Aeronautics inventions 08/09

20090212158 - Aircraft systems with shape memory alloy (sma) actuators, and associated methods: Aircraft systems with shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators, and associated methods are disclosed. A system in accordance with one embodiment includes an airfoil, a deployable device coupled to the airfoil, and a shape memory alloy actuator coupled between the airfoil and the deployable device. In one embodiment, the deployable device... Agent: Perkins Coie LLP (boeing)

20090212166 - Vtol/stol tilt-prop flying wing: An aircraft comprises two wings, a fuselage, a tail planform and a pair of counter-rotating propellers. The two wings are located at a longitudinal center of gravity of the aircraft. The fuselage is located forward of the longitudinal center of gravity and coupled to the two wings. The tail planform... Agent: Nixon Peabody LLP

20090212154 - Aircraft wing, fastening arrangement, and intermediate support: The invention relates to an aircraft wing, a fastening arrangement, and an intermediate support. A support structure of a wing (1) comprises transverse wing ribs (7a, 7b), between which an intermediate support (10) is arranged for providing a fastening point for a motor (9). The intermediate support comprises a vertical... Agent: Ladas & Parry LLP

20090212155 - Engine pylon made from composite material: A load-bearing structure, such as a pylon or strut, comprising a monolithic tubular-shaped first central structure composed of composite material and a plurality of metal fittings for supporting an engine on an airframe structure of an aircraft, such as a wing. Most of the fittings are integrated into the load-bearing... Agent: Hovey Williams LLP

20090212156 - Aircraft engine system with gearbox unit: An engine system for an aircraft includes an engine and a gearbox. The engine is mounted in a nacelle region of the aircraft. The gearbox is coupled to the engine, and is mounted in a fuselage region of the aircraft. The fuselage region is separated from the fuselage region by... Agent: Honeywell International Inc. Patent Services

20090212157 - Micro-rotorcraft surveillance system: A flying micro-rotorcraft unit is provided for remote tactical and operational missions. The unit includes an elongated body having an upper and a lower end. The body defines a vertical axis. The unit further includes a navigation module including means for determining a global position of the elongated body during... Agent: Barnes & Thornburg LLP

20090212167 - Actuator systems and associated methods for unmanned air vehicles and other applications: Actuator systems and associated methods are disclosed herein. One aspect of the disclosure is directed toward an actuator system that includes a first structure and a second structure movable relative to the first structure. The system further includes an actuator apparatus and an actuator device coupled in series between the... Agent: Perkins Coie LLP Patent-sea

20090212159 - Restraint system: In a preferred embodiment, a restraint system is described for restraining a standing occupant in a vehicle such as a plane or helicopter. The restraint system includes a webbing strap that winds and unwinds from a spool assembly. The spool assembly includes a trigger assembly that locks a spool from... Agent: Inskeep Intellectual Property Group, Inc

20090212160 - Method for producing lateral ejection apparattii for helicopter or plane: An aircraft fuselage, with a seat chassis mounted on a set of track and guide rails. Any ejection seat chassis with an occupant attached to a guide track is ejectable along a lateral trajectory, perpendicular to the horizontal longitudinal axis of an aircraft fuselage interior, and can be guided out... Agent: Michael L. Beauchamp

20090212161 - Aircraft graywater ejection system: An aircraft (10) having a cabin (14) with a plurality of potable-water-using stations (22) that drain graywater to a transfer tank (24). The graywater ejection system pressurizes the transfer tank (24) at appropriate times and/or places, so that graywater can be ejected through a drainmast (26) without the help of... Agent: Don W. Bulson (grco) Renner, Otto, Boisselle & Sklar, LLP

20090212162 - Aircraft wings and fuel tanks: On failure, a burst rotor of a wing-mounted engine (13, 23) can penetrate fuel tank walls in the wing of a conventional aircraft. There exists a zone that is at risk of such damage. Thus, the layout of fuel tanks (3, 11C, 21C) in the wing of an aircraft in... Agent: Lowe Hauptman Ham & Berner, LLP

20090212163 - Propulsion enhancement arrangement for rocket: A rocket includes a front warhead, a rear propellant actuator, and a propulsion enhancement arrangement which comprises at least two propulsion impulse generators longitudinally cascadedly mounted between the warhead and the rear propellant actuator, wherein each propulsion impulse generator comprises a storage barrel for storing a predetermined amount of explosive... Agent: Zhen Zheng Lu

20090212164 - Airfoil trailing edge plasma flow control apparatus and method: A flow control system and method especially well adapted for use on a Coanda surface. In one embodiment a plurality of plasma actuators are disposed over a Coanda surface of a wing of an aircraft. The actuators are selectively energized to either delay the onset of boundary layer flow separation... Agent: Harness Dickey & Pierce, Plc

20090212165 - Passive removal of suction air for laminar flow control, and associated systems and methods: Passive removal of suction air for producing a laminar flow, and associated systems and methods are disclosed. One such method includes forming a laminar flow region over an external surface of an aircraft by drawing air through the external surface and into a plenum. The method can further include passively... Agent: Perkins Coie LLP (boeing)

20090206198 - Aircraft engine structure-mounted aim-point biasing infrared countermeasure apparatus and method: A thermal radiation-generating decoy mounted adjacent an aircraft engine structure, such as an engine nacelle, includes a heat source inside of an aerodynamic enclosure with a mounting interface to attach the enclosure to the engine structure. The decoy can further be located at the lower extreme of and adjacent the... Agent: NovatechIPLaw

20090206192 - Methods and apparatus for adjustable surfaces: Methods and apparatus for systems having deployable elements according to various aspects of the present invention comprise a system including a deployable surface and an adaptive actuator including a polymer foam. In one embodiment, the system comprises a vehicle including a deployable wing comprising an exterior surface. The exterior surface... Agent: The Noblitt Group, PLLC

20090206208 - Reaction drive rotor/wing variable area nozzle: In an exemplary variable area nozzle, a fixed duct section has an inlet and an outlet oriented approximately perpendicular to the inlet. A controllable nozzle member is disposed adjacent the outlet of the fixed duct section. The controllable nozzle member has an area that is adjustable to maintain a substantially... Agent: Boeing (tlg) C/o Toler Law Group

20090206193 - Ballistically deployed telescoping aircraft wing: An apparatus for increasing an aerodynamic surface area of an aircraft, e.g., a wing thereof, includes coaxially disposed first and second elongated airfoils and an inflatable device arranged to move the first airfoil coaxially relative to the second airfoil. The second airfoil has a root end fixed to the vehicle... Agent: Haynes And Boone, LLPIPSection

20090206194 - Airship photocatalytic reactor energy generation, storage, and transmission systems: An energy management system for lighter-than-air vehicles which includes a reactor means for generating energy, storage means for storing the reactants used in the reactor means, and an integrated pipeless reactant and power distribution means.... Agent: Roetzel And Andress

20090206195 - Rotating air cargo delivery system and method of construction: A system and method of constructing a system for delivering cargo by airdrop are provided. In short, the system uses rotor blades to slow the descent of cargo dropped from an aircraft. In one example of one embodiment, a frame is secured to a cargo pallet and at least one... Agent: RozenblatIPLLC And The Boeing Company

20090206196 - Inflatable folding wings for a very high altitude aircraft: A foldable wing for use with a very high altitude aircraft capable of operating at an altitude at or above 85,000 feet is disclosed. The foldable wing may employ a spiral fold deployment, wherein a hinge between each segment of the foldable wing is slightly offset from the perpendicular. Successively... Agent: Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP (c/o Patent Administrator)

20090206209 - Systems and methods for providing differential motion to wing high lift device: Systems and methods for providing differential motion to wing high lift devices are disclosed. A system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes a wing having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a first deployable lift device with a first spanwise location, and a second deployable lift device... Agent: Perkins Coie LLP (boeing)

20090206197 - Actuator and flap arrangement with actuator interconnection: An actuator and flap arrangement includes a flap, movable relative to a support structure, and two actuators. Each actuator has a portion fixed relative to the support structure, a portion movable relative to the fixed portion and connected to the flap for transfer of motor force to flap upon movement... Agent: Pearne & Gordon LLP

20090206199 - Debris deflecting device, system, and method: A debris deflector includes a bracket and a horizontal blade assembly. The bracket is to secure the debris deflector to an aft side of a landing gear assembly. The horizontal blade assembly is secured to the bracket. The horizontal blade assembly includes a blade and flap. The blade has a... Agent: NovatechIPLaw

20090206200 - Assembly and method for stowing away and removing a survival kit in a passenger cabin of an aircraft: An assembly and a method for stowing away and removing a survival kit in a passenger cabin of an aircraft, comprising a first stowage compartment that may be put in place in a floor of the passenger cabin, wherein the first stowage compartment is equipped for completely accommodating the survival... Agent: Lerner, David, Littenberg, Krumholz & Mentlik

20090206201 - Airplane with collapsible crew rest compartment modules: An improved crew rest area for a freighter airplane. The crew rest structure extends into the stay out zone between the crew or supernumerary accommodations and cargo areas and has one of more collapsible or crushable structures. The collapsible structures allow the areas in the stay out zones to collapse... Agent: Ostrager Chong Flaherty & Broitman, P.C.

20090206202 - Energy absorbing structure for aircraft: Energy absorbing structure disposed beneath the cargo area of an aircraft provides maximum energy absorption and structural strength using carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites. The energy absorbing structure uses laminated stanchions having ply drop-offs to produce stable, progressive crushing of the stanchions during a wheels-up crash landing. Integrally formed flanges... Agent: Tung & Associates / Randy W. Tung, Esq.

20090206203 - Aircraft wing box and manufacture thereof: An aircraft wing box comprises a pair of half ribs (18, 20) joined to form a rib extending from an upper wing skin (12) to a lower wing skin (10). Each half rib (18) comprises a base (19) and a plurality of projections (4) that extend away from the base... Agent: Nixon & Vanderhye, PC

20090206204 - Spin-stabilized lander: The invention provides a novel, low-cost, spin-stabilized lander architecture capable (with appropriate system scaling tailored to the attributes of the target) of performing a soft-landing on a solar-system body such as Earth's Moon, Mars, Venus, the moons of Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, selected near-Earth and main-belt asteroids, comets... Agent: Michael Ries

20090206205 - Aerospace vehicle system: In an aerospace vehicle in which a satellite is detachably adapted to the first step rocket and the second step rocket, an electronic device 65 is installed in the satellite 60, wherein the electronic device 65 controls the first step rocket 10 and the second step rocket 20 before the... Agent: Westerman, Hattori, Daniels & Adrian, LLP

20090206206 - Highly efficient supersonic laminar flow wing:

20090206207 - Supersonic aircraft footprint spreading control system and method: A method and system to optimize the process a spreading the weight of supersonic aircraft downstream over a large area to reduce the pressure and intensity on the ground as function of air flow velocity, temperature, and/or pressure is provided.... Agent: Christie, Parker & Hale, LLP

20090200416 - Boundary layer propulsion airship with related system and method: Systems, method, devices and apparatus are provided for reducing drag and increasing the flight efficiency characteristics of aircraft and airships including hybrid aircraft utilizing distributed boundary layer control and propulsion means. Boundary layer control includes passive systems such as riblet films and boundary layer propulsion means includes a divided and... Agent: William D. Breneman, Esq. Breneman & Georges

20090200417 - High-altitude long-endurance airship: A high-altitude long-endurance airship with a top surface that is highly emissive of infrared radiation and a bottom surface that is highly absorptive of infrared radiation. Movable displacer blankets inside the airship separate the upper and lower portions of the airship. Lifting gas in the airship is warmed by radiation... Agent: Matthew P. Mitchell

20090200419 - Aircraft engine attachment device comprising two thrust-reaching link rods that fit together transversely: A mounting structure for an aircraft engine including a rigid structure and a mechanism to mount the engine on the rigid structure. The mounting mechanism includes a thrust load device including two side thrust links each including an aft end mounted on an evener bar of the device, via a... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20090200418 - Device for attaching an aircraft engine: A device for attaching an aircraft engine including a rigid structure forming a structure box, and a device for absorbing thrust loads including a main fitting fixedly mounted on one of the spars forming the structure box, by a fixing mechanism. The fixing mechanism includes a fixing peg mounted on... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20090200420 - Actuator arrangement: An actuator arrangement comprises a first screw shaft, a first nut cooperating with the first screw shaft such that rotation of the first screw shaft causes the first nut to translate thereon, a second screw shaft, a second nut cooperating with the second screw shaft such that rotation of the... Agent: Andrus, Sceales, Starke & Sawall, LLP

20090200421 - Efficient airport runway management system: The present invention relates to the introduction of inclined runways with a desirable and specified slope to considerably reduce aircraft landing time and also the runway length. The present invention also relates to the introduction of inclined or sloping runways to considerably reduce aircraft take-off time and airport runway length.... Agent: Vinayak Virkar

20090200422 - Class divider for aircraft cabin: A class divider for an aircraft passenger cabin is provided. The class divider includes a partition positioned immediately aft of a rear row of seats in a first predetermined class area of the aircraft cabin and an aft-facing panel having a width and height generally corresponding to a width and... Agent: Adams Intellectual Property Law, P.A.

20090200423 - Wing cover panel assembly and wing cover panel for an aircraft wing and a method of forming thereof: A wing cover panel assembly, wing cover and method of forming thereof are disclosed in which an attachment surface of the wing cover panel is provided with a locating channel into which a wing structural element such as a stringer or spar is captured so as to fix the wing... Agent: Lowe Hauptman Ham & Berner, LLP

20090200425 - Fitting: A fitting for joining a first component to a second component, the fitting comprising a composite part and a reinforcement element. The composite part is formed from a composite material and comprises: a base; an end wall meeting the base at a first corner; and a side wall meeting the... Agent: Nixon & Vanderhye, PC

20090200424 - Lateral force joint: A lateral force joint, with which a plate-like spar can be fastened to a fuselage strap mounted on an airplane fuselage. The plate-like spar has a through bore, into which a fastening cylinder mounted on the flange can be inserted for connecting both components. In order to allow for the... Agent: Lerner, David, Littenberg, Krumholz & Mentlik

20090200426 - Drogue deploying/retrieval device, system, and method: An in-flight refueling device includes an arm, ring and actuator. The arm has a proximate end and a distal end. The ring is secured to the distal end and is configured to releasably secure a drogue for a refueling hose. The actuator is secured to the proximate end and is... Agent: NovatechIPLaw

20090200427 - Control device for deployment of inflatable structures: The invention relates to a device for controlling the deployment of an inflatable structure including, in the non-deployed state, a flexible tube (12) which is folded in zigzags and fixed to one end of a plug (13) provided with a buoyant gas admission (15), the other end of the tube... Agent: Perman & Green

20090200428 - Control moment gyroscope: A control moment gyroscope (CMG) is provided for deployment on a spacecraft. The CMG includes an inner gimbal assembly (IGA), which, in turn, includes an IGA housing, a rotor rotatably coupled to the IGA housing, and a spin motor coupled to the IGA housing and configured to rotate the rotor... Agent: Honeywell International Inc. Patent Services

20090200429 - Fuel pickup with wicking material: A fuel pickup includes a fuel pickup tube having a plurality of holes for receiving fuel from inside a fuel container; and a wicking material enveloping at least one of the plurality of holes. Aircraft fuel systems including a fuel pickup comprising a wicking material are also disclosed.... Agent: Venable LLP

20090200430 - Intelligent multifunctional actuation system for vibration and buffet suppression: Circuits and methods for use on a mobile platform including a flight control system, a structure, an aerodynamic surface, and an actuator operatively coupled to the surface to control the surface. The circuit includes a first and a second input, a summing element, and an output. The first input accepts... Agent: Harness Dickey & Pierce, PLC

20090200431 - Aircraft wing tip having a variable incidence angle: An embodiment of an aircraft wing includes a main wing section and a variable incidence wing tip. The main wing section is adapted to connect to an aircraft fuselage at a first angle of incidence. The variable incidence wing tip is connected to the main wing section so that the... Agent: Tung & Associates / Randy W. Tung, Esq.

20090200416 - Boundary layer propulsion airship with related system and method: Systems, method, devices and apparatus are provided for reducing drag and increasing the flight efficiency characteristics of aircraft and airships including hybrid aircraft utilizing distributed boundary layer control and propulsion means. Boundary layer control includes passive systems such as riblet films and boundary layer propulsion means includes a divided and... Agent: William D. Breneman, Esq. Breneman & Georges

20090200417 - High-altitude long-endurance airship: A high-altitude long-endurance airship with a top surface that is highly emissive of infrared radiation and a bottom surface that is highly absorptive of infrared radiation. Movable displacer blankets inside the airship separate the upper and lower portions of the airship. Lifting gas in the airship is warmed by radiation... Agent: Matthew P. Mitchell

20090200419 - Aircraft engine attachment device comprising two thrust-reaching link rods that fit together transversely: A mounting structure for an aircraft engine including a rigid structure and a mechanism to mount the engine on the rigid structure. The mounting mechanism includes a thrust load device including two side thrust links each including an aft end mounted on an evener bar of the device, via a... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20090200418 - Device for attaching an aircraft engine: A device for attaching an aircraft engine including a rigid structure forming a structure box, and a device for absorbing thrust loads including a main fitting fixedly mounted on one of the spars forming the structure box, by a fixing mechanism. The fixing mechanism includes a fixing peg mounted on... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20090200420 - Actuator arrangement: An actuator arrangement comprises a first screw shaft, a first nut cooperating with the first screw shaft such that rotation of the first screw shaft causes the first nut to translate thereon, a second screw shaft, a second nut cooperating with the second screw shaft such that rotation of the... Agent: Andrus, Sceales, Starke & Sawall, LLP

20090200421 - Efficient airport runway management system: The present invention relates to the introduction of inclined runways with a desirable and specified slope to considerably reduce aircraft landing time and also the runway length. The present invention also relates to the introduction of inclined or sloping runways to considerably reduce aircraft take-off time and airport runway length.... Agent: Vinayak Virkar

20090200422 - Class divider for aircraft cabin: A class divider for an aircraft passenger cabin is provided. The class divider includes a partition positioned immediately aft of a rear row of seats in a first predetermined class area of the aircraft cabin and an aft-facing panel having a width and height generally corresponding to a width and... Agent: Adams Intellectual Property Law, P.A.

20090200423 - Wing cover panel assembly and wing cover panel for an aircraft wing and a method of forming thereof: A wing cover panel assembly, wing cover and method of forming thereof are disclosed in which an attachment surface of the wing cover panel is provided with a locating channel into which a wing structural element such as a stringer or spar is captured so as to fix the wing... Agent: Lowe Hauptman Ham & Berner, LLP

20090200425 - Fitting: A fitting for joining a first component to a second component, the fitting comprising a composite part and a reinforcement element. The composite part is formed from a composite material and comprises: a base; an end wall meeting the base at a first corner; and a side wall meeting the... Agent: Nixon & Vanderhye, PC

20090200424 - Lateral force joint: A lateral force joint, with which a plate-like spar can be fastened to a fuselage strap mounted on an airplane fuselage. The plate-like spar has a through bore, into which a fastening cylinder mounted on the flange can be inserted for connecting both components. In order to allow for the... Agent: Lerner, David, Littenberg, Krumholz & Mentlik

20090200426 - Drogue deploying/retrieval device, system, and method: An in-flight refueling device includes an arm, ring and actuator. The arm has a proximate end and a distal end. The ring is secured to the distal end and is configured to releasably secure a drogue for a refueling hose. The actuator is secured to the proximate end and is... Agent: NovatechIPLaw

20090200427 - Control device for deployment of inflatable structures: The invention relates to a device for controlling the deployment of an inflatable structure including, in the non-deployed state, a flexible tube (12) which is folded in zigzags and fixed to one end of a plug (13) provided with a buoyant gas admission (15), the other end of the tube... Agent: Perman & Green

20090200428 - Control moment gyroscope: A control moment gyroscope (CMG) is provided for deployment on a spacecraft. The CMG includes an inner gimbal assembly (IGA), which, in turn, includes an IGA housing, a rotor rotatably coupled to the IGA housing, and a spin motor coupled to the IGA housing and configured to rotate the rotor... Agent: Honeywell International Inc. Patent Services

20090200429 - Fuel pickup with wicking material: A fuel pickup includes a fuel pickup tube having a plurality of holes for receiving fuel from inside a fuel container; and a wicking material enveloping at least one of the plurality of holes. Aircraft fuel systems including a fuel pickup comprising a wicking material are also disclosed.... Agent: Venable LLP

20090200430 - Intelligent multifunctional actuation system for vibration and buffet suppression: Circuits and methods for use on a mobile platform including a flight control system, a structure, an aerodynamic surface, and an actuator operatively coupled to the surface to control the surface. The circuit includes a first and a second input, a summing element, and an output. The first input accepts... Agent: Harness Dickey & Pierce, PLC

20090200431 - Aircraft wing tip having a variable incidence angle: An embodiment of an aircraft wing includes a main wing section and a variable incidence wing tip. The main wing section is adapted to connect to an aircraft fuselage at a first angle of incidence. The variable incidence wing tip is connected to the main wing section so that the... Agent: Tung & Associates / Randy W. Tung, Esq.

20090194634 - Unmanned vehicle having a camouflage apparatus: An unmanned vehicle has a camouflage apparatus which simulates a characteristic of an animal. This allows effective camouflage to be achieved despite the unmanned vehicle being clearly visible.... Agent: Lerner Greenberg Stemer LLP

20090194632 - Methods and apparatus for transferring a fluid: Methods and apparatus for a missile having an external system operate in conjunction with an airframe and a fluid transfer system. The airframe includes an interior surface defining a substantially enclosed internal chamber. The fluid transfer system selectively connects the internal chamber to the external system, for example to provide... Agent: The Noblitt Group, PLLC

20090194633 - Icing protection for aircraft air inlet scoops: Aircraft air scoop icing protection systems and methods include an air duct having air inlet and outlet openings and a fairing which covers the air duct and defines an interior fairing space in which at least a forward portion of the air duct is positioned. The fairing has a forward... Agent: Nixon & Vanderhye, PC

20090194635 - Overhead bin for use on both sides in an aircraft: An overhead bin for use on both sides in a passenger cabin of an aircraft, includes a first baggage compartment and a second baggage compartment, a first opening and a second opening for loading items into the first baggage compartment and into the second baggage compartment, and a partition for... Agent: Lerner, David, Littenberg, Krumholz & Mentlik

20090194636 - Stringer for an aircraft wing and a method of forming thereof: The present invention relates to a stringer for an aircraft wing and a method of forming such a stringer in which the stringer is formed from a single piece of material and then machined to optimise the dimensions and weight of the stringer.... Agent: Lowe Hauptman Ham & Berner, LLP

20090194637 - Aircraft door: A cabin door assembly is provided for use with a pressurized aircraft. The assembly includes two door halves for engaging the fuselage of the aircraft. Structurally, each door half includes a waist section integral with an adjoining tapered section. Further, the assembly includes an activator that is mounted on the... Agent: Nydegger & Associates

20090194638 - Frangible fasteners and associated systems and methods: Frangible fasteners and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, for example, an unmanned aircraft can include a fuselage portion, a wing portion, and a winglet carried by the wing portion. The aircraft can also include at least one frangible fastener coupling the winglet to the wing... Agent: Perkins Coie LLP Patent-sea

20090194639 - Spacecraft and method for operating the spacecraft: The present invention relates to a spacecraft (P) comprising a propulsion system (1) making it possible to exert a force of variable magnitude and orientation on the spacecraft, a control system designed to control the propulsion system in terms of magnitude and orientation so as to make the spacecraft approach... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20090194640 - Apparatus system and method for drag reduction: An apparatus, method and system for combining aerodynamic design with engine power to increase synergy between the two and increase climb performance, engine-out performance, and fuel efficiency for a variety of aircraft or the like.... Agent: Olds, Maier & Richardson

20090194641 - Exterior mechanical interlock for a linear actuator: A locking mechanism, which permits fixation to a piston rod of a linear actuator relatively to a cylinder of the actuator, as well as a linear actuator equipped with such a locking mechanism as well as to an aircraft with at least one linear activator that is equipped with the... Agent: Lerner, David, Littenberg, Krumholz & Mentlik