Aeronautics inventions 12/08

20080315032 - Techniques for providing surface control to a guidable projectile: A guidable projectile has a central shaft, a projectile body, and a surface control assembly. The projectile body is arranged to rotate around at least a portion of the central shaft during flight of the guidable projectile to provide stabilization. The surface control assembly is supported by the central shaft.... Agent: Bainwood Huang & Associates LLC

20080315041 - Power starter for micro air vehicles: A manual starter for an engine includes a main housing, an output shaft, a spring housing, a spring, and an attachment unit. The output shaft is disposed at least partially inside the main housing, and is configured to supply a starting torque to the engine. The spring housing is disposed... Agent: Honeywell International Inc.

20080315043 - Emergency ram air inlet valve of an aircraft: The present invention relates to an emergency ram air inlet valve, also designated as an ERAI valve, of an aircraft comprising an actuating element (12) for opening and/or closing the valve (1) and a controller (3, 11) operatively coupled to the valve (1), by which the valve (1) can be... Agent: Wood, Herron & Evans, LLP

20080315042 - Thrust generator for a propulsion system: A thrust generator is provided. The thrust generator includes an air inlet configured to introduce air within the thrust generator and a plenum configured to receive exhaust gas from a gas generator and to provide the exhaust gas over a Coanda profile, wherein the Coanda profile is configured to facilitate... Agent: General Electric Company Global Research

20080315033 - Turbojet engine mounting structure for aircraft: A mount for an aircraft turbojet engine. The mount includes a central box formed by an assembly of two side panels joined via transverse ribs and two side boxes secured to a forward part of the box and arranged either side thereof, each side box including an aft closure frame.... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20080315034 - Turbojet engine nacelle with lateral opening of covers: The present invention relates to a nacelle (1) of a turbojet engine (4), which nacelle is intended to be attached to a structure (2) of an aeroplane by a connecting pylori (3) and comprises at least one moving part (9′, 9′) above to be opened in order to provide access... Agent: Mathews, Shepherd, Mckay, & Bruneau, P.A.

20080315035 - Variable speed gearbox with an independently variable speed tail rotor system for a rotary wing aircraft: A gearbox of a rotary-wing aircraft includes at least one variable speed system which optimizes the main rotor speed for different flight regimes such as a hover flight profile and a high speed cruise flight profile for any rotary wing aircraft while maintaining an independently variable tail rotor speed.... Agent: Carlson, Gaskey & Olds, P.C.

20080315036 - Aircraft having multiple seating configurations and associated systems and methods: Aircraft having multiple seating configurations and associated systems and methods are disclosed. An aircraft in accordance with one embodiment, for example, can include a fuselage having a generally circular cross-sectional shape and one or more passenger cabin portions. The individual cabin portions can include a floor connected to the fuselage... Agent: Perkins Coie LLP (boeing)

20080315037 - Safety system for reducing the impact energy of a container: A safety system for reducing the impact energy of a container for an aircraft includes an aircraft cargo hold with at least one safety wall; an accommodation device; and at least one airbag. The accommodation device can be affixed to the safety wall, wherein the accommodation device is designed to... Agent: Lerner, David, Littenberg, Krumholz & Mentlik

20080315038 - Fuel tank valve: Some water drain valves tend to fill with water which may freeze, thereby jamming the valve. This invention provides an aircraft water drain valve comprising a passageway, a shaft, a first sealing member and a second sealing member. The shaft is moveable between an open position in which the first... Agent: Lowe Hauptman Ham & Berner, LLP

20080315039 - System and methods for space vehicle torque balancing: A spacecraft attitude controller balances external torques, including those resulting from gravity gradient and those resulting from other orbital disturbances, to achieve a comparatively stable, neutral attitude or orientation. Torque is balanced by selecting spacecraft attitude Euler angles and angular rates such that orbital disturbances and cross-coupling inertial effects are... Agent: Patti, Hewitt & Arezina LLC

20080315040 - Detection of effort on a flight-control actuator: ABSTRACT The use of at least one attachment screw (12) that includes means (14, 15, 17a, 17b, 20) for detecting the secondary path loading of a flight-control actuator, or associated with a bush that includes such means, for the attachment of the top coupling of the secondary path of a... Agent: Pauley Petersen & Erickson

20080308669 - composite aircraft component: This invention relates to improving the tolerance of composite laminate structures to damage and/or delamination, resulting in weakening of the structure and/or to reducing the possibility of such damage and/or delamination. In particular, but not exclusively the invention relates to protecting the end surfaces of composite laminate structures present on... Agent: Lowe Hauptman Ham & Berner, LLP

20080308670 - Systems and methods for optimizing the aimpoint for a missile: Methods and systems are disclosed that automatically display an optimized aimpoint on a target image received seeker data. In one embodiment, a method receives missile seeker target data. Then, seeker mode data is extracted from the received missile seeker target data. The location of an optimized aimpoint is identified based... Agent: Lee & Hayes, PLLC

20080308671 - Techniques for articulating a nose member of a guidable projectile: A guidable projectile has a nose member, a projectile body, and a nose member articulation assembly which couples the nose member to the projectile body. The nose member articulation assembly includes a stator attached to the nose member, a rotor attached to the projectile body, and rotational support hardware interconnecting... Agent: Bainwood Huang & Associates LLC

20080308684 - Nacelle with articulating leading edge slates: A nacelle includes leading edge slates movable to modify inlet shape and area airflow into the nacelle. The articulating leading edge slats are movable for tailoring incoming airflow to current aircraft operating conditions. An actuator disposed within a thickness of the nacelle drives leading edge slates to a desired position... Agent: Carlson, Gaskey & Olds/pratt & Whitney

20080308685 - Solar powered wing vehicle using flywheels for energy storage: A solar powered air vehicle that can stay aloft for indefinite periods of time. The vehicle employs photovoltaic solar cells for primary power and high speed counter-rotating flywheels for energy storage and steering of the vehicle. The flywheels are placed in the wing to reduce airfoil drag. A control law... Agent: Buhler Associates Buhler, Kirk A.

20080308672 - Methods and systems for operating aircraft landing gears: Methods and systems for performing landing gear operations. In one embodiment, a method for retracting a landing gear is useable with an aircraft having a gear door that at least partially covers a gear well when the landing gear is extended. The method can include receiving a first signal during... Agent: Perkins Coie LLP Patent-sea

20080308673 - Secure system and method for aircraft emergency landing: A secure system and method for aircraft emergency landing are provided. The system includes a movable board, a detecting device, a controlling system and a buffering device. The detecting device detects the landing location and speed, and transmits the information to the controlling system, which moves the board and makes... Agent: Greer, Burns & Crain

20080308674 - Light weight thermoplastic flex foam and hybrid duct system: An aerospace vessel including a fuselage, a means for causing the fuselage to fly coupled to the fuselage, and an environmental control system within the fuselage. The environmental control system includes a duct made of closed cell thermoplastic foam, such as polyvinylidene fluoride foam.... Agent: Duke W. Yee

20080308675 - Reduced-perimeter aircraft: Aircraft that have fuselages including a series of frames spaced apart according to a frame pitch. The series of frames are covered by an aircraft skin to define an interior volume of the aircraft. The interior volume contains a series of rows of seats separated according to a seat pitch.... Agent: Tung & Associates / Randy W. Tung, Esq.

20080308676 - Aircraft fuselage: The present invention provides an aircraft fuselage which comprises a bulletproof layer in at least partial areas, an aircraft fuselage being understood as both a primary fuselage structure of an aircraft, i.e., sheeting and associated frames and stringers, aircraft fuselage insulation, and also cabin internal paneling, which encloses a pressurized... Agent: Ingrassia Fisher & Lorenz, P.C.

20080308677 - Radio frequency shielding apparatus system and method: A system for shielding an aircraft from electromagnetic energy includes a fuselage, aperture, window mounting, and window plug. The fuselage provides an electrically conductive envelope. The aperture is disposed in the fuselage. The window mounting spans the aperture. The window plug spans the aperture. The window mounting and the window... Agent: Baker & Hostetler, LLP For Boeing Company

20080308678 - Application of insulating coating: Systems and methods for discontinuously applying an insulating primer to a carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) component are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for mitigating electrical surface discharges from a CFRP component includes first applying an insulating primer to a metallic component. Next, an insulating primer is applied discontinuously... Agent: Lee & Hayes, PLLC

20080308679 - Device to reduce the lateral force generated by aerial refueling boom cross-section: Device to reduce the lateral force generated by an aerial refueling boom (11) of an aircraft characterized in that it comprises at least one plate (31), said plate (31) comprising two cantilevered wings (32, 33), said wings (32, 33) comprising perforations (34), so that the wake produced in the boom... Agent: Ladas & Parry LLP

20080308680 - Device to improve the positioning of a retardation system of a parachute canopy by magnetism: The device ensuring the holding of the slider (26) on bottom of the canopy during the spreading phase, thus ensuring that the slider (26) will not be displaced before the woven fabric (50) takes the shape of a dome (42) during this spreading phase prior to the inflating phase of... Agent: Collard & Roe, P.C.

20080308681 - Autodrag function for glide slope control: Systems and methods for providing supplemental drag to an aircraft are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes detecting changes in at least one throttle resolver angle (TRA). Deflections are determined for one or more flight control surfaces based on the changes in TRA, and accordingly, the one or more... Agent: Lee & Hayes, PLLC

20080308682 - Automatic velocity control system for aircraft: A flight control system for an aircraft receives a selected value of a first parameter, which is either the airspeed or inertial velocity of the aircraft. A primary feedback loop generates a primary error signal that is proportional to the difference between the selected value and a measured value of... Agent: Law Offices Of James E. Walton, PLLC

20080308683 - Controllable winglets: Systems and methods for providing variable geometry winglets to an aircraft are disclosed. In one embodiment, a winglet includes a base portion configured to attach to a wing. The winglet further includes a body portion. In turn, the body portion includes at least one of a deflectable control surface, a... Agent: Lee & Hayes, PLLC

20080302905 - Optical element mount and method thereof for a gun-launched projectile: An optical element mount is effective in high G environments to protect brittle optical elements in which tensile stresses are generated on surface S2 without degrading optical performance. A flexible spacer formed of a relatively low-stiffness material supports an optical element having a tapered outer periphery in an optical seat... Agent: The Noblitt Group, PLLC

20080302906 - Spin-stabilized correctible-trajectory artillery shell: A spin-stabilized correctible-trajectory artillery shell has a generator in the rotation-decoupled engagement region between a canard guidance unit and its munition body. The generator can be switched over to avoid load fluctuations between an adjusting motor and a substitute load. In order to avoid an additional heat source in the... Agent: Lerner Greenberg Stemer LLP

20080302920 - Aerial lifting and propulsion device (alpd): This invention, an Aerial Lifting and Propulsion Device, introduces an aircraft and aircraft wing design that has an outer and inner circumference, both of which are employed in the entirety of each to evacuate air, air space, and/or atmosphere from above the circular wing/craft, to the area beneath the circular... Agent: Gerald L. Mack

20080302907 - Fan variable area nozzle positional measurement system: A positional measurement system for a fan variable area nozzle (FVAN) remotely determines the position of each flap or set of flaps relative a core nacelle. The positional measurement system includes a sensor system with a multiple of transceivers located within the core nacelle to remotely measure the position of... Agent: Carlson, Gaskey & Olds/pratt & Whitney

20080302908 - Detachable hydrofoil trim tabs for use with seaplane floats for assisting with lower speed on-plane condition and stability during step turning/chine walk manuevers: A hydrofoil trim tab for use with each of a pair of seaplane floats, each tab including a substantially planar shaped body secured to an inside facing location of each float such that a pair of tab bodies are arrayed in opposing and inwardly directed fashion relative to the floats.... Agent: Gifford, Krass, Sprinkle,anderson & Citkowski, P.c

20080302909 - Cargo roller tray shear fitting: A cargo roller tray shear fitting that may be used to fasten a cargo roller tray to a floor beam. The shear fitting may include a back plate having at least one slot. A lug extends from the back plate and has a lug opening.... Agent: Lee & Hayes, PLLC

20080302910 - Aircraft fuselage heating: A method of heating an aircraft fuselage comprises the step of supplying heat energy to air occupying an interior space enclosed by an aircraft fuselage shell structure so as to drive moisture from air in a region disposed immediately adjacent the structure to air in a region disposed from the... Agent: Workman Nydegger

20080302911 - Habitation and sleeping module for accommodating at least one member of a flight crew: A habitation and sleeping module, in an aircraft, for accommodating at least one member of a flight crew, with the module having a first sleeping area. Furthermore, an ascent region is provided for ascending from a lower level into the module, wherein the ascent region includes an ascent device that... Agent: Lerner, David, Littenberg, Krumholz & Mentlik

20080302912 - Bladderless mold line conformal hat stringer: Apparatus and techniques for providing a closed hat stringer are disclosed. In one embodiment, a closed hat stringer for stiffening a composite structure includes opposing cavity walls situated between a first flange and a second flange, the cavity walls, first flange and second flange defining an elongated cavity, the second... Agent: Lee & Hayes, PLLC

20080302913 - Cargo floor, system, and method: Embodiments provide a cargo floor, a system, and a method adapted to be made integral with or complementary of the aircraft fuselage. Cargo floor members may be adapted to be coupled with a flat fuselage bottom inner skin of an aircraft fuselage to serve as the main orthotropic stiffeners to... Agent: NovatechIPLaw

20080302914 - Connection element for power transmission between a flap actuator and a flap mounted on a wing of an aircraft so as to swivel: A connection element for power transmission between a flap actuator and a flap mounted swivelably on a wing of an aircraft includes a first section joined to the flap actuator and a second section joined to the flap. The first and second sections are formed by a strap made of... Agent: Darby & Darby P.C.

20080302915 - Manufacturing process using bladderless mold line conformal hat stringer: Techniques for manufacturing structures that include composite hat stringers are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of forming a composite structure includes placing a generally cured composite hat stringer on a tool, the hat stringer having a rigid mold line conformal surface for adjoining a generally uncured skin, positioning the... Agent: Lee & Hayes, PLLC

20080302916 - Systems and methods for automatically and semiautomatically controlling aircraft refueling: Aerial refueling systems and associated methods are disclosed. A system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes an operator input device configured to receive operator inputs and direct a first input signal corresponding to a target position for an aerial refueling device. A sensor can be positioned to... Agent: Perkins Coie LLP (boeing)

20080302917 - Apparatus for releasing a parachute from its payload: An apparatus for releasing a parachute from its payload upon ground impact by the payload. The apparatus has a pair of sections releasably secured to each other. Each section has an intermediate portion having a longitudinally extending axis and a spur receiving opening that extends through the intermediate portion and... Agent: U.s. Army Soldier Systems Center

20080302918 - Control surface assemblies with torque tube base: Control surface assemblies having a torque tube base are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes providing a control surface assembly including: providing a control surface portion having a pair of longitudinal surfaces, providing a hollow base portion coupled to the control surface portion, the base portion including an elongated... Agent: Hugh P. Gortler

20080302919 - Symmetric leading edge device and method to delay flow separation: A vertical tail for use with an aircraft or other form of mobile platform. The vertical tail includes a main element which is fixedly secured to the mobile platform, and a leading edge element that is movably secured to the main element. The cross section of the leading edge element... Agent: Harness Dickey & Pierce, PLC

20080296431 - Noise controlled turbine engine with aircraft engine adaptive noise control tubes: An aircraft turbine engine with a takeoff fan speed and a landing fan speed, the aircraft engine includes a fan duct with a HQ (Herschel-Quincke) acoustic control noise reduction tube. The acoustic control noise reduction tube contains a movable frequency tuner obstruction. The movable frequency tuner obstruction is movable within... Agent: Lord Corporation Patent & Legal Services

20080296428 - Air freight transport method, transport aeroplane and air freight transport system: An air cargo transportation method, a transport plane and an air cargo transport system. In the air cargo transportation method for the transport of various cargoes to different destinations, a transport plane is provided first that flies through at least three air regions respectively associated to a station. The transport... Agent: Ohlandt, Greeley, Ruggiero & Perle, LLP

20080296429 - Apparatus for controlling aircraft ground movement: An apparatus for controlling the movement of an aircraft having a self-propelled nosewheel, on the ground, is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a control arm; a control unit; means for transmitting information to said self-propelled nosewheel; means for receiving information at said self-propelled nosewheel; and means for controlling at least one... Agent: Borealis Technical Limited

20080296440 - Flow distribution system for inlet flow control: A nacelle structure for a gas turbine engine includes an inlet aft of an exit guide vane for supplying air flow to a forward plenum. Air is exhausted from the plenum into an air intake opening and over an inner surface of the nacelle for controlling air flow characteristics within... Agent: Carlson, Gaskey & Olds/pratt & Whitney

20080296430 - System for connecting a crossbar to an aircraft engine pylon: An arrangement configured to connect an evener bar onto a rigid structure of an aircraft engine mount, including a pin system slidingly mounted in a first passageway of a bracket to permit its displacement along a first longitudinal axis, in a first direction from a normal extended position to a... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20080296432 - Method of extending length of aircraft to increase interior space: A method of modifying an aircraft, increasing its length, to increase interior of the aircraft fuselage to accommodate more passenger rows or more freight. The typical aircraft such as the Boeing 757 aircraft includes a fuselage, a wing section and a tail section, wherein the method installs an extension section... Agent: Stoel Rives LLP

20080296433 - Lightweight structural component in particular for aircraft and method for its production: Lightweight structural component including at least one panel and at least one stiffening element oriented one of lengthwise and crosswise. The at least one stiffening element includes two side pieces. Each of the two side pieces is at least partially connected to the panel in a material-locking manner. The two... Agent: Greenblum & Bernstein, P.L.C

20080296434 - Parachute-landing device for whole airplane: A parachute-landing device for whole airplane, comprising at least one parachute compartment (4) on the airplane (1), which has a cover (5) who can be controlled to open, and in which there set a parachute (2) with a guiding parachute (3) which is set in the space formed by the... Agent: GlobalIPServices

20080296435 - Shear-thickening fluid reinforced fabrics for use with an expandable spacecraft: A shear-thickening fluid is used in conjunction with fabrics utilized in an expandable spacecraft. The combination of the fluid and the fabric allows the fabric to resist penetration by hypervelocity particles in space.... Agent: Franklin E. Gibbs, Esq.

20080296436 - In orbit space transportation & recovery system: An In Orbit Transportation & Recovery System (IOSTAR™) (10) is disclosed. One preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a space tug powered by a nuclear reactor (19). The IOSTAR™ includes a collapsible boom(11) connected at one end to a propellant tank (13) which stores fuel for an electric propulsion... Agent: Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione/utah Utah Office

20080296437 - Method and device to generate a transverse casimir force for propulsion, guidance and maneuvering of a space vehicle: Method and device for directly generating a transverse Casimir force comprising a technique for fabricating a microstructure array of non-parallel conducting plates held in place by an insulating material and affixed either to a conducting or insulating substrate are disclosed. As described by the illustrative embodiment, the lateral or transverse... Agent: Denny Cormier

20080296438 - Control surface actuation system: Systems for controlling flow effector control surfaces. The system comprises a flow effector control coupled to an elongated bar at one end of the bar. The elongated bar is coupled at the other end to the middle of a T-shaped member. A compliant link is coupled to the bar between... Agent: Arturo Brion

20080296439 - Integral suction device with acoustic panel: An inlet flow control system disposed within a nacelle includes a panel on an inner surface of that nacelle. The panel includes a noise attenuation layer that dissipates noise energy. A vacuum source generates a pressure differential across the noise attenuation layer for drawing airflow through the panel and away... Agent: Carlson, Gaskey & Olds/pratt & Whitney