Aircraft pylon

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11370543-B2
Application number	US-202016835684-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2020
Priority date	Mar 23, 2014
Publication date	Jun 28, 2022
Grant date	Jun 28, 2022

Abstract

A pylon for mounting to a bottom surface of an aircraft and for carrying an external payload is provided. The pylon comprises a body spanning along a vertical axis between an upper face and a lower face, the upper face comprising one or more mounting arrangements configured to facilitate mounting the pylon to the bottom surface of the aircraft, the lower face comprising at least one suspension mechanism configured to facilitate selective attachment of the payload to the pylon. The pylon further comprises a covering arrangement configured for selective shifting between a closed position in which it covers the suspension mechanism and an open position in which the suspension mechanism is uncovered. The width of the body varies smoothly along the vertical axis between, inclusively, the upper and lower faces.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pylon configured for being mounted to a bottom surface of an aircraft and carrying an external payload, the pylon comprising:
a body spanning along a vertical axis between an upper face and a lower face, the upper face comprising one or more mounting arrangements configured to facilitate fixedly mounting the pylon directly to the bottom surface of the aircraft, the lower face comprising at least one suspension mechanism configured to facilitate selective attachment of the external payload to the pylon, wherein the suspension mechanism protrudes from the lower face in a direction away from the aircraft and is configured to hold the external payload farther from the aircraft than the lower face of the body is from the aircraft, in a direction along the vertical axis;
a covering arrangement configured for selective shifting between a closed position in which the covering arrangement covers the suspension mechanism and an open position in which the suspension mechanism is uncovered; and
wherein when the covering arrangement is in the open position, the external payload carried thereby has a circular cross-section in a plane perpendicular to the direction of travel of the aircraft, the circular cross-section having a width greater than the lower face of the body, in a direction mutually perpendicular to the vertical axis and to the direction of travel of the aircraft when mounted to the aircraft, pylon.

2. The pylon according to claim 1 , wherein the covering arrangement, in the closed position, covers substantially the entire width of the lower face of the body.

3. The pylon according to claim 1 , further comprising a communication arrangement configured to facilitate transmitting one or more instructions from a control system of the aircraft to release the external payload.

4. The pylon according to claim 1 , wherein the covering arrangement, in the closed position thereof, is configured to mitigate aerodynamic drag of at least the suspension mechanism.

5. The pylon according to claim 1 , wherein the covering arrangement, in the closed position thereof, is configured to mitigate radar signature of at least the suspension mechanism.

6. The pylon according to claim 1 , comprising exterior indicator lights configured to display patterns corresponding to open and closed positions of the covering arrangement.

7. The pylon according to claim 1 , wherein the covering arrangement comprises at least one door hingedly articulated adjacent an edge of the lower face of the body.

8. The pylon according to claim 7 , wherein the covering arrangement comprises two doors hingedly articulated adjacent opposite edges of the lower face of the body.

9. The pylon according to claim 1 , wherein the lower face of the body is characterized by a fixed width which is no greater than 50% more than the width of the upper face of the body.

10. The pylon according to claim 9 , wherein the width of the lower face is no greater than the width of the upper face.

11. The pylon according to claim 10 , wherein the width of the lower face is less than the width of the upper face.

Assignees

• Israel Aerospace Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Herzig Yoav

Classifications

• B64D1/02 Primary

  Dropping, ejecting, or releasing articles (jettisonable fuel reservoirs B64D37/12) · CPC title

• B64D9/00 Primary

  Equipment for handling freight; Equipment for facilitating passenger embarkation or the like · CPC title

• B64C7/00

  Structures or fairings not otherwise provided for · CPC title