Aircraft including a fuselage sponson

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10023295-B2
Application number	US-201615208970-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2016
Priority date	Jul 20, 2015
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

An aircraft having a sponson extending substantially transversely relative to a main body of the fuselage of the aircraft and substantially perpendicularly relative to a vertical anteroposterior plane of symmetry P of the main body of the fuselage when the aircraft is standing on a horizontal support, the sponson including a notch locally reducing a cross-section of the sponson in a connection zone of the sponson, the connection zone being suitable for being arranged in the immediate proximity of the main body of the fuselage of the aircraft from which the sponson emerges transversely, the notch being open at least to a front outside face and to a top outside face of the sponson and being suitable for receiving a bottom portion of a sliding side door when in its open position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft comprising:
a main body of a fuselage;
at least one sliding side door suitable for moving in translation along a longitudinal direction, the sliding side door being movable between a closed position arranged towards a front portion of the main body of the fuselage and an open position arranged towards a rear portion of the main body of the fuselage;
at least one sponson emerging transversely from the main body of the fuselage substantially perpendicularly relative to a vertical anteroposterior plane of symmetry of the main body of the fuselage when the aircraft is standing on a horizontal support, the at least one sponson including a notch locally reducing a cross-section of the at least one sponson in a connection zone of the at least one sponson, the connection zone being arranged in the immediate proximity of the main body of the fuselage of the aircraft from which the at least one sponson emerges transversely, the notch being open at least to a front outside face and to a top outside face of the at least one sponson, and serving to receive a bottom portion of the sliding side door when arranged in its open position;
wherein the notch of the at least one sponson comprises:
a bottom inside face extending substantially horizontally when the aircraft is standing on a horizontal support and leading to the front outside face of the at least one sponson;
a sloping inside face sloping towards the rear of the fuselage of the aircraft and extending between the bottom inside face and the top outside face of the at least one sponson; and
an internal partition arranged substantially parallel to the main body facing the internal partition, the internal partition co-operating firstly with the bottom inside face and the sloping inside face and secondly with the front outside face and the top outside face of the at least one sponson.

2. An aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the sloping inside face slopes relative to the bottom inside face at a mean resulting angle lying in the range 120° to 150° as measured in a plane substantially parallel to the vertical anteroposterior plane of symmetry.

3. An aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the sloping inside face of the notch has a longitudinal section that is rectilinear in shape.

4. An aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the sloping inside face of the notch has a longitudinal section that is concave in shape.

5. An aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the sloping inside face of the notch has a longitudinal section that is complex in shape.

6. An aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the notch presents a depth along a vertical axis that lies in the range 25% to 95% of the total height along the vertical axis of the at least one sponson on another longitudinal section of the at least one sponson not including the notch.

7. An aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the notch presents, at least at the front outside face of the at least one sponson, a width along a transverse axis and lying in the range 100 mm to 350 mm.

8. An aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein a junction between the bottom inside face of the notch and the sloping inside face of the notch includes a connection fillet.

9. An aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein a junction between the bottom inside face of the notch and the sloping inside face of the notch includes a connection edge.

10. An aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein a junction between the sloping inside face of the notch and the top outside face of the at least one sponson includes a rounded connection tangent.

11. An aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein a junction between the sloping inside face of the notch and the top outside face of the at least one sponson includes a connection edge.

Assignees

• Airbus Helicopters

Inventors

• Alfano David
• Legras Guillaume
• Nicola Jean

Classifications

• B64C1/1438

  of the sliding type · CPC title

• B64C1/14

  Windows; Doors; Hatch covers or access panels; Surrounding frame structures; Canopies; Windscreens {accessories therefor, e.g. pressure sensors, water deflectors, hinges, seals, handles, latches, windscreen wipers}(fairings movable in conjunction with undercarriage elements B64C25/16; bomb doors B64D1/06) · CPC title

• B64C27/04

  Helicopters · CPC title

• B64C35/001

  with means for increasing stability on the water · CPC title

• B64C1/24

  Steps mounted on, and retractable within, fuselages · CPC title