GB2238026A - Fairing arrangement for aircraft - Google Patents
Fairing arrangement for aircraft Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2238026A GB2238026A GB9023800A GB9023800A GB2238026A GB 2238026 A GB2238026 A GB 2238026A GB 9023800 A GB9023800 A GB 9023800A GB 9023800 A GB9023800 A GB 9023800A GB 2238026 A GB2238026 A GB 2238026A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- fairing
- layers
- aircraft
- arrangement
- flexible
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
- B64C—AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS
- B64C9/00—Adjustable control surfaces or members, e.g. rudders
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
- B64C—AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS
- B64C7/00—Structures or fairings not otherwise provided for
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
- Diaphragms And Bellows (AREA)
Abstract
An externally mounted fairing arrangement for bridging an aircraft fixed structure 10 e.g. a wing and a control surface 11, e.g. an aileron, hingedly mounted upon and angularly displaceable with respect to the fixed structure. The fairing arrangement 15 includes a single element sealing diaphragm 20 which maintains continuity of the fairing aerodynamic shape whilst permitting differential movement between the respective parts 16, 17 of the fairing 15. The sealing diaphragm may be of fabric material or a moulded plastics material such as nylon, and incorporates stabilising elements comprising grouped layers of flexible rods 25 in single or stacked layers. <IMAGE>
Description
FAIRING ARRANGEMENTS FOR AIRCRAFT
This invention relates to fairing arrangements for aircraft. More particularly, though not exclusively, it relates to seal arrangements for use with externally mounted fairings associated with flying control surfaces, for example ailerons.
In our co-pending British Patent application, 9018423.5, we claim such an externally mounted fairing arrangement in which the fairing portions respectively fixed to the aircraft fixed structure and the control surface are bridged by an intermediate flexible sealing portion comprising a labyrinth seal of two or more overlapping or interconnected sealing elements which can accommodate differential movement between the fixed fairing portions when the control surface is angularly displaced relative to the aircraft fixed structure, i.e. the wing.
An alternative sealing arrangement is disclosed in our co-pending British Patent application 9020785.3, in which the intermediate flexible sealing portion comprises a single element sealing diaphragm which is deformable to accommodate the differential movement between the respective fairing portions. In the preferred arrangement, the diaphragm includes surface stabilising elements either stitched orsr moulded in-situ. These stabilising elements can be single flexible rods, for example of circular cross section, or of some other suitable cross-section.
According to the present invention there is provided an externally mounted fairing arrangement for mounting upon and bridging an aircraft fixed structure and a control surface hingedly mounted upon and angularly displaceable with respect to said aircraft fixed structure, said fairing arrangement including a first fairing portion located upon said fixed aircraft structure, a second fairing portion located upon said control surface and an intermediate flexible seal arrangement interconnecting and bridging the gap between said first and second fairing position, said flexible seal arrangement including a flexible single element sealing diaphragm configured to substantially conform to the cross-sections of said first and second fairing portions but deformable to accommodate differential movement between the fairing portions when said control surface is angularly displaced relative to said aircraft fixed structure while still maintaining a substantially smooth surface continuity, characterised in that said sealing diaphragm integrally includes grouped layers of flexible rods each of said grouped layers lying substantially parallel to but spaced apart from its adjacent layer or layers across the surface of the sealing diaphragm and in a substantially longitudinal direction.
The flexible rods may comprise a single layer of rods grouped together or more than one stacked layers. The sealing diaphragm may be of fabric, rubber or rubberised fabric material to which or into which the flexible rods may be stitched or it may be of nylon or other suitable mouldable material and into which the flexible rod groups may be integrally moulded.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described,by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which :
Figure 1 illustrates, in plan view an external fairing assembly for an aircraft aileron installation.
Figure 2 illustrates, in plan view an external fairing assembly incorporating a flexible sealing arrangement in accordance with the present invention.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross-section through part of the external fairing assembly taken along a line '3 - 3' in Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a diagrammatical arrangement of a flexible seal showing one embodiment flexible rods in accordance with the invention.
Figures 5 to 7 inclusive illustrate alternative mounted groupings of flexible rods in accordance with the invention.
Figures 8, 9 and 10 are cross-sections through the groupings of flexible rods taken along lines 8 - 8, 9 - 9 and 10 - 10 in Figures 5, 6 and 7 respectively.
Referring to the drawings Figure 1 illustrates, in plan view, a trailing edge portion 10 of an aircraft wing and a portion of aileron 11 mounted at 12 to the wing by hinge brackets (not shown). Twin lever brackets 13 mounted upon the aileron 11 providing pivotal attachment 14 for hydraulic jacks (not shown). The lever brackets 13 and the hydraulic jacks protrude somewhat outside the wing bottom profile and are consequently enclosed within fairing assemblies 15. It would be possible but less preferable to utilise a single all-encompassing fairing.
The fairing assemblies 15 are disposed in line of flight, that is chordwise with respect to the aircraft longitudinal centre line whereas the lever brackets 13 and the hydraulic jacks lie normal to wing.
Each fairing assembly 15 includes a forward fairing 16 and rearward fairings 17 having cut lines 18 and 19 respectively and an interconnecting flexible seal assembly 20.
With reference to Figures 2 and 3, the flexible seal assembly 20 is bolted at 21 to the forward fairing 16 and extends rearwardly to overlap and seat upon the rearward fairing 17.
The flexible seal assembly comprises a flexible diaphragm 22, which may be of suitable fabric material or of moulded plastic, for example, nylon, stabilised across its surface by groups of longitudinally disposed flexible rods 25 integrally stitched or moulded into the diaphragm depending on the material employed. The diaphragm 22, in conjunction with the bolts 21, as previously referred to, is clamped within a retaining plate 23 along its forward edge 18 and incorporates a peripheral seal edge member 24 which stabilises the remainder of the diaphragm edge.
Various combinations and configurations of flexible rods may be employed for stabilising the diaphragm surface as illustrated by way of example in Figures 4 - 10 inclusive. In these figures, for reasons of clarity, the diaphragm 15 is omitted to more clearly show the rods.
These may be in single layer groupings as shown in Figures 4 and 6, in single rod form as shown in Figure 5 where they are equally disposed laterally across the diaphragm surface or, as shown in Figure 7 and 10 they may comprise two or more stacked layers.
Claims (4)
1. An externally mounted fairing arrangement for mounting upon and bridging an aircraft fixed structure and a control surface hingedly mounted upon and angularly displaceable with respect to said aircraft fixed structure, said fairing arrangement including a first fairing position located upon said fixed aircraft structure, a second fairing portion located upon said control surface and an intermediate flexible seal arrangement interconnecting and bridging the gap between said first and second fairing portion, said flexible seal arrangement including a flexible single element sealing diaphragm configured to conform to the cross-sections of said first and second fairing portions but deformable to accommodate differential movement between the fairing portions when said control surface is angularly displaced relative to said aircraft fixed structure while still maintaining a substantially smooth surface continuity characterised in that said sealing diaphragm integrally includes grouped layers of flexible rods each of said grouped layers lying substantially parallel to but spaced apart from its adjacent layer or layers across the surface of the sealing diaphragm and in a substantially longitudinal direction.
2. A fairing arrangement according to Claim 1 in which each of said grouped layers of flexible rods are in a single layer.
3. A fairing arrangement according to Claim 1 in which each of said grouped layers of flexible rods comprised two or more stacked layers.
4. A fairing arrangement as substantially described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB898924982A GB8924982D0 (en) | 1989-11-06 | 1989-11-06 | Fairing arrangement for aircraft |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
GB9023800D0 GB9023800D0 (en) | 1990-12-12 |
GB2238026A true GB2238026A (en) | 1991-05-22 |
GB2238026B GB2238026B (en) | 1993-08-04 |
Family
ID=10665786
Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
GB898924982A Pending GB8924982D0 (en) | 1989-11-06 | 1989-11-06 | Fairing arrangement for aircraft |
GB9023800A Expired - Lifetime GB2238026B (en) | 1989-11-06 | 1990-11-01 | Fairing arrangements for aircraft. |
Family Applications Before (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
GB898924982A Pending GB8924982D0 (en) | 1989-11-06 | 1989-11-06 | Fairing arrangement for aircraft |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
GB (2) | GB8924982D0 (en) |
Cited By (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2718707A1 (en) * | 1994-04-18 | 1995-10-20 | Aerospatiale | Device for protecting a steering hinge, in particular for aircraft. |
GB2323576A (en) * | 1997-03-26 | 1998-09-30 | British Aerospace | Fairing arrangement for aircraft control surface |
US6450457B1 (en) | 1999-08-27 | 2002-09-17 | Airbus Uk Limited | Fairing arrangement for an aircraft |
US7051982B1 (en) | 1998-03-27 | 2006-05-30 | Bae Systems Plc | Fairing arrangements for aircraft |
US8919703B2 (en) | 2009-05-15 | 2014-12-30 | Airbus Operations Limited | Hinge sealing element and an assembly including said element |
EP3318783A1 (en) * | 2016-11-02 | 2018-05-09 | Airbus Operations GmbH | Fairing for an aircraft |
Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB987792A (en) * | 1962-07-31 | 1965-03-31 | English Electric Co Ltd | Improvements in and relating to aircraft wings |
Family Cites Families (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB8921749D0 (en) * | 1989-09-27 | 1989-11-08 | British Aerospace | Fairing arrangements for aircraft |
-
1989
- 1989-11-06 GB GB898924982A patent/GB8924982D0/en active Pending
-
1990
- 1990-11-01 GB GB9023800A patent/GB2238026B/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Patent Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB987792A (en) * | 1962-07-31 | 1965-03-31 | English Electric Co Ltd | Improvements in and relating to aircraft wings |
Cited By (11)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2718707A1 (en) * | 1994-04-18 | 1995-10-20 | Aerospatiale | Device for protecting a steering hinge, in particular for aircraft. |
EP0678447A1 (en) * | 1994-04-18 | 1995-10-25 | AEROSPATIALE Société Nationale Industrielle | Protection device for a control surface hinge for an aircraft |
US5622336A (en) * | 1994-04-18 | 1997-04-22 | Aerospatiale Societe Nationale Industrielle | Device for the protection of a control surface hinge particularly for an aircraft |
GB2323576A (en) * | 1997-03-26 | 1998-09-30 | British Aerospace | Fairing arrangement for aircraft control surface |
EP0947421A1 (en) | 1997-03-26 | 1999-10-06 | British Aerospace Public Limited Company | Fairing arrangements for aircraft |
GB2323576B (en) * | 1997-03-26 | 2001-08-22 | British Aerospace | Fairing arrangements for aircraft |
US7051982B1 (en) | 1998-03-27 | 2006-05-30 | Bae Systems Plc | Fairing arrangements for aircraft |
US6450457B1 (en) | 1999-08-27 | 2002-09-17 | Airbus Uk Limited | Fairing arrangement for an aircraft |
US8919703B2 (en) | 2009-05-15 | 2014-12-30 | Airbus Operations Limited | Hinge sealing element and an assembly including said element |
EP3318783A1 (en) * | 2016-11-02 | 2018-05-09 | Airbus Operations GmbH | Fairing for an aircraft |
US11052991B2 (en) | 2016-11-02 | 2021-07-06 | Airbus Operations Gmbh | Fairing for an aircraft |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB2238026B (en) | 1993-08-04 |
GB9023800D0 (en) | 1990-12-12 |
GB8924982D0 (en) | 1989-12-28 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
732E | Amendments to the register in respect of changes of name or changes affecting rights (sect. 32/1977) | ||
PE20 | Patent expired after termination of 20 years |
Expiry date: 20101031 |