US2201249A

US2201249A - Aircraft construction

Info

Publication number: US2201249A
Application number: US270075A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Owen E Tormollan
Original assignee: Glenn L Martin Co
Current assignee: Glenn L Martin Co
Priority date: 1939-04-26
Filing date: 1939-04-26
Publication date: 1940-05-21
Anticipated expiration: 1957-05-21

Description

y 1940- o. E. TORMOLLAN. JR 2,201,249

AIRCRAFT CONSTRUCTION Filed April 26, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l 0 H u n u a o n n o D a v n a a 0 May 21, 1940. o. E. TCRMOLLAN, JR

AIRCRAFT CONSTRUCTION Filed April 26, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Jude/PM Qwn E, Tormo'l Ian, Jr,

May 21, 1940.

O. E. TORMOLLAN. JR

AIRCRAFT CONSTRUCTION Filed April 26, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 awucm to n owdm Thrmolla n, Jr.

Patented Mayzl, 1940 mm cons muc'rron Owen E. Tormollan, In, Baltimore, MIL, aaaignor to Thefiienn L. Martin Company, Baltim Application April 28, 1939, Serial No. 2765175 10 Claims. (Cl. 244-121) The invention relates to aircraft construction, and particularly tobomb sight windows for flying boats,

In flying boats which are used as bombers, it

is desirable to have a bomb sight window adjacent the front end of the aircraft through which the observer may look downwardly in sighting on a target. Obviously such a window must be located in the lower portion of the machine, that is, in the hull portion. Furthermore, it is desirable that the window shall be plane, both because of the difllculties in constructing a window of curved or pointed shape, and because of the a fact that curved or pointed windows might create such reflections of light as would disturb the bomb sight operator. On the other hand,it is of course evident that a plane window disturbs the stream-lined surface, which is particularly important when the boat is in the water. In :0 addition, the window is in a position where it is exposed to the direct impact of'waves when the boat lands or when it takes oil, or whenever it is moving through the water.

The primary object of this invention is to pro- 5 vide a construction in which a plane window may be located in the nose portion of the hull, in such a manner as to permit .acfzurate observation therethrough, while atthe-same time providing" means for protecting the window when the boat ,30 is in the water, and for reducing the resistance to movement of the boat which would be caused by the flat window surface.

Especially, the invention contemplates the provision of doors which may be moved across 35 the front of the window, and which when so moved will form substantially a continuation of the normal hull outline, these doors forming a point and protecting the window from impacts of the water. Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description particularly when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof.

in the drawings: V Fig. 1 is a front view of the hull porti n of a flying boat embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the lined-2 of Fig. 1;

m Fig. 3 is across-section on the line H of Fit.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-section through the window;

Fig. 6 is a cross-section through the upper portion of one of the doors and its guide; Fig. 7 is a cross-section through the operating no mechanism for one of the doors; and

Fig. 8 is a crossssection on the line 8-8 of applied to a flying boat having a body 2 and a hull 5. In the front of the hull, a floor 6 forms the bottom of a compartment in which is located bomb sight mechanism 0 of any well-known type. The front of this compartment is formed by a plane plate It having an opening therein which is closed by a window 12. The window is set in the wall by a surrounding flange member ll secured to'the wall l0 and engaging the glass of the window by a synthetic rubber gasket l3. As will be seen in the drawings, the wall I0 and window i2 are tilted somewhat forwardly so as to permit downward and outward observation.

Obviously the wall ill breaks the stream-lined surface of the front of the aircraft. This streamlined surface is formed by the two sides of the hull d which meet, above the plane wall IIl,-to;

The keel I! also continues "and the wall of the upper'portion of the hull is closed by a horizontal wall It having therein preferably a removable door It; through which the window may be cleaned and polished.

, The covering of the window I: and wall Iii is accomplished by means of two curved doors 20, located on the opposite sides of the wall i0. These doors are mounted on pivots 22 mounted in a common bracket 24 located on the hull near the bottom of the wall Hi. The doors are so shaped that, when in retracted position, they lie against the wall ofthe hull (see Fig. 4), while when swung forward they-meet in a line which is a continuation of the prow it, and thus complete the streamlined outline of the hull (broken lines, Fig. 4).

The doors at their upper edges each extend into agroove formed by flanges 26 (see Fig. 6) secured to the wall of the hull t and spaced therefrom. These flanges are curved, as is apparent from Fig. 1, about the pivots 22 as centers, and the flanges meet in the line of the prow it. Thus the doors can swing along the surface of the hull; about the pivots 22, but are guided in such movement by flanges it.

The movement of the doors about their pivots is caused by the mechanism shown in Fig. '7. Each of the doors carries .near its upper edge and on its inner face a rack 29 which extends along outward extensions dii on the rear sides of the doors. Rack 29 is moved by a gear 32, which in turn is driven through gearing M from a hand wheel 38 located above wall it. Obviously any other method of driving the gear and rack could be utilized. 1

When the doors are in a position as shown in Fig. I, obviously the bomb window is open. When window.

While I have described herein one embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not intend to limit myselfthereby except within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: Y

1. In a flying boat hullhaving a prow, a plane.

wall forming a part of the front of said hull, a plane bomb sight window located in said wall, 'said hull above said wall extending forwardly thereof to the prow, and doors mounted for movement from positions against the side of said hull to positions in front of said plane wall, said doors in said second position forming substantially a continuation of the stream-lined outline of the hull and meeting along a line which is substantially a continuation of the prow.

2. In a flying boat hull having a prow, a plane wall forming a part of the front of said hull, a plane bomb sight window located in said wall, said hull above said wall extending forwardly thereof to the prow, and doors pivoted adjacent the bottom of said plane wall to swing from positions against the side of said hull to positions in front of said plane wall, said doors in said second position forming substantially a continuation of the stream-lined outline of the hull and meeting along the line which is substantially a continuation of the prow.

3. In a flying boat hull, a plane bomb sight window in the front of and extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the hull, the portion of said hull above said window forming a prow, a member secured to said hull above said window on each side of said prow and having a portion spaced from the hull wall to form a downwardly open. groove, doors having their upper edges engaged in said downwardly open grooves, means mounting said doors on the hull for movement from a rearward position against the hull wall to a forward position in which they form a continuation of the stream-lined outline of the hull and close the space in front of said window, meeting along a line which is a continuation of the prow.

4. In a flying boat hull, a plane bomb sight window in the front of and extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the hull, the

portion of said hull above said plane window forming a prow, a member of'arcuate form secured to said hull above said window on each side of said prow and having a portion spaced from the hull wall to form a downwardly open groove, doors pivoted to said hull adjacent the bottom of said window, said doors having their upper edges engaged in said downwardly open grooves,

said doors being swingable from a rearward posi-' arcuate form secured to said hull above said plane being swingable from a rearward position against the hull wall to a forward position in which they form a continuation of the stream-lined outline .of the hull and close the space in front of said plane wall and window, meeting along a line which is a continuation of the prow.

6. In a flying boat hull, a plane wall section in the front of said hull, a plane bomb sight window in said wall section, said section and window extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the hull, the portion of said hull above said plane wall forming a'p'row, a member of arcuate form secured to said hull above said plane wall on each side of said prow and having a portion spaced from the hull wall to form a downwardly open groove, doors pivoted to said hull adjacent the bottom of said plane wall, said doors being curved and having their upper edges engaged in said downwardly open grooves, said doors being swingable from a rearward position against the hull wall to a forward position in which they form a continuation of the streamlined outline of the hull and close the space in front of said plane wall and window, meeting along a line which is a continuation of the prow,

each of said doors having a rack portion adjacent its upper edge, a gear rotatably mounted in engagement with said rack, and means within said lined surface, a plane window section located in the hull at a point subject to contact with water upon. landing and bounded by such surface, and at least one curved window-protecting door mounted on the hull for movement acrosssaid window, said door when moved across the window carrying out the curvature of the hull to complete the streamlined surface outline thereof.

8. In a flying boat hull having a curved streamlined surface, a plane window section located in the hull at a point subject to contact with water upon landing and bounded by such surface, and curved window-protecting doors pivoted on the aircraft for movement across said window, said doors when moved across the window carrying out the curvature of the hull to complete the stream- I lined surface outline thereof.

9. In a flying boat hull having a streamlined surface, a plane bomb sight window located in said hull in a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis thereof, said hull at one side of said window extending outwardlythereof to an edge, and a door mounted for movement from a position against the side of said hull to a position infront of said window,.said door in said second position having an edge substantially flush with said hull edge and forming substantially a continuation of the streamlined outline of the hull.

10. In an aircraft body having a curved streamlined surface, a plane window section located in the body and bounded by such surface, and at least one curved window-protecting door mounted on the body for movement across said window, said door when moved across the window carrying out the curvature of the body to complete the streamlined surface outline thereof.

OWEN E. TORMOLLAN, JR.