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Fuselage for an Aircraft With Fuselage-Integrated Tailplane
ASSIGNEE: Airbus Defence and Space
US PAT. APP. NO. 17/535995
Invention Overview:
In the world of aviation, innovation is a constant pursuit. The quest for more efficient, safer, and stealthier aircraft is an ongoing endeavor. A recently published patent application from Airbus Defense demonstrates a groundbreaking innovation in the Fuselage-Integrated Tailplanes. The patent application describes a fuselage for an aircraft that integrates a control element with an engine outlet. This control element is integrated at the rear end of the fuselage, extending rearwardly and terminating flush with the fuselage’s outer skin. The control element is pivotable about a rotation axis, functioning as a tailplane when pivoted. This innovative design described in the publication allows the engine outlet to function as a thrust vectoring nozzle, providing additional control and maneuverability to the aircraft. In simpler terms, the back end of the aircraft has been reimagined to include a control element that can pivot or move around an axis. This control element also houses the engine outlet, which is the part of the aircraft where the engine exhaust gases are expelled.
One of the significant improvements this design brings is enhanced maneuverability. The control element, when pivoted, functions as a tailplane. A tailplane, also known as a horizontal stabilizer, is a vital component of an aircraft that provides stability and control. By integrating the tailplane with the engine outlet, the aircraft can change the direction of the engine’s thrust. This ability to change the direction of the engine’s thrust is known as thrust vectoring, and it provides the aircraft with superior control and maneuverability.
Another significant advantage of this design is its stealth capabilities. In traditional aircraft designs, engine outlets are a challenge to hide from radar systems due to their heat and noise emissions. However, in the Fuselage-Integrated Tailplane design, the engine outlet is surrounded by the control element’s outer wall. The control element’s outer wall surrounds the engine outlet, directing it towards the control element’s open rear side. This design ensures that the engine outlets, which are typically challenging to camouflage against radar reconnaissance, are surrounded by the control element’s outer wall, preventing a direct line of sight from most viewing angles. This feature significantly reduces the aircraft’s radar signature, making it more stealthy and difficult to detect.
The design also ensures a seamless integration of the control element into the fuselage. At the point where the fuselage transitions into the control element, the two components have substantially similar cross-sections. This means that the control element is not just an add-on but an integral part of the aircraft’s body, contributing to a more streamlined and efficient design. The control element’s design also includes a convergent nozzle portion and a divergent nozzle portion. The convergent nozzle portion is designed to reduce the cross-section of the nozzle, while the divergent nozzle portion can change its position to increase the cross-section. This ability to change the nozzle’s cross-section allows for better control of the engine’s thrust, contributing to the overall maneuverability of the aircraft. In conclusion, the Fuselage-Integrated Tailplane represents a significant leap forward in aircraft design. By integrating the control element with the engine outlet and incorporating it into the fuselage, this design offers enhanced control, improved stealth, and a more streamlined aircraft structure. As we continue to push the boundaries of aviation technology, innovations like these pave the way for a future where the skies are filled with aircraft that are more efficient, safer, and stealthier than ever before.
Source: USPTO
PATENT ABSTRACT & ART:
A fuselage for an aircraft. The fuselage has a control element with an integrated engine outlet. The control element is integrated at a rear end of the fuselage, so that the control element terminates flush with an outer skin of the fuselage in a circumferential direction of the fuselage. An outer wall of the control element surrounds the engine outlet wherein the engine outlet is directed towards an open rear side of the control element. The control element is connected to the fuselage such that the control element jointly the engine outlet is pivotable about a rotation axis with respect to the fuselage. The rotation axis runs transversely to a longitudinal direction of the fuselage and the control element functions as a tailplane when pivoting about the rotation axis.
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