Abstract: A landing gear load sensor (24) for an aircraft (10) having a skid type landing gear (14) is provided. The sensor (24) includes a shear beam (30) having a loadbearing area (40). Structure (32, 34) is provided for mounting the shear beam (30) to the aircraft (10), such that the loadbearing area (40) is disposed adjacent the landing gear (14). Structure (50) is disposed on the shear beam (30) between the mounting structure (32, 34) and the loadbearing area (40) for sensing shear load on the shear beam (30).

Abstract: The device includes a rotor (2) mounted for rotation about an axis transverse to a restraining line (4) by means of a bearing (10). The rotor may comprise two lift members (6) each in the form of a short, lightweight tube mounted on a stiff but flexible rod (8) which extends diametrically across each tube and through the bearing (10).

Abstract: A rudder, brake and nose landing gear steering control assembly for an aircraft provides adjustable positioning of the assembly's control pedals relative to the pilot. Pedal adjustment is accomplished by pivoting the entire assembly, which includes pivoting an assembly frame and pedals, and linkage structure carried by the frame. The pedals are moved either nearer or farther to and from a pilot, depending on the length of the pilot's legs.

Abstract: A ram-air airfoil stunt kite has its upper forward edge provided with two stiffener members that provide a rounded leading edge and are connected together by a flexible joint. Two operator-held control strings are connected to bridles which are, in turn, connected to keels on the kite. The outboard bridle strings are shorter than the inboard bridle strings so as to remain taut during normal flying operations. When the apparent wind velocity increases, the kite becomes transversely curved, whereupon the inboard bridle strings become taut to establish an optimum maximum curvature.

Abstract: An air inlet assembly for a gas turbine aircraft engine includes a fixed turning vane and a movable turning vane that is carried on the trailing edge of the air deflector door. To optimally direct and accelerate a flow of air into the engine intake, the low-pressure and high-pressure surfaces of the airfoil-shaped fixed turning vane lie in parallel planes at the trailing edge of the vane. The turning vane on the air deflector door has a low-pressure, convex surface that rests against the fixed turning vane when the door is deployed in the anti-icing mode. Under normal conditions, the door is stored and the two vanes cooperate to form an aerodynamic converging channel, which accelerates the flow and attaches it to the low-pressure surface of the vane on the door.

Abstract: A pneumatic aerodynamic control surface is described for an aircraft having a region of upwash ahead of a powered-lift or high-lift wing, the control surface comprising blown engine nacelles immersed in the upwash region, and capable of generating moments about all three axes of the aircraft without any external moving parts.

Abstract: In a system (20) for entering and leaving a space station, a bulkhead (30) divides module (22) into an antechamber (32) and an airlock (34). A space suit (36) has a portable life support system (PLSS) interface (38) on its back. The suit is removably attached to bulkhead (30) by the interface (38) at a hatch (40) in the bulkhead (30). A PLSS (42) is detachably mounted in hatch cover (44), which is pivotally mounted at (46) to move away from the hatch (40) to allow an astronaut (48) to enter the suit (36) through the open hatch (40) and the PLSS interface. After entering the suit (36), the astronaut closes the hatch (44) and attaches the PLSS (42) to the suit (36) by operating control (52) to which glove portion (54) of the suit (36) is attached. The astronaut initiates pumpdown of the airlock (34) with the control (52).

Abstract: An aircraft has two vectorable front nozzles each mounted in a bearing located within the fuselage near an adjacent wing. Each nozzle is rotatable from a first position in which exhaust air is directed downwards to a second position in which the exhaust air is directed rearwards. In the first position the nozzle resides within a cavity formed in the wing root to reduce nozzle drag when the aircraft is propelled by its rear nozzle only. The front nozzles rotate out of their respective cavities to the second position when they are used for forward thrust. Additionally, the cavity is extended to form a passage through which secondary air entrained by exhaust from the front nozzle operating in the first position adds to the vertical thrust and reduces suck down effects.

Abstract: A mechanism for supporting and extending a high lift device relative to an aerofoil, comprises one or more support beams (10) connected to the aerofoil, a pair of spaced apart chordwise extending wing ribs (20) bounding the support beam, a set of cylindrical rollers (23) mounted between the wing ribs for supporting the support beam (10) with their rotational axes aligned transversely with respect to the support beam (10), the support beam (10) including a gear rack (12) with gear teeth facing downwardly and a pinion gear (13) lying in meshing engagement with the gear rack (12), and an actuator (14) in driving engagement with the pinion gear (13) to extend and retract the high lift device (2-6) relative to the aerofoil (1). Bearings (45, 47) are provided for rotatably supporting the pinion gear (13) between the wing ribs (20) about a generally transverse axis of rotation, and there are splined engaging means (42, 43) between the actuator (14) and the pinion gear (13).

Abstract: A system is provided for existing three-engine jet aircraft to reduce the noise levels at take-off and landing in order to meet governmental noise regulations. The system is particularly suitable for 727-200 aircraft having three JT8D engines. A hush kit is formed of the modified components for installation in existing airplanes.

Abstract: In a helicopter, signals representative of the rotor disc attitude of a main sustaining rotor (11) are fed into a flight control system (24) to modify an actuator demand signal (31) controlling a rotor blade actuation system (32) of the main sustaining rotor.

Abstract: A method and system for reducing stopping distance for an aircraft on a wet runway, which includes blowing away water on a wet landing surface in front of the aircraft tires so that the tires contact a relatively dry surface and simultaneously blowing air on the tires to remove water that may have collected on them. The system includes ducting from the aircraft engine to the landing gear to receive high pressure air bled from the aircraft engine and nozzles connected to the ducting for exhausting high pressure air to the runway in front of the wheels and to the rear portion of the tires. A system of valves in the ducting can be actuated by switches in the cockpit to bleed high pressure air from the engine to the ducting and nozzles during landing of the aircraft.

Abstract: Adjusting device for landing flaps covering a gap between a landing flap or flaps and a wing proper there being a driven torsion shaft for driving the flaps, whereby particularly a transmission gear is drivingly coupled to the torsion shaft and includes a reducing gear and a gear segment being bidirectionally driven by the gear; a slotted cam is connected to and driven by the segment gear; a pair of levers with scanning elements is operated by the cam on rotation thereof; tension-compression rods are respectively linked to the levers such that the rods are operated in opposite direction; and a pair of elbow levers respectively connect the rods to two wing flaps such that the rods are tension loaded then compression loaded by the aerodynamic forces acting on the wing flaps.

Abstract: A helicopter is driven by means of a rotor that is connected with an internal-combustion engine. The air-cooled internal-combustion engine has a horizontally opposed construction and is arranged within walls of a cabin of the helicopter. In order to supply the internal-combustion engine with cooling air and intake air, air inlet openings are provided at the side walls of the cabin. For the discharge of the cooling air, outlet openings are arranged at the underside of the cabin.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a system for recovery of liquid fuel rocket engines used in space flight. The system comprises a sphere with a normally circumferential open portion for containing a rocket engine. The sphere is fixedly attached to the space vehicle. The engine is attached to the inner surface of the sphere in a manner allowing normal engine functions including but not limited to gimbaling. The normal engine hookup is provided via disconnects on the outer surface of the sphere. A pair of sphere closure sections are carried on rails within the sphere adjacent to the normally open portion of the sphere. When the use of the engine in space flight is completed generally prior to vehicle orbit, actuation devices translate the closure sections into the normally open portion of the sphere sealing the opening thereby forming an integral closed sphere, the sphere containing the engine is disconnected from the vehicle by explosive bolts or the like and then the sphere falls from the vehicle towards earth.

Abstract: The disclosure describes a device for carrying and lifting loads and moving ame by aerodynamic lifting, rotary-wing aerial propulsion, having two coaxial rotors of same diameters rotating at the same speed and in reversed direction through a double crown wheel system which is driven by oppositely disposed rollers. The device includes a crown wheel operatively connected to two rotors which are driven by two rollers, one of which being driven by one or two motors mounted on the body. The internal crown wheel has a hub enabling external blades to be mounted in superimposed relationship.

Abstract: This fluid lock permits transiting an object between different fluid pressure through a transiting hole in a wall separating a higher fluid pressure side from a lower fluid pressure side on opposite sides of the wall; has higher and lower fluid pressure doors, each hinged for pivotal movement between an open position for permitting transiting through the hole from one to the other pressure side and a closed position for sealing the opening; and has a transiting container formed between the doors in closed position, and closely form fitting the transiting object, for minimizing the loss of fluid between the sides during transiting the object through the hole.

Abstract: A wing structure for controlling hydrodynamic ram and which includes a substructure having a plurality of individual cells each with a respective boundary, a composite skin disposed on the substructure, and perforations disposed through the composite skin which define a plurality of sections in the composite skin such that each section of the plurality of sections of the composite skin is disposed within the confines of each respective boundary of each of the plurality of individual cells of the substructure so that each section of the plurality of sections of the composite skin forms a blow off panel for relieving pressure created by hydrodynamic ram in a respective individual cell of the plurality of individual cells of the substructure.

Abstract: A material handling assembly primarily in the form of a clamshell structure being hyraulically activated and used in combination with a helicopter for the support of the clamshell structure and its operation thereof between a closed and an open position. The height and actual positioning of the clamshell relative to any applicable types of materials being handled or transferred is regulated by the height and positioning of the helicopter.

Abstract: An orbital system comprising a main platform and a satellite tethered by a long cable which may be used to perform measurements in the upper layers of the atmosphere. Air drag on the satellite causes the orbit parameters to decay, and means of regenerating the orbit parameters by electro-dynamic propulsion are provided. The cable is electrically conductive and, in a propulsion configuration, a current is passed through the cable to provide electro-geomagnetic thrust. Winches enable the cable to be wound in and out, either constantly, or in synchronization with angular oscillation of the system to damp the oscillations.On an east-bound orbit, the satellite may be transferred from a measurement configuration, where it is below the platform, to a propulsion configuration, where it is above the platform. This is achieved by winding the cable in synchronism to excite the oscillations until it swings above the platform and then to damp the oscillations so that it remains above the platform.