multiwavelength antiballistic missiles working in cooperation may overcome enemy missile countermeasures (i.e. decoys, aerosols, changing trajectory). Multiwavelength satellites and multiwavelength antiballistic missiles may be designed to detect and fuse multiple wavelengths. Illuminating satellites may highlight an enemy missile for enhanced detection....

20060091256 - Lighter-than-air aircraft and related methods for powering the same: A lighter-than-air aircraft includes a gas envelope for containing a buoyant gas, and a solar panel is carried by a predetermined portion of the gas envelope. A solar sensor is used for determining a direction of the sun. A propulsion system carried by the gas envelope orients the gas envelope...

20060091257 - Modular vehicle units, including aircraft interior storage units, and associated methods: Modular vehicle units, including aircraft interior storage units, and associated methods are disclosed herein. One embodiment is directed toward an aircraft system that includes a modular unit and at least one latch or releasable coupler to couple the modular unit to at least one surface of an aircraft. Another embodiment...

20060091259 - Aircraft archway: An architectural archway for an aircraft. The archways can be positioned individually, or in pairs or other sets along the length of an aircraft fuselage. The archways are used to run or connect various transport elements, such as electrical wiring, water lines, and environmental control system conduits, between the upper...

20060091258 - Autonomous, back-packable computer-controlled breakaway unmanned aerial vehicle (uav): A modular unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having a fuselage, a nose cone, a left wing piece, a right wing piece, and a tail section. The tail section and nose cone each join to the fuselage through mating bulkhead structures that provide quick connection capability while being readily separated so as...

20060091260 - Plottner rotor kite: A Rotor Kite that is flown by means of two control lines and which has two counter rotating 50 inch rotors and which can be flown in winds of 9 miles per hour and greater. This Rotor Kite can take off, fly in the air at various heights and then...

20060091261 - Integrated momentum wall: A vehicle control system is provided that includes a slat having an axis, a plurality of microwheels disposed on the slat, each microwheel having a first stator wafer, a second stator wafer, and a rotor wafer disposed therebetween, the first and second stator wafers configured to spin the rotor wafer,...

20060091262 - Method and apparatus for elevating and manipulating objects using electromagnetic fields only: An electromagnetic field-producing device is used for non-contact type elevation, elevation maintenance, or manipulation of objects. This type of elevation, elevation maintenance, or manipulation of objects contributes to the present modes of flight and people and larger object transport including but not limited to rotary-wing or non-rotary-wing modes of flying...

20060091263 - Lifting foil: A lifting foil for an aircraft, a hydrofoil or the like having a pair of courses or wings. Vortex losses due to spanwise fluid flow are substantially reduced by joining the tips of the courses with flow guides configured for jointly terminating the undesired flows. Termination is effected by providing...