Compact aircraft main landing gear module allowing modular installation

Abstract

A compact aircraft main landing gear module allowing modular installation. The module (1) comprises two main landing gears (2), and a landing gear bay (3) housing the landing gears (2). The bay (3) has two side walls (40), a top wall (41), a front wall (42) and a rear wall (43). The top wall (41), the front wall (42) and the rear wall (43) together form a pressurized barrier between the bay (3) and a pressurized chamber. With the landing gear module (1), it is now possible to assemble and test the main landing gears (2), one or more bay doors, and a fairing before they are installed to the aircraft.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aircraft fuselage components. In particular, this invention relates to a landing gear module. Background Technology

[0002] The function of the landing gear bay is to store one or more landing gears of an aircraft. The main landing gear bay typically comprises at least three parts: a top wall, two side walls, and a rear wall. The top and rear walls form a pressurization barrier. In document FR 2 998 868, the forward wall of this bay is provided by the rear wall of the central wing box to which the aircraft's wings are secured. The top wall, which joins the two side walls, has diaphragms and a frame to perform its pressurization barrier function and to account for possible offset from the central wing box. The side walls have flat plates or diaphragms between the fuselage skin and the first frame to ensure overall rigidity of the fuselage during lateral bending. The rear wall has reinforcing plates and vertical spars made of composite or metallic materials.

[0003] This type of landing gear bay is dependent on the center wing housing. The landing gear itself is typically mounted on the wing. Therefore, it is necessary to attach the bay to both the center wing housing and the wing itself to allow the landing gear to be operated or tested during the final stages of aircraft assembly. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome these drawbacks by proposing a compact landing gear module that allows for modular installation.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention relates to an aircraft main landing gear module, which includes at least:

[0006] - The two main landing gears, known as the landing gear, are configured to deploy or retract alternately or simultaneously.

[0007] - A landing gear bay that houses the landing gear.

[0008] According to the present invention, the landing gear bay has at least the following features:

[0009] - Two side walls;

[0010] -Top wall,

[0011] - Anterior wall and

[0012] -Rear wall;

[0013] The top wall, the front wall, and the rear wall are configured together to form a pressurization barrier between the cabin and the pressurized chamber.

[0014] Therefore, with this invention, it is no longer necessary to attach the landing gear bay to the center wing housing to allow for the operation and testing of the landing gear after final aircraft assembly. Thus, the landing gear, one or more doors, and the rectifier can be assembled and tested before being installed on the aircraft. In particular, the bay has a forward wall that allows for a complete module independent of the center wing housing. This results in a module that allows for modular assembly of the bay.

[0015] Furthermore, the module includes at least one hatch configured to close the cabin when the landing gear is deployed or retracted.

[0016] In addition, the module includes a system for controlling the landing gear configured to deploy or retract the landing gear.

[0017] Furthermore, the module includes a belly rectifier surrounding the cabin.

[0018] The aircraft also involves a central fuselage section.

[0019] According to the present invention, the central portion, in order from the front to the rear of the aircraft, includes at least:

[0020] -The forward section of the central fuselage

[0021] - Central wing housing, which includes at least a front wall, a rear wall, and a top wall that together form a pressurization barrier.

[0022] - The central section of the central fuselage portion, the central section including an intermediate wall forming a pressurization barrier, the intermediate wall including a front end and a rear end, the front end being connected to the edge of the rear wall of the central wing box.

[0023] -As described above, in the landing gear module, the rear end of the intermediate wall is connected to the edge of the front wall of the landing gear bay.

[0024] - The rear section of the central fuselage.

[0025] The central section also includes a keel beam, to which the front section, the central wing box, the central section, and the landing gear module are fastened.

[0026] Furthermore, the central section includes the aircraft's air conditioning and pressurization systems.

[0027] In addition, the central section includes a hydraulic system.

[0028] Furthermore, this central section includes a fuel management system.

[0029] The present invention also relates to a fuselage comprising a central fuselage portion as described above.

[0030] The present invention also relates to an aircraft, particularly a transport aircraft, having a fuselage as described above. Attached Figure Description

[0031] The invention, its features and advantages will become clearer from the description provided with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0032] Figure 1 A perspective view of the landing gear module is shown.

[0033] Figure 2 An exploded perspective view of the central fuselage section, including the landing gear module, is shown.

[0034] Figure 3 The longitudinal section of the central fuselage is shown schematically.

[0035] Figure 4 The diagram shows an outline view of the aircraft, including the central fuselage section where the landing gear modules are located. Detailed Implementation

[0036] Figure 1 The image shows landing gear module 1. This landing gear module 1 can be modularly installed onto the aircraft AC (Aircraft Control Unit). Figure 4 )superior.

[0037] As an aid to the description, Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 Arrow L1 is shown, indicating the direction defined as "forward" (pointing along the longitudinal axis L of the aircraft AC), that is, pointing forward of the aircraft AC along its flight (or motion) direction. The direction opposite to arrow L1 is defined as "rearward".

[0038] The main landing gear module 1 of the aircraft AC includes at least two main landing gears 2 (referred to as “landing gears” in the remainder of this specification) configured to deploy or retract simultaneously or alternately, and a landing gear bay 3 for accommodating the landing gears 2.

[0039] Cabin 3 has at least two side walls 40, a top wall 41, a front wall 42, and a rear wall 43. Cabin 3 therefore has an overall parallelepiped shape.

[0040] The top wall 41, front wall 42, and rear wall 43 together form a pressure barrier with a pressure chamber 12. Figure 3 (Shown in dashed lines). Pressurized chamber 12 corresponds, for example, to the passenger cabin or pressurized cargo hold of aircraft AC.

[0041] The top wall 41 extends along the longitudinal axis L between the front wall 42 and the rear wall 43, and extends in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L between one side wall 40 and another side wall 40.

[0042] The forward bulkhead 42 of the cabin extends between the top bulkhead 41 and the edge 44.

[0043] The landing gear module may also include at least one hatch (not shown) configured to alternately close the hatch 3 when the landing gear 2 is retracted or deployed and to open the hatch 3 during the deployment or retraction of the landing gear 2 when necessary. Through the hatch for closing / opening the hatch 3, the top wall 41, front wall 42, rear wall 43, and side wall 40 form a closed and independent assembly. In the illustrated embodiment, this assembly is a closed parallelepiped box. It is opened only through the hatch for the deployment / retraction of the landing gear.

[0044] Because it forms a box including its own walls, it constitutes an independent module that can be tested independently of the central wing box.

[0045] The landing gear module 1 may also include a system (not shown) for controlling the landing gear, which is configured to deploy or retract the landing gear 2.

[0046] Furthermore, the landing gear module 1 may include a belly rectifier 71 surrounding the cabin 3.

[0047] The present invention also relates to the central fuselage portion 11 of an aircraft AC.

[0048] Along the longitudinal axis L, direction L1( Figure 2 From the front to the rear of the aircraft AC, the central fuselage section 11 includes at least:

[0049] -The front section 7 of the central fuselage 11

[0050] - Central wing box 8, which includes at least a front wall 81, a rear wall 82, and a top wall 83 that together form a pressure barrier.

[0051] - The central section 9 of the central fuselage 11, which includes an intermediate wall 91 forming a pressure barrier.

[0052] -Landing gear module 1 and

[0053] - The rear section 10 of the central fuselage 11.

[0054] A study of the diagram clearly shows that Module 1 is actually independent of the central wing box.

[0055] The central fuselage section 11 also includes a keel beam (not shown). Advantageously, the forward section 7, central wing box 8, central section 9, landing gear module 1, and aft section 10 are fastened to the keel beam. The keel beam also allows the central fuselage section 11 to be fastened to the rest of the aircraft's AC fuselage.

[0056] Figure 3 A longitudinal section of an example of the central fuselage section 11 is shown.

[0057] The intermediate wall 91 includes a front end 92 and a rear end 93. The front end 92 is connected to the edge 84 of the rear wall 82 of the central wing box 8. In addition, the rear end 93 of the intermediate wall 91 is connected to the edge 44 of the front wall 42 of the cabin 3.

[0058] Advantageously, the front end 92 and the edge 84 are connected to each other by angle brackets. Similarly, the rear end 93 and the edge 44 of the intermediate wall 91 are connected to each other by angle brackets.

[0059] Figure 3 The longitudinal section shown illustrates the cabin floor 15 of the aircraft AC and the pressurization barrier ( Figure 3 (shown in dashed lines), the pressurized barrier is formed by walls 41, 42 and 43 of landing gear module 1, walls 81, 82 and 83 of central wing box 8 and intermediate wall 91.

[0060] like Figure 3 As shown, the central fuselage section, as described above, allows for the integration of multiple useful systems on the aircraft AC.

[0061] Therefore, the central fuselage section 11 may include an air conditioning and pressurization system 13 for the aircraft AC. This air conditioning and pressurization system 13 is used, for example, to air-condition and pressurize the pressurized chamber 12. This system 13 is located in the non-pressurized area.

[0062] The central fuselage section 11 may also include a hydraulic system 6. This hydraulic system 6 can be used to operate actuators on the aircraft AC, such as actuators that deploy or retract the landing gear 2.

[0063] The central fuselage section may also include a fuel management system 14. This system 14 may be mounted on the intermediate wall 91 abutting against the rear wall 82 of the central wing box 8.

[0064] The central fuselage section may also include a water reservoir 16, which, for example, is located on the intermediate wall 91 along the forward wall 42 of the abutment compartment 3.

[0065] Furthermore, the central fuselage section may include a main central warning panel unit (MCU) 17, which may be mounted on the floor 15 above cabin 3.

Claims

1. An aircraft main landing gear module comprising at least: - two main landing gears (2), called landing gears, configured to be deployed or retracted alternately or simultaneously, - a landing gear bay (3) housing the main landing gears (2); characterized in that the landing gear bay (3) has at least: - two side walls (40), - a top wall (41), - a front wall (42), and - a rear wall (43); the top wall (41), the front wall (42), and the rear wall (43) being configured to form together a pressurized barrier between the landing gear bay (3) and a pressurized chamber (12); the two side walls, top wall, front wall, and rear wall being configured so that the landing gear bay forms a complete module independent of a central wing box of the aircraft, thus enabling the aircraft main landing gear module to be installed to the aircraft in a modular manner.

2. An aircraft main landing gear module according to claim 1, characterised in that, the aircraft main landing gear module further comprising at least one bay door configured to close the landing gear bay (3) when the main landing gears (2) are retracted or deployed.

3. Aircraft main landing gear module according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that, the aircraft main landing gear module further comprising a system for controlling the main landing gears, the system being configured to deploy or retract the main landing gears (2).

4. An aircraft main landing gear module according to one of claims 1 to 2, characterised in that, the aircraft main landing gear module comprising an underbelly fairing (71) surrounding the landing gear bay (3).

5. The aircraft main landing gear module of Claim 2, wherein, the side walls (40), the top wall (41), the front wall (42), the rear wall (43), and the at least one bay door for closing the landing gear bay form a closed box.

6. An aircraft central fuselage section, characterized by in order from a front to a rear of the aircraft (AC), the aircraft central fuselage portion comprises at least: - a front section (7) of the aircraft central fuselage portion (11), - a central wing box (8) comprising at least a front wall (81), a rear wall (82), and a top wall (83) forming together a pressurized barrier, - a central section (9) of the aircraft central fuselage portion (11) comprising an intermediate wall (91) forming a pressurized barrier, the intermediate wall (91) comprising a front end (92) and a rear end (93), the front end (92) being connected to an edge (84) of the rear wall (82) of the central wing box (8), - the aircraft main landing gear module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the rear end (93) of the intermediate wall (91) being connected to an edge (44) of the front wall (42) of the landing gear bay (3), - a rear section (10) of the aircraft central fuselage portion (11); and wherein the aircraft central fuselage portion further comprises a keel beam to which the front section (7), the central wing box (8), the central section (9), and the aircraft main landing gear module (1) are fastened.

7. The aircraft center fuselage section of Claim 6, wherein, the aircraft central fuselage portion comprises an air conditioning and pressurization system (13) of the aircraft (AC).

8. The aircraft fuselage section according to one of claims 6 and 7, characterized in that it comprises a hydraulic system (6).

9. The aircraft center fuselage section as defined in one of claims 6 to 7, characterized by it comprises a fuel management system (14).

10. An aircraft fuselage, characterized by the aircraft fuselage comprises the aircraft central fuselage portion (11) according to any one of claims 6 to 9.

11. An aircraft, characterized in that The aircraft has an aircraft fuselage (F) according to claim 10.

Images