Abstract: A method, computer program product, and system for creating and viewing an intelligent graphics file including information associated with the parts depicted in the graphics file are provided. Graphics is automatically transformed into a format that provides enriched electronic display of the graphic containing reference designation links and access to information associated with the parts depicted in the graphic. Relationships among the reference designations and the ability to access textual information associated with the reference designations of the parts are embedded in the graphic. The part and the corresponding textual information when the reference designator associated with the part is selected is automatically displayed. An intelligent graphics file that allows a user to quickly and accurately find, view and navigate among the parts of an article depicted in a graphic and the corresponding textual information for the parts is automatically produced.

Abstract: An aircraft engine thrust reverser includes a bi-fold door having a first panel pivotally attached to a nacelle and a second panel hingedly connected to the first panel. The second panel is slidingly received within a pair of tracks disposed within the nacelle. A compression link provides mechanical communication between the second panel and an efflux control assembly such that the bi-fold door is hingedly openable when slidingly urged along the tracks when the compression link responds to the efflux control assembly.

Abstract: There is provided a store ejection system and method that use a pressurized non-pyrotechnic gas as the source of energy and transfer mechanism for jettisoning a store from an aircraft. The ejection system includes an on-board pressure vessel for holding the pressurized gas, a releasable seal configured to hermetically seal the pressure vessel, and a pressure regulator fluidly connected to the releasable seal and configured to control a flow of the gas from the pressure vessel when the releasable seal is configured in an open position. The pressure vessel is releasably connected to the pressure regulator and the releasable seal is configured to be released after the pressure vessel is connected to the pressure regulator so that the releasable seal hermetically seals the pressure vessel before the pressure vessel is connected to the pressure regulator. The ejection system also includes at least one actuation system and at least one pneumatically-driven jettison mechanism for releasably retaining the store.

Abstract: A composite laminate structure formed from at least one high-strength, high-stiffness fiber-resin composite structural lamina laminated to at least one fiber-resin composite damping lamina, wherein the resin matrix of the structural lamina resides below its glassification temperature (Tg) and wherein the resin matrix of the damping lamina resides above its glassification temperature during normal use temperatures, thereby providing a high-strength laminate with improved damping properties.

Abstract: A resin infusion mold tool system for use in a vacuum assisted resin transfer molding process with a subsequent pressure bleed step. The mold tool system includes a mold assembly having an outer mold line tool connected to resin supply lines and supplying resin to the preform. A plurality of inner mold line tools form a hard interface with the inner mold line of the fiber preform and are held to within tight tolerances by an external locating fixture. Excess resin is drawn out of the fiber preform using a vacuum bag connected to vacuum lines and disposed over the inner mold line tools but not between the tools and the fiber preform. The mold assembly is placed in an autoclave, the resin supply lines are detached and the autoclave pressurized to bleed additional resin out of the preform to raise the fiber volume of the composite structure.

Abstract: An optically baffled heating station for joining wire connections by using a solder sleeve includes: an outer housing; a reflection block where said reflection block includes a reflection chamber where the reflection chamber forms the shape of two overlapping ellipses where the ellipses intersect at one respective focal point of each ellipsis and the opposing non-intersecting focal points are separated by about a 90° angle; two heating elements within a heating element block where the two heating elements extend beyond the heating element block and protrude into the reflection pockets of the reflection chamber. A slot extends between the two heating elements through the reflection block and the heating element block. The closed end of the slot includes a target area where the shrinking of the sleeve occurs. The target area receives the reflected light and minimizes the reflection of light toward the open end of the slot.

Abstract: A method, apparatus for reducing errors in a plurality of beacon beams is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of computing quantized channel weights {tilde over (W)}c from channel weights Wc for at least some of the channels; estimating the quantization error &Dgr;Ba for each of the beacon beams from a difference between the channel weights Wc and the computed quantized channel weights {tilde over (W)}c; and adding the estimated quantization error &Dgr;Ba to the beacon beams. Similarly, a beacon biases equivalent to the beacon asymmetry error can be computed by the ground beacon beam forming software and uploaded to the on-board software for error compensation. The apparatus comprises one or more means, such as a processor communicatively coupled to a memory storing instructions for performing these operations.

Abstract: The optical system includes a stack of lensed, AR-coated laser diode bars and optics to brighten the stack's output. A spatial filter forces each bar to lase in one or a few high-order modes having two strong emission lobes. Radiation in the first lobe is passed to a collimating optic to form a filtered image of each of the lensed diode bars on an associated grating, whose angle then determines the lasing wavelength of that bar. Radiation in the second lobe is directed into an output path where another collimating optic produces an array of spatially separated, collimated beams. The wavelengths set for each beam allow them to be spectrally combined into a single, multi-wavelength, collimated output beam possessing substantially the same cross section and divergence as an individual input beam.

Abstract: An aircraft flight control system is provided for reducing the likelihood of an aircraft tailstrike. The flight control system includes a pitch command provided to a pitch control device for altering the aircraft's pitch attitude. The improvement is a system of altering the pitch command to avoid an aircraft tailstrike. The improvement includes determining a current tailskid closure rate and a current tail height; comparing the current tailskid closure rate with a threshold closure rate to determine an excess closure rate amount; and adding an incremental nose-down pitch command with the pitch command to avoid a potential aircraft tailstrike. The threshold closure rate is dependent upon the current tailskid height. The incremental nose-down pitch command is calculated as a function of the excess closure rate amount.

Abstract: A method of generating holes in fiber-reinforced metal laminate material is provided, including creating a first bore 18 by passing a cutting element 16 from a first side 24 of the fiber-reinforced metal laminate material 10 to a second side 26, the first bore 18 including first bore sidewalls 19 at least a portion of which includes a taper 28 having a taper diameter 33 and a taper depth 32; passing the cutting element 16 through the first bore 18; moving the cutting element 16 outward of the taper diameter 33; and retracting the cutting element 16 through the first bore 18 to create a second bore 34 having straight second bore sidewalls 36.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for removing BHP contaminants (alkali hydroxide and H2O2) from a recycled aqueous alkali chloride solution stream before the stream is fed to a chloralkali cell so that the contaminants do not impair the operation of a chloralkali cell. Unwanted alkali hydroxide within the recycled alkali chloride brine solution is reacted with chlorine gas and converted into an alkali chloride, which is useful in the operation of the chloralkali cell, and oxygen gas, which is outgassed from the system. Any H2O2 remaining in the recycled stream after elimination of the alkali hydroxide is reacted with chlorine to form HCl and oxygen gas. The HCl raises the pH of the brine solution, after which the pH may be adjusted by the addition of supplemental alkali hydroxide.

Abstract: A system for operating and releasing a store of a first predetermined type includes an aircraft adapted to control the operation of stores of a second predetermined type and a bypass apparatus. The store is releasably secured to the aircraft, and the aircraft is capable of releasing the store. The aircraft is capable of being configured such that a store of the first predetermined type is capable of operating independent of operating instructions. The bypass apparatus is carried by the aircraft and adapted to facilitate operation of the store. The bypass apparatus can store operating instructions and thereafter transmit the operating instructions into the store. As such, after the aircraft releases the store the store is capable of operating according to the operating instructions. Also, the system can include an umbilical cable disposed between the aircraft and the store. The bypass apparatus can, therefore, be disposed within the umbilical cable.

Abstract: A method for repairing a damaged area, referred to as the repair area, of a composite structure comprises steps of: making alignment markings on the repair area; fabricating a pair of alignment templates; preparing the repair area for a hot bonded, vacuum bagged repair; assembling a repair patch; consolidating the repair patch; heating the repair patch; transferring and aligning the repair patch to the repair area; vacuum bagging, heating, and cooling the repair patch for a partial cure at the repair area; heating and cooling the repair patch in an oven; and bonding the repair patch to the repair area.

Abstract: A galley system including a first structure, a second structure, and a crew aisle between the first structure and the second structure. The galley system additionally includes a set of doors associated with the first structure and the second structure for concealing the crew aisle from the view of boarding passengers when the doors are in a closed position.

Abstract: A method of ejecting or jettisoning stores from an aircraft is disclosed that pertains essentially to the over-pressurizing of an on-board gas storage system such that the pressure of the gas stored therein remains at or above the proper pneumatic actuation pressure during all foreseeable temperature ranges. When a control signal to release a store is provided, the pressure of the gas is reduced to be within the desired pneumatic actuation pressure and the gas is then used to release the store. The present invention eliminates many of the concerns associated with prior art ejection systems by providing a method of supplying proper pneumatic actuating pressures during store release without the need for on-board compressors or heating elements.

Abstract: A system and associated friction stir welding (FSW) assembly, controller and method for performing a friction stir welding operation are provided. The friction stir welding system includes a FSW device, such as a CNC machine, that includes an actuator capable of moving a FSW tool relative to a workpiece. The system also includes a controller capable of controlling the FSW device to drive the actuator to move the FSW tool. In this regard, the actuator is capable of being driven such that the FSW tool is capable of performing a friction stir welding operation on the workpiece. The controller is capable of monitoring a torque of the actuator to thereby control the FSW device to drive the actuator such that the torque is maintained within a range about a torque setting.

Abstract: The present invention provides a network device interface and method for digitally connecting a plurality of data channels to a controller using a network bus. The network device interface interprets commands and data received from the controller and polls the data channels in accordance with these commands. Specifically, the network device interface receives digital commands and data from the controller, and based on these commands and data, communicates with the data channels to either retrieve data in the case of a sensor or send data to activate an actuator. In one embodiment, the bus controller transmits messages to the network device interface containing a plurality of bits having a value defined by a transition between first and second states in the bits. The network device interface determines timing of the data sequence of the message and uses the determined timing to communicate with the bus controller.

Abstract: An optical system and method for positioning a first object with respect to a second object, such as a refueling aircraft and an unmanned air vehicle are provided with the system, including a pattern of reflectors, an optical receiver, an optical transmitter, and a processor. The method and system permit processing two dimensional images of reflected signals and ranging of the reflector to the transmitter. An optical transceiver may also be used instead of a discrete receiver and transmitter. The reflector may include a pattern of peripheral retroreflectors and limit-angle incident retroreflectors that only reflect light incident upon the retroreflector within a predefined range of incident angles.

Abstract: An aircraft powered with a non-hydrocarbon based fuel source, such as liquid hydrogen. The fuselage contains two elongated cylindrical-type sections positioned side-by-side and joined firmly together. One of the sections houses at least one fuel tank, while the other section can be used to transport passengers, freight and the like.

Abstract: A servicing bridge (10) for servicing a vehicle (14) is provided including a main bridge section (16) that is mechanically coupled to a terminal (22) and a bridgehead (18). A retractable bridge extension system (12) is mechanically coupled to the bridgehead (18). The extension system (12) includes a bridge extension (30) that mates a bridge floor (36) to a vehicle floor (38) and extends the servicing bridge (10). A bridge extension bumper (32) is mechanically coupled to the bridge extension (30) and dampens contact between the bridge extension (30) and the vehicle (14). An extension mechanism (34) is mechanically coupled to the bridge extension (30) and the servicing bridge (10) and actuates the bridge extension (30).