Apparatus and method for aircraft with transonic truss-supported wings

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for an aircraft with transonic truss-supported wings are disclosed herein. An example aircraft disclosed herein includes a fuselage and a wing supported by a truss. The truss includes: a pylon coupled to and extending from the fuselage; and a strut attached to the wing. An engine is coupled to the pylon.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to aircraft, and more particularly, to apparatus and methods for transonic truss-braced wing aircraft. Background Art

[0002] The challenge for transonic aircraft is to control the airflow and drag over the wing as air speed approaches the speed of sound. Transonic aircraft wings are carefully designed to control airflow, but many wing designs are limited by structural requirements, engine placement, and control surface requirements. Some transonic aircraft designs have trusses that support the wing, thereby reducing the loads on the wing structure and reducing the size of the structure used to support these loads. Many transonic truss-braced wing aircraft take advantage of these reduced structural requirements to make the wingspan longer and the chord of the wing shorter, thereby improving the wing's performance at transonic speeds. Summary of the invention

[0003] An exemplary aircraft is disclosed herein, including a fuselage and a wing supported by a truss. The truss includes a pylon coupled to and extending from the fuselage, and a strut attached to the wing. An engine is coupled to the pylon.

[0004] An exemplary truss is disclosed herein for supporting a wing of an aircraft, comprising: a strut coupled to the wing; a pylon coupled to the strut and also coupled to the aircraft. The pylon is for receiving an engine.

[0005] An exemplary method of attaching an engine to an aircraft is disclosed herein, comprising: coupling a truss to a wing. The truss includes a pylon and a strut coupled to the wing. The exemplary method also includes: coupling the pylon to a fuselage of the aircraft; and coupling an engine nacelle to the pylon of the truss. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Figure 1 A partial top view of an exemplary aircraft having an exemplary swept wing and an exemplary truss supporting the wing is shown, in which the exemplary apparatus and methods disclosed herein may be implemented.

[0007] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 A side view of an exemplary aircraft in FIG. 1 with an exemplary landing gear in an exemplary deployed position.

[0008] FIG. 3A to FIG. 3B Shows Figure 1 A partial front view of an exemplary aircraft in which an exemplary engine is coupled to an exemplary pylon of an exemplary truss at an exemplary angle.

[0009] Figure 4 Shows Figure 1 A partial top view of an exemplary aircraft in which an exemplary air intake of an exemplary engine is located forward of a rear edge of an exemplary pylon.

[0010] Figure 5 A partial top view of another example aircraft having an example forward-swept wing including an example engine coupled to an example pylon of an example truss is shown.

[0011] Fig. 6A Shows Figure 5 A side view of an exemplary aircraft in FIG. 1 with an exemplary landing gear in an exemplary deployed position.

[0012] Figure 6B Shows Figure 5 0014] A side view of an exemplary aircraft in which an exemplary landing gear is in an exemplary deployed position and an exemplary engine is coupled to a top side of an exemplary pylon of an exemplary truss without an engine strut.

[0013] FIG. 7A to FIG. 7B Shows FIG. 6A to FIG. 6B A partial front view of an exemplary aircraft in FIG.

[0014] Figure 8 Shows Figure 5 A partial top view of an exemplary aircraft in which an exemplary exhaust outlet of an exemplary engine is located behind a forward edge of an exemplary pylon.

[0015] Fig. 9A A cross section of an exemplary mounting device attached to an exemplary pylon of an exemplary truss of an exemplary aircraft is shown.

[0016] Fig. 9B yes Fig. 9A Front view of an exemplary mounting arrangement in FIG.

[0017] Fig. 9C An example angled engine strut is shown attached to an example mounting arrangement of an example pylon.

[0018] Fig.10 An exemplary engine strut coupled to FIG. 9A to FIG. 9B An exemplary engine nacelle of an exemplary pylon in FIG.

[0019] Fig.11 is a flow chart representing an exemplary method for attaching an exemplary engine nacelle to an exemplary aircraft.

[0020] In general, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings and the entire written description attached hereto to denote the same or similar parts. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Instead, the thickness of a layer or region may be exaggerated in the drawings. Although the drawings show layers and regions with clean lines and borderlines, some or all of these lines and / or borderlines may be idealized. In reality, borderlines and / or lines may be invisible, mixed and / or irregular.

[0021] As used herein, unless otherwise specified, the term "above" describes the relationship of two components relative to the ground. A first component is above a second component if at least a portion of the second component is between the ground and the first component. Similarly, as used herein, a first component is "below" a second component when the first component is closer to the ground than the second component. As mentioned above, a first component can be above or below a second component, including one or more of the following situations: there are other components between the first component and the second component; there are no other components between the first component and the second component; the first component and the second component are in contact; and the first component and the second component are not in direct contact with each other.

[0022] As used in this patent, stating that any component (e.g., layer, film, region, area, or plate) is in any way located on another component (e.g., positioned on another component, located on another component, arranged on another component, or formed on another component, etc.) means that the referenced component is in contact with the other component, or that the referenced component is located above the other component with one or more intermediate components present between them.

[0023] As used herein, unless otherwise indicated, connection references (e.g., attachment, coupling, connection, and engagement) may include intermediate members between the multiple elements referenced by the connection reference and / or relative movement between these elements. Therefore, connection references do not necessarily imply that two elements are directly connected and / or have a fixed relationship to each other. As used herein, stating that any component "contacts" another component is defined to mean that there are no intermediate components between the two components.

[0024] Unless otherwise specifically stated, descriptors such as "first," "second," "third," and the like used herein do not represent or otherwise indicate any of the following meanings: priority, physical order, arrangement in a list, and / or ordering in any manner, but are merely used as labels and / or arbitrary names to distinguish between various elements to facilitate understanding of the disclosed examples. In some examples, the descriptor "first" may be used in the detailed description to refer to an element, while a different descriptor such as "second" or "third" may be used in the claims to refer to the same element. In such cases, it should be understood that such descriptors are only used to clearly identify those elements in the context of the discussion (e.g., in the claims), where these elements may, for example, share the same name in other cases.

[0025] As used herein, "approximately" and "about" modify their subject / values ​​to recognize variations that may occur in actual applications. For example, "approximately" and "about" may modify dimensions that may not be exact due to manufacturing tolerances and / or other practical imperfections, as will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. For example, unless otherwise specified in the following description, "approximately" and "about" may indicate that these dimensions may be within a tolerance range of +10% to -10%. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Many transonic aircraft utilize cantilever wings (e.g., unsupported wings) as the primary lift device for the aircraft. The cantilever wing must be sized and designed to withstand the aircraft's operating loads in flight (e.g., wing weight, aircraft weight, lift, engine thrust, etc.), such that the cross-sectional area and associated chord length are minimized. As a result, the wing's aerodynamic performance (e.g., lift-to-drag ratio, aspect ratio, etc.) is limited by the self-supporting nature of the cantilever wing.

[0027] Truss-braced wings overcome the limitations of cantilever wings by adding structure (e.g., truss struts) to reduce the working loads on the wing. Lower working loads require smaller structures to support these loads, which allows truss-braced wings to be designed with smaller cross-sectional areas and shorter chord lengths. In some cases, the working loads are reduced significantly enough to allow the wingspan to be increased. Longer wingspans and shorter chord lengths improve the performance of truss-braced wings. However, the aspect ratio of truss-braced wings is still limited by the space required for control surfaces, engines, and components that support wing operations. For example, aircraft engines are mounted to the wing (e.g., the bottom surface of the wing) via a pylon. The chord is sized (e.g., with sufficient length and / or strength) to accommodate the pylon structure that attaches the engine to the wing.

[0028] The engines of the aircraft of the exemplary truss-supported wing disclosed herein are located on the pylons of the truss (e.g., opposite to the wing). This is more advantageous than the known truss-supported wing aircraft because the wing no longer needs to accommodate the engine, engine pylons, fuel lines, and other support structures / devices for the engine and / or pylons. In addition, since the engine system is no longer accommodated, the chord of the exemplary truss-supported wing can be made shorter, which allows the aerodynamic design of the wing to be further optimized. The smaller wing size and lower working load further simplify the main accessories that connect the wing to the fuselage. In addition, removing the engine from the wing allows some exemplary truss-supported wings to improve high-lift performance using more continuous span loads and / or uninterrupted high-lift systems. In some exemplary truss-supported wing aircraft, when compared with known aircraft, the engine mounted on the pylon of the truss is positioned closer to the center of gravity of the aircraft, which advantageously arranges the engine thrust closer to the center of gravity and reduces the associated trim drag on the aircraft and / or improves aircraft efficiency.

[0029] Figure 1 A partial top view of an exemplary aircraft 100 is shown having an exemplary swept wing 102 and an exemplary truss 104 supporting the wing 102, in which exemplary apparatus and methods may be implemented according to the teachings of the present disclosure. The wing 102 of the aircraft 100 is supported by the truss 104, which is coupled to the wing 102 and an exemplary fuselage 106. The wing 102 and the truss 104 are shown in exemplary geometries, but other exemplary truss-supported wings may have different geometries, mounting locations, and / or mounting angles relative to the fuselage 106. Figure 1 The trusses 104 in the figure provide a load path between the fuselage 106 and the wings 102. Therefore, the loads borne by the wings 102 (e.g., the weight of the wing, the weight of the control surfaces, lift, drag, etc.) are shared between the wings 102 and the trusses 104. Known cantilever wings on known aircraft must support all of the loads borne by the cantilever wing structure itself. The larger the loads on the wing (e.g., larger engines, more cargo, more severe flight conditions) the larger the structure is required to support the loads. In the case of known cantilever wings, this increase in structural size means that the chord length of these wings is longer and the performance is correspondingly reduced due to the increased drag on the wing. When compared to known cantilever wings, Figure 1 The exemplary truss-braced wing 102 in FIG. 1 is subjected to lower loads, which allows the wing 102 to have a smaller structure and a shorter chord length, thereby improving performance.

[0030] The exemplary engine 108 is coupled to the truss 104 via an exemplary engine strut 110. The engine strut 110 is coupled to the truss 104 and extends behind the truss 104 to position the engine 108 behind the truss 104. The engine 108 is supported by the truss 104, which reduces the engine load (e.g., engine weight, thrust load) on the wing 102. In other words, the engine 108 in the illustrated example is not coupled to the wing 102. Instead, the engine 108 is coupled to (e.g., directly attached to and / or supported by) the truss 104 (e.g., Figure 3A pylon 300 in the truss 104). By moving the engine 108 to the truss 104, the loads of the exemplary truss-supported wing 102 of the aircraft 100 are significantly reduced, thereby enabling further optimization of the wing 102. Since the wing 102 no longer needs to support the entire load of the engine 108, the chord length of the wing 102 can be further reduced, and the span of the wing 102 can be increased. In addition, the wing 102 is no longer limited by the space required to carry all engine support systems (e.g., engine pylons, fuel lines, engine control systems) in the wing 102. The control surfaces of the wing 102 (e.g., flaps, ailerons, etc.) also benefit from the engine 108 supported by the truss 104 because the control surfaces can operate without aerodynamic interference from the engine 108 or its supporting structure. This benefit can be particularly advantageous for high lift performance because the wing 102 has more continuous span loading (e.g., lift) and uninterrupted high lift systems (e.g., flaps).

[0031] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 100, wherein the exemplary landing gear 200 is in an exemplary deployed position. In the stowed or retracted position, the landing gear 200 in this example is housed within the truss 104, and more specifically, within the truss's pylons ( Figure 3A and Figure 3B Truss 104 provides structure for supporting landing gear 200 and for containing landing gear 200 when stowed, which allows space within fuselage 106 to be used for other purposes (eg, to contain cargo).

[0032] By mounting to the exemplary truss 104, Figure 2 The exemplary engines 108 in the embodiment may be positioned (e.g., at different locations fore and aft) to better balance the weight of the aircraft 100. As a result, the aircraft 100 may require less trimming of control surfaces (e.g., stabilizers, elevators) to maintain level flight, thereby reducing associated trim drag and / or further improving the performance of the aircraft 100.

[0033] FIG. 3A to FIG. 3B Shows Figure 11 is a partial front view of the exemplary aircraft 100 in which the exemplary engine 108 is coupled to the exemplary pylon 300 of the exemplary truss 104 at exemplary angles 302 and 304 relative to the pylon 300 . Figure 3A The engine 108 is shown coupled to the pylon 300 at a first exemplary angle 302 . Figure 3B The engine 108 is shown coupled to the pylon 300 at a second exemplary angle 304 that is different than the first exemplary angle 302 .

[0034] Pylon 300 extends from exemplary fuselage 106 to support engine 108 and landing gear 200 ( Figure 2 )(exist FIG. 3A to FIG. 3B 106 and 108). In other words, each pylon 300 houses a landing gear of the aircraft 100. In the example shown, the pylon 300 extends horizontally and / or vertically from the fuselage 106. The pylon 300 has an aerodynamic surface 306 (e.g., an airfoil shape) that can be used to reduce drag, provide secondary lift, adjust airflow into the engine 108, and / or any other beneficial aerodynamic function.

[0035] The exemplary engine strut 110 couples (eg, attaches) the pylon 300 and the engine 108 . Figure 3A The exemplary engine strut 110 in FIG. 1 is located on or near the outboard end of the pylon 300 . In other words, Figure 3A The engine strut 110 in FIG. 1 is located within the boundary of the pylon 300 (eg, the vertical plane at the outermost edge). Figure 3B , the exemplary pylon 300 extends beyond the exemplary engine strut 308. In other words, the exemplary engine strut 308 is located inboard of an outboard end (e.g., an outermost edge) of the pylon 300 (e.g., a boundary or vertical plane at the outermost edge of the pylon 300). Thus, the engine 108 in the illustrated example is directly coupled to the pylon 300 via the engine strut 308. In other words, the engine 108 is not coupled to (e.g., not directly attached to) the wing 102. For example, the engine 108 is directly attached to the pylon 300 via the engine strut 110. In other examples, the engine struts (e.g., engine strut 110, engine strut 308) may be coupled at any location along the pylon 300 (e.g., the longitudinal length of the pylon). Figure 3A The exemplary engine strut 110 in FIG. 3 is coupled at a first exemplary angle 302 (eg, perpendicular to a centerline of the pylon 300 ). Figure 3BThe exemplary engine strut 308 in FIG. 1 is coupled at a second exemplary angle 304 (e.g., approximately 10 to 15 degrees from perpendicular to the centerline of the pylon 300). The second angle 304 of the engine strut 308 positions the engine 108 further away from the fuselage 106 without extending the length of the pylon 300. Increasing the distance between the engine 108 and the fuselage 106 helps reduce the transmission of noise and / or vibration from the engine 108 to the fuselage 106, which provides a more comfortable experience for passengers in the aircraft 100. Other exemplary engine struts 110, 308 may be installed at different angles (e.g., 5 degrees, 20 degrees, asymmetric angles, etc.).

[0036] On the opposite side of the fuselage 106, the pylon 300 is coupled to an exemplary strut 310 (e.g., a bracket or support structure). In the illustrated example, the pylon 300 is located below the wing 102. For example, the pylon 300 is vertically spaced a distance from the lower surface of the wing 102 (e.g., the distance is greater than the diameter of the engine 108). The pylon 300 is coupled to the wing 102 (e.g., the lower surface of the wing) via the strut 310. In other words, the outboard end of the pylon 300 is coupled to the strut 310. The strut 310 is further coupled to the wing 102. Thus, a first end of the pylon 300 is coupled to the fuselage 106 and a second end of the pylon 300 opposite the first end is coupled to the truss 104 and / or the strut 310. The first end of the truss 104 and / or the strut 310 is coupled to the second end of the pylon 300, and the second end of the truss 104 and / or the strut 310 opposite the first end is coupled to the wing 102. Figure 3A and Figure 3B The struts 310 are shown coupled to the outboard ends of the pylons 300. In other examples, the struts 310 may be coupled at any location along the pylons 300. For example, the first end of the struts 310 may be coupled to the pylons 300 at a location between the first end of the pylons 300 and the second end of the pylons 300 (e.g., inboard of the outermost or outboard edge of the pylons 300). The struts 310 and pylons 300 in the illustrated example form the exemplary truss 104. In other examples, the truss 104 may have additional support components (e.g., struts, pylons, emergency struts). In some examples, the truss 104 may include struts 310 and pylons 300 having alternative relative lengths and / or orientations. The size and / or orientation of the truss 104 may be varied to meet the performance requirements of the exemplary wing 102.

[0037] Figure 4 Shows Figure 1, wherein an exemplary air intake 400 of an exemplary engine 402 is located forward of a rear edge 404 (e.g., a trailing edge) of an exemplary pylon 300. The engine 402 is coupled to the pylon 300 using an exemplary engine strut 406. The engine strut 406 has an exemplary length and in an exemplary position on the pylon 300, but the exact length and position may vary to suit the needs of the application. For example, the engine strut 406 is coupled to the structure of the pylon 300 and may be configured to extend between a front edge 403 (e.g., a leading edge) of the pylon 300 and a rear edge 404 of the pylon 300. In some examples, the engine strut 406 extends between the front edge 403 and an area located approximately midway between the front edge 403 and the rear edge 404 of the pylon 300. The engine 402 is shown as being located forward of the rear edge 404 at an exemplary position to adjust the balance of the aircraft 100 and / or to adjust or improve the airflow into the air intake 400 of the engine 402. Another exemplary engine may have a different exemplary location to better accommodate the center of mass of the aircraft 100, the thrust characteristics of the aircraft, and / or the aerodynamic characteristics of the wing 102 and truss 104. Exemplary locations of the engine 402 may include a location with the air intake 400 located forward of the pylon 300 (e.g., forward of the leading edge or front edge 403), any intermediate location between rearward of the pylon 300 and forward of the rear edge 404 of the pylon 300, and / or any other location.

[0038] Figure 5A partial top view of another exemplary aircraft 500 disclosed herein having an exemplary forward swept wing 502 is shown. The exemplary aircraft 500 in the illustrated example includes an exemplary engine 504 coupled to an exemplary pylon 506 of an exemplary truss 508. An exemplary engine strut 510 supports the engine 504 and couples the engine 504 and the pylon 506. The engine 504 is located forward of the truss 508. For example, at least a portion of the engine 504 is located forward of a front edge 509 (e.g., leading edge) of the pylon 506. In this configuration, the engine 504 benefits from an intake airflow that is not interfered with by any other structure of the aircraft 500 (e.g., wing 502, truss 508, etc.). In other words, the air intake of the engine 504 is located forward of a front edge 509 (e.g., leading edge) of the truss 508 and / or forward of a front edge 511 (e.g., leading edge) of a portion 513 of the wing 502 located near the mounting location of the engine 504. In addition, the forward swept wing 502 provides greater lift when compared to the exemplary swept wing, which may be advantageous for some exemplary aircraft. The wing 502 is coupled to the truss 508 and the fuselage 512 of the aircraft 500. The truss 508 is coupled to the fuselage 512 via the inboard portion of the pylon 506. The aircraft 500 benefits from the truss-braced wing design of the wing 502, which enables a shorter chord length and a longer wingspan, and enables the associated performance benefits as described herein with respect to the exemplary aircraft 100.

[0039] Fig. 6A Shows Figure 5 500, wherein exemplary landing gear 600 is in an exemplary deployed position. Landing gear 600 is housed in pylon 506 in a stowed or retracted position, which allows space in fuselage 512 to be used for other purposes. By mounting to exemplary trusses 508, exemplary engines 504 may be positioned (e.g., at different locations fore and aft) to better balance the weight of aircraft 500. As a result, aircraft 500 requires less trim from control surfaces (e.g., stabilizers, elevators) to maintain level flight, thereby reducing associated trim drag and further improving performance of aircraft 500.

[0040] Figure 6B Shows Figure 5 5 , wherein exemplary landing gear 600 is in a deployed position and exemplary engine 602 is coupled to the top side of exemplary pylon 506 of exemplary truss 508 without an engine strut. Pylon 506 may have an aerodynamic surface and flaps 604 coupled to the trailing edge of pylon 506. Engine 602 coupled in this manner provides greater lift at low speeds because the exhaust of engine 602 passes directly over flaps 604 of pylon 506. Figure 6BThe exemplary aircraft 500 in FIG. 5 is well suited for situations requiring short takeoff distances because the forward swept wings 502 and the upper surface blown flaps 604 can both increase lift at low speeds. The aircraft 500 also benefits from a reduced noise footprint because the noise of the engine 602 is at least partially reflected upward by the upper surface of the pylon 506.

[0041] FIG. 7A to FIG. 7B Shows FIG. 6A to FIG. 6B A partial front view of an exemplary aircraft 500 in FIG. A pylon 506 extends from a fuselage 512 to support an engine 504 and a landing gear 600 ( FIG. 7A to FIG. 7B 504). The pylon 506 has an aerodynamic surface 700 (e.g., a wing shape) that can be used to reduce drag, provide secondary lift, adjust airflow into the exemplary engine 504, and / or any other beneficial aerodynamic function. An engine strut 510 is coupled to the pylon 506 and the engine 504. Fig. 7A The engine strut 510 in is located at or near an outboard end of the pylon 506 (e.g., the outboard-most end of the pylon 506), but in other instances, the pylon 506 may extend beyond the engine strut 510. In other instances, the engine strut 510 may be coupled at any location along the pylon 506 (e.g., the engine strut 510 may be positioned at different locations along the longitudinal length of the pylon 506 between a first end or inboard end attached to the fuselage 512 and a second end or outboard end opposite the first end and attached to the exemplary strut 702). The exemplary engine strut 510 is coupled at an exemplary angle (e.g., perpendicular to the centerline of the pylon 506). However, in other instances, the engine strut 510 may be at other angles (e.g., approximately 10 to 15 degrees from perpendicular to the centerline of the pylon 506). Figure 7B In the embodiment, the engine 602 is mounted to the pylon 506 without the use of an engine strut. The engine 602 is mounted on or near the outboard end of the pylon 506. In other examples, the pylon 506 may extend beyond the engine 602. In some examples, the location of the engine 602 may be anywhere along the pylon 506 (e.g., the longitudinal length of the pylon).

[0042] exist FIG. 7A to FIG. 7B 506 is coupled to exemplary strut 702 on opposite sides of fuselage 512. Strut 702 is further coupled to wing 502. Thus, strut 702 extends between pylon 506 and wing 502. FIG. 7A to FIG. 7BStruts 702 are shown coupled to the outboard ends of pylons 506. In other examples, struts 702 may be coupled anywhere along pylons 506 (e.g., along the longitudinal length of pylons 506). Struts 702 and pylons 506 form an exemplary truss 508. In other examples, trusses 508 may have additional support members (e.g., struts, pylons, emergency struts), or struts 702 and pylons 506 with alternative relative lengths and orientations. The exact size and / or orientation of trusses 508 may vary to meet the performance requirements of wing 502.

[0043] Figure 8 Shows Figure 5 506, wherein an exemplary exhaust outlet 800 of an exemplary engine 802 is located behind a front edge 509 (e.g., leading edge) of an exemplary pylon 506. The engine 802 is coupled to the pylon 506 using an exemplary engine strut 806. The engine strut 806 has an exemplary length and is in an exemplary position on the pylon 506, but the exact length and / or position may vary. At the exemplary position, at least a portion of the engine 802 overlaps or is located on the front edge 509 of the pylon 506. Therefore, the engine 802 in the illustrated example is on the front edge 509 of the pylon 506. In some examples, the engine 802 may have different positions to adjust the balance of the aircraft 500 and / or the exhaust (e.g., exhaust wake) of the exhaust outlet 800 of the engine 802 relative to the pylon 506 and / or the surface of the wing 502. Another exemplary engine may have a different exemplary location to better accommodate the center of mass of the aircraft 500, the thrust characteristics of the aircraft, and / or the aerodynamic characteristics of the wing 502 and / or the truss 508. Exemplary locations of the engine 802 may include a location with the exhaust outlet 800 located behind the leading edge 509 of the pylon 506, any intermediate location between the leading edge 509 of the pylon 506 and the trailing edge 804 (e.g., the trailing edge) of the pylon 506, forward of the leading edge 509 of the pylon 506, rearward of the pylon 506 (e.g., the trailing edge 804), and / or any other location relative to the pylon 506 and / or the wing 502.

[0044] Fig. 9A 900 is a cross-section of an exemplary mounting device attached to an exemplary pylon 900 of an exemplary truss of an exemplary aircraft. Pylon 900 includes an exemplary front spar 902, an exemplary rib 904, and an exemplary rear spar 906. Secured to pylon 900 are an exemplary first bracket fitting 908, an exemplary first strut fitting 910, an exemplary second strut fitting 912, and an exemplary third strut fitting 914 (e.g., Fig. 9B). In some examples, the pylon 900 may have an aerodynamic surface covering the above-mentioned structures. In some examples, the first strut assembly 910, the second strut assembly 912, and the third strut assembly 914 are covered by an aerodynamic surface (eg, a guide cabin).

[0045] Fig. 9B yes Fig. 9A A front view of an exemplary mounting arrangement in FIG. The second strut fitting 912 and the third strut fitting 914 are positioned to receive mating fittings of an exemplary engine strut (eg, Fig.10 ). The first bracket fitting 908 is positioned to receive the bracket rod. The first support fitting 910 is positioned to receive the lower rod. The aforementioned fittings allow the engine to be securely connected to the pylon 900 (as shown in FIG. Fig.10 Detailed further in ).

[0046] Fig. 9C An exemplary angled engine strut 916 is shown attached to an exemplary mounting arrangement of an exemplary pylon. The exemplary mounting arrangement includes a second strut fitting 912 and a third strut fitting 914, which are coupled to an exemplary fourth strut fitting 918 and an exemplary fifth strut fitting 920, respectively. Angled engine strut 916 enables an exemplary engine to be mounted at an angle 922 (e.g., approximately 10 to 15 degrees from a line 924 perpendicular to the pylon), such as Figure 3B as shown in .

[0047] Fig.10 1002 and second engine strut 1004 are shown coupled to FIG. 9A to FIG. 9B 1. An exemplary engine nacelle 1000 of an exemplary pylon 900 in FIG. A first engine strut 1002 is coupled to a top side 1006 of the pylon 900. A second strut fitting 912 (fixed to a rear edge of the top side 1006 of the pylon 900) is coupled to an exemplary fourth strut fitting 1008 (fixed to a front edge of a bottom side 1010 of the first engine strut 1002). In some examples, the pylon 900 has a third strut fitting (e.g., third strut fitting 914) (fixed to a rear edge of the top side 1006 of the pylon 900) coupled to a fifth strut fitting (e.g., fifth strut fitting 920) (fixed to a front edge of the bottom side 1010 of the first engine strut 1002). Fig.101002 is coupled to the rear edge of the bottom side 1012 of the pylon 900. The first strut fitting 910 is coupled to the sixth strut fitting 1014 via a lower rod 1016. The sixth strut fitting 1014 is located behind the fourth strut fitting 1008 on the bottom side 1010 of the first engine strut 1002. The first bracket fitting 908 is located in front of the second strut fitting 912 on the top side 1006 of the pylon 900. The first bracket fitting 908 is coupled to the second bracket fitting 1018 via a diagonal bracket 1020. The second bracket fitting 1018 in the illustrated example is located on the front edge of the top side 1022 of the first engine strut 1002. Therefore, the first engine strut 1002 is securely coupled to the top side 1006 of the pylon 900 to hold the weight of the engine nacelle 1000 and transfer the engine thrust to the aircraft 100.

[0048] Fig.10 The engine nacelle 1000 in the embodiment is located above the rear edge of the pylon 900. In other examples, the engine nacelle 1000 is located above the front edge of the pylon 900, wherein the mounting device is switched from the rear to the front. The orientation of the engine nacelle 1000 and the distance between the pylon 900 and the engine nacelle 1000 can be changed to meet the needs of the aircraft 100 (e.g., weight distribution, aerodynamic characteristics, thrust characteristics, etc.).

[0049] In some examples, the engine nacelle 1000 may be directly coupled to the first engine strut 1002. In other examples, the exemplary cowling 1024 of the engine nacelle 1000 may contact a mounting device (eg, the second bracket fitting 1018, the diagonal bracket 1020, etc.) when mounted directly to the first engine strut 1002. In this case, Fig.10 The exemplary engine nacelle 1000 in FIG. 1 is coupled to the first engine strut 1002 via the second engine strut 1004, thereby allowing the cowling 1024 to remain spaced apart from the mounting device. The second engine strut 1004 has an exemplary height from the bottom side 1026 to the top side 1028, but other exemplary second engine struts 1004 may have different heights to allow the engine nacelle 1000 to be raised or lowered relative to the pylon 900.

[0050] Fig.101004. An exemplary engine nacelle in FIG. 1000 is coupled to a top side 1028 of a second engine strut 1004. An exemplary front mount 1030 is coupled to a front section of the top side 1028 of the second engine strut 1004 and to a front section of the engine nacelle 1000. An exemplary rear mount 1032 is coupled to a rear section of the top side 1028 of the second engine strut 1004 and to a rear section of the engine nacelle 1000. An exemplary thrust rod 1034 is coupled to a rear section of the top side 1028 of the second engine strut 1004 and to a front section of the engine nacelle 1000. The front mount 1030 and the rear mount 1032 support the engine nacelle 1000 and couple the engine nacelle to the second engine strut 1004. The thrust rod 1034 supports the engine nacelle 1000 and transmits thrust generated by the engine nacelle 1000 to the second engine strut 1004. The front mount 1030, the rear mount 1032, and the thrust rod 1034 are shown in exemplary positions, but in other examples, their exact positions relative to the engine nacelle 1000 and the second engine strut 1004 may vary. In some examples, the first engine strut 1002 and the second engine strut 1004 are covered by an exemplary pod 1036. The pod 1036 surrounds the first engine strut 1002 and the second engine strut 1004 to form an aerodynamic surface that improves performance (e.g., reduces drag). FIG. 9A to FIG. 10 The example pylon 900 , engine strut, and / or engine nacelle in FIG. 1 may be used to mount different example engines 108 , 402 , 504 , 602 , 802 to the example pylons 300 , 506 and / or trusses 104 , 508 disclosed herein.

[0051] Fig.111 is a flow chart representing an exemplary method 1100 for attaching an exemplary engine pod to an exemplary aircraft. The method 1100 begins by coupling a strut (e.g., strut 310) of a truss (e.g., truss 104) to a wing (e.g., wing 102) (block 1102). The method 1100 continues by coupling a pylon (e.g., pylon 300) of a truss (e.g., truss 104) to a fuselage (e.g., fuselage 106) (block 1104). The truss (which includes the strut and pylon) rigidly supports the wing and provides additional structure to the aircraft. The method 1100 ends by coupling an engine pod (e.g., engine pod 1000) to a pylon (e.g., pylon 300) (block 1106). In some examples, the engine pod is coupled to a top side of the pylon. In some examples, the engine pod includes an aerodynamic surface (e.g., pod 1036) located between the engine pod and the strut. In some examples, a first engine strut (e.g., first engine strut 1002) is coupled to the top side of the pylon and the engine nacelle. The first engine strut positions the engine nacelle away from the pylon. In some examples, a second engine strut is coupled between the first engine strut and the engine nacelle. In other examples, any number of engine struts are coupled between the pylon and the engine nacelle to enable the engine nacelle to be positioned at different locations relative to the pylon.

[0052] The foregoing examples provide different examples of mounting an engine to a truss of an aircraft with a truss-braced wing. Although the wings, pylons, trusses, and / or aircraft in each of the examples disclosed above have certain features, it should be understood that the specific features of an example are not necessarily specific to that example. On the contrary, any feature described above and / or depicted in the accompanying drawings may be combined with any of these examples as a supplement or replacement for any other feature of these examples. Features of one example are not mutually exclusive with features of another example. On the contrary, the scope of the present disclosure covers any combination of any features.

[0053] The following paragraphs provide various examples of apparatus and methods for use with the transonic truss-braced wing aircraft disclosed herein:

[0054] Example 1 is an aircraft including a fuselage and a wing supported by a truss. The truss includes a pylon coupled to and extending from the fuselage, and a strut attached to the wing. An engine is coupled to the pylon.

[0055] Example 2 includes the aircraft of Example 1, wherein the wing is a swept wing.

[0056] Example 3 includes the aircraft of Example 2, wherein the air intake of the engine is located behind the wing.

[0057] Example 4 includes the aircraft of Example 2, wherein the air intake of the engine is located rearward of the pylon.

[0058] Example 5 includes the aircraft of Example 1, wherein the wing is a forward swept wing.

[0059] Example 6 includes the aircraft of Example 5, wherein the exhaust outlet of the engine is located forward of the wing.

[0060] Example 7 includes the aircraft of Example 5, wherein the exhaust outlet of the engine is located forward of the pylon.

[0061] Example 8 includes the aircraft of example 6, wherein the engine is directly coupled to the pylon.

[0062] Example 9 is a truss for supporting the wing of an aircraft, comprising a strut coupled to the wing and a pylon coupled to the strut. The pylon is also coupled to the aircraft. The pylon receives an engine.

[0063] Example 10 includes the truss of Example 9, wherein the engine is coupled to the pylon via an engine strut.

[0064] Example 11 includes the truss of Example 10, wherein the engine strut is mounted at an angle of 10 to 15 degrees from a line perpendicular to the pylon.

[0065] Example 12 includes the truss of Example 10, wherein the engine strut is located at the front of the pylon.

[0066] Example 13 includes the truss of Example 10, wherein the engine strut is located at the rear of the pylon.

[0067] Example 14 includes the truss of Example 9, wherein the pylon has an airfoil shape.

[0068] Example 15 includes the truss of Example 9, and also includes a landing gear housed in the pylon.

[0069] Example 16 is a method of attaching an engine to an aircraft, comprising: coupling a truss to a wing. The truss has a pylon and a strut coupled to the wing. The method of Example 16 also includes: coupling the pylon to a fuselage of the aircraft; and coupling an engine pod to the pylon of the truss.

[0070] Example 17 includes the method of example 16, wherein coupling the engine nacelle to the pylon includes coupling the engine nacelle to a top side of the pylon.

[0071] Example 18 includes the method of example 17, wherein the nacelle includes an aerodynamic surface located between the nacelle and the pylon.

[0072] Example 19 includes the method of example 17, wherein coupling the engine nacelle to the pylon includes coupling a first engine strut between a top side of the pylon and the engine nacelle.

[0073] Example 20 includes the method of example 19, wherein coupling the engine nacelle to the pylon includes coupling a second engine strut between the first engine strut and the engine nacelle.

[0074] The attached claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description by this reference. Although certain exemplary systems, devices, articles and methods have been disclosed herein, the coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all systems, devices, articles and methods that fully fall within the scope of the claims of this patent.

Claims

1. An aircraft (100), comprising: fuselage (106); A wing (102) is supported by a truss (104), wherein the truss (104) comprises: a pylon (300) coupled to the fuselage (106) and extending from the fuselage; as well as a strut (310) attached to the wing (102); and An engine (108) is coupled to the pylon (300).

2. The aircraft (100) according to claim 1, wherein: The wing (102) is a swept wing (102).

3. The aircraft (100) according to claim 2, wherein: The air intake (400) of the engine (402) is located behind the wing (102).

4. The aircraft (100) according to claim 2, wherein: The air intake (400) of the engine (402) is located behind the pylon (300).

5. The aircraft (500) of claim 1, wherein: The wing (502) is a forward-swept wing (502).

6. The aircraft (500) according to claim 5, wherein: The exhaust outlet (800) of the engine (802) is located in front of the wing (502).

7. The aircraft (500) according to claim 5, wherein: The exhaust outlet (800) of the engine (802) is located in front of the pylon (506).

8. The aircraft (500) according to claim 6, wherein: The engine (602) is directly coupled to the pylon (506).

9. A truss (104) for supporting a wing (102) of an aircraft (100), comprising: a strut (310) coupled to the wing (102); as well as a pylon (300) coupled to the strut (310) and also coupled to the aircraft (100); and The pylon (300) is used to receive the engine (108).

10. The truss (104) according to claim 9, wherein: The engine (108) is coupled to the pylon (300) via an engine strut (110).

11. The truss (104) according to claim 10, wherein: The engine strut (308) is mounted at an angle (304) of 10 to 15 degrees from a line perpendicular to the pylon.

12. The truss (508) of claim 10, wherein: The engine support (510) is located in front of the pylon (506).

13. The truss (104) of claim 10, wherein: The engine support (110) is located behind the pylon (300).

14. The truss (104) of claim 9, wherein: The pylon (300) has an airfoil shape (306).

15. The truss (104) of claim 9, further comprising a landing gear (200), the landing gear being housed within the pylon (300).

16. A method of attaching an engine (108) to an aircraft (100), comprising: coupling a truss (104) to a wing (102), the truss (104) having a pylon (900) and a strut (310) coupled to the wing (102); coupling the pylon (900) to a fuselage (106) of the aircraft (100); and An engine nacelle (1000) is coupled to the pylon (900) of the truss (104).

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein: Coupling the engine nacelle (1000) to the pylon (900) includes coupling the engine nacelle (1000) to a top side (1006) of the pylon (900).

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein: The nacelle (1000) includes an aerodynamic surface (1036) located between the nacelle (1000) and the pylon (900).

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein: Coupling the engine nacelle (1000) to the pylon (900) includes coupling a first engine strut (1002) between a top side of the pylon (1006) and the engine nacelle (1000).

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein: Coupling the engine nacelle (1000) to the pylon (900) includes coupling a second engine strut (1004) between the first engine strut (1002) and the engine nacelle (1000).

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