Aircraft having articulated horizontal tail units

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11220323-B2
Application number	US-201916297841-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2019
Priority date	Mar 21, 2018
Publication date	Jan 11, 2022
Grant date	Jan 11, 2022

Abstract

An aircraft comprising a fixed structure, a fuselage mounted on the fixed structure and a tail unit system comprising a structural element housed inside the fuselage and mounted to be rotationally mobile relative to the fixed structure about a transverse axis of rotation parallel to a transverse axis of the aircraft. A first actuation system displaces the structural element in rotation about the transverse axis of rotation, on either side of the structural element. A horizontal tail unit has one end rotationally mobiley mounted on the structural element about a longitudinal axis of rotation parallel to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft and another end which extends out of the fuselage by passing through a window in the fuselage. For each horizontal tail unit, a second actuation system displaces the horizontal tail unit in rotation about the longitudinal axis of rotation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft comprising a fixed structure, a fuselage mounted on the fixed structure and a tail unit system comprising:
a structural element housed inside the fuselage and mounted to be rotationally mobile relative to the fixed structure about a transverse axis of rotation parallel to a transverse axis Y of the aircraft,
a first actuation system configured to displace the structural element in rotation about the transverse axis of rotation,
on either side of the structural element, a horizontal tail unit, one end of which is mounted to be rotationally mobile on said structural element about a longitudinal axis of rotation parallel to a longitudinal axis X of the aircraft and another end of which extends out of the fuselage by passing through a window,
for each horizontal tail unit, a second actuation system configured to displace said horizontal tail unit in rotation about the longitudinal axis of rotation.

2. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein each pivot link between the structural element and a horizontal tail unit takes the form of a double end fitting, wherein the structural element takes the form of an end fitting, between which is positioned a part of the horizontal tail unit, and wherein the horizontal tail unit takes the form of an end fitting, between which is positioned a part of the structural element, and wherein a rod passes through the two end fittings.

3. The aircraft according to claim 1 , further comprising, for each horizontal tail unit, a guard arranged around the horizontal tail unit and which is mounted to slide relative to the fuselage to block the window.

4. The aircraft according to claim 3 , wherein the guard is mounted in vertically oriented runners on the fuselage.

5. The aircraft according to claim 1 , further comprising a blocking system configured to block each horizontal tail unit in a position corresponding to a predetermined minimum dihedron.

6. The aircraft according to claim 5 , wherein the blocking system comprises lock blocks.

7. The aircraft according to claim 6 , wherein the blocking system comprises automatic brakes.

8. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein each horizontal tail unit further comprises, to the rear, an elevator which is rotationally mobile on the horizontal tail unit.

Assignees

• Airbus Sas

Inventors

• Kierbel Daniel

Classifications

• B64C5/00 Primary

  Stabilising surfaces · CPC title

• B64C9/00

  Adjustable control surfaces or members, e.g. rudders (trimming stabilising surfaces B64C5/10) · CPC title

• B64C5/06

  Fins (B64C5/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B64C3/56

  Folding or collapsing to reduce overall dimensions of aircraft · CPC title

• B64C1/26

  Attaching the wing or tail units or stabilising surfaces · CPC title