Abstract: An acoustical and thermal insulation product suitable for use in an aircraft is provided, comprising: an insulation layer formed from a sheet of insulation material, wherein the sheet of insulation material is arranged to form a series of undulations defining a series of alternating upper ridges and lower ridges of the sheet, and a plurality of elongated reinforcing members for reinforcing the insulation product.

Abstract: An aircraft incorporates a lift system for guiding a lift cabin. The lift cabin 21 is capable of servicing several decks in the aircraft. A guiding structure is mounted inside the aircraft fuselage 1 by mounting it to the floor and deck structures, while allowing for strains between the floor and the deck in the vertical direction. The lift cabin is capable of travelling down to the ground if a door in the underside of the fuselage is provided. The lift cabin is arranged on the guiding structure using a bogie truck mounted on the lift cabin, and the bogie truck may be actively connected with profile rails of the guiding structure via roll blocks. The part of the bogie truck carrying the roll blocks or other guiding element may remain within the fuselage, when the cabin is positioned on the ground.

Abstract: An acoustical and thermal insulation product suitable for use in an aircraft is provided, comprising: an insulation layer formed from at least one sheet of insulation material, and a plurality of elongated reinforcing members for reinforcing the insulation product, wherein the plurality of elongated reinforcing members comprises fiber glass and a resin.

Abstract: A positioning boom disposed between a space-based observatory platform and its instrument payload provides thermal and dynamic isolation as well as fine pointing and momentum control. The inventive system isolates a sensitive payload from a warm, dynamically noisy spacecraft, which includes a sunshield. Isolation is required in terms of dynamics and heat flow, both in terms of the absolute level and its variance (thermal isolation). The present invention provides intrinsic control over momentum buildup (which is due to the separation of the center of pressure from the center of mass). The space-based platform also provides a view (field of regard) to at least half the sky (in the anti-sun direction).

Abstract: A thrust reverser includes reverser doors circumferentially spaced around a nacelle. An arcuate yoke is disposed coaxially around the nacelle. An actuator is mounted tangentially to the yoke for rotary movement thereof. Actuator rods join the doors to the yoke for simultaneous deployment of the doors as the yoke is rotated.

Abstract: A munition is presented which includes an integrity verification system that measures the integrity of the munition. When an integrity threshold is not met, engagement of the munition with a predetermined target is aborted. Also presented is a methodology for gating the engagement of the munition with the target. The methodology includes performing an integrity check of the munition after it is deployed. The method further includes aborting the engagement of the target when the integrity check of the munition fails.

Abstract: A projectile for a weapon comprises an axially movable firing pin, an initiator actuable when impinged by the firing pin, a plurality of external peripheral fins movable from a radially inward position to a radially outward position when the projectile leaves the weapon, fin engaging means for moving each fin from the radially inward position to the radially outward position and for maintaining each fin in the radially outward position, and internal actuating means for actuating the fin engaging means to engage and thereby move the fins to deploy from the radially inward to the radially outward position as the projectile leaves the weapon.

Abstract: A VTOL aircraft includes a wing, a propulsion system, and an air dam. The propulsion system is located in a central void formed in the wing to cause air flow from an outer perimeter of the wing over the wing and down through the void to generate lift. The air dam is located over the central void to promote flow of air over the wing. The aircraft also may utilize sub-atmospheric pressure gas to reduce the relative weight of the aircraft.

Abstract: A cabin crew area (10) of an aircraft (14) includes an aft area (16) with multiple galley carts (30). The aft area (16) has a fore/aft depth that is approximately equal to the depth of two or more of the galley carts (30). A galley storage unit (32) resides in the aft area (16) and stores the galley carts (30). The galley storage unit (32) is configured for placement of a portion of the galley carts (30) in a lateral row in a forward section (42) of the aft area (16). A main counter (34) resides over the galley storage unit (32) and extends laterally across a galley-servicing area (12) of the aircraft (14).

Abstract: An air discharge valve for an aircraft has an inner valve flap (1) and an outer valve flap (3) which partially overlap each other to form a nozzle of the Laval type with a nozzle inlet (6) converging toward a nozzle neck (S) and with a nozzle outlet (7) diverging away from the nozzle neck (S). The inner valve flap (1) has a trailing edge (8A) hinged to the aircraft body and a first leading edge (8) facing in the flight direction and having a curved sectional configuration. The outer valve flap (3) has a second leading edge (9) hinged to the aircraft body and a trailing edge (9A). Both flaps (1, 3) have a wedge shape. An outwardly facing surface portion (11B) of the inner flap (1) forms an air flow guide for air flowing out of the nozzle outlet (7). An inwardly facing surface portion (15B) of the outer flap (3) forms an air flow guide into the nozzle inlet (6) formed by the curved sectional configuration of the first leading edge (8) and by the inwardly facing surface portion (15B).

Abstract: An apparatus for illuminating the messenger cable of a helicopter includes a helicopter having a floor and including a RAST system; the RAST system comprising a messenger cable with a connector attached to one end for lowering to a landing deck of a ship, the RAST system further comprising a winch for raising and lowering the messenger cable, a housing attached to the floor of the helicopter through which the messenger cable is raised and lowered, a top of the housing including an opening through which the messenger cable passes, a sheave attached to the top of the housing and over which the messenger cable passes and a pulley attached to the housing and over which the messenger cable passes; a luminescent cover attached to a portion of the messenger cable adjacent the connector; a light mounted on the top of the housing for charging the luminescent cover; and a limit switch mounted on top of the housing for stopping upward motion of the messenger cable.

Abstract: A thrust reverser system actuator assembly is provided that includes a torque limiter to limit the number of torque that may be applied to the actuator assembly. The actuator assembly includes an actuator and a torque limiter assembly. The actuator is adapted to receive a drive force and is configured, in response to receipt of the drive force, to move between a stowed position and a deployed position. The torque limiter assembly is coupled to an end of the actuator and is configured to limit torque applied to the actuator assembly upon a torque magnitude being reached in at least the actuator.

Abstract: An unmanned air vehicle (“UAV”) apparatus is configured to have a body and a body-conformal wing. The body-conformal wing is configured to variably sweep from a closed position to a fully deployed position. In the closed position, the body-conformal wing span is aligned with the body axis and in the fully deployed position the body-conformal wing span is perpendicular to the axial direction of the body. Delivery of the UAV comprises the steps of: positioning the span of a body conformal wing in alignment with the axis of the body of the UAV; initiating the flight of the UAV; and adjusting the sweep angle of the body-conformal wing as a function of the current speed, altitude, or attack angle of the UAV, with the adjustment starting at a 0 degree position and varying between a closed position and a fully deployed position. The UAV also has a control mechanism configured to variably adjust the sweep of the body-conformal wing to achieve a high lift over drag ratio through out the flight path of the UAV.

Abstract: A monument support system (90) for an aircraft (92) includes multiple aircraft frame elements (16?). An adapter bridge (93) is coupled to the aircraft frame elements (16?) and has multiple attachment points (20?). A coupling member (110) is coupled to the adapter bridge (93). A monument (96) is coupled to the frame elements (16?) via the adapter bridge (93) and the coupling member (110).

Abstract: A system for deploying an aircraft emergency evacuation slide or other inflatable device utilizes an inflation gas that is stored in a partially liquified state. The inflation gas includes a gaseous compound, preferably nitrous oxide, that is capable of undergoing an exothermic thermal decomposition, which gives off heat and produces a greater number moles of inflation gas than the number of moles of gas stored. The increase in moles of gas allows a greater inflation volume for a given weight of stored gas, while the exothermic decomposition produces additional heat that offsets, to some extent, the endothermic boiling and expansion of the liquified stored gas.

Abstract: Boeing achieves satellite diversity by having a large discrimination angle for a MEO constellation of communications satellites to limit interference in the Ku-band with GSO communications systems. Each satellite entering an exclusion zone over a GSO ground station terminates all transmissions to provide EPFD within acceptable limits. The Boeing MEO constellation preferably comprises 20 satellites, 5 in each orbit. The four orbits are inclined at about 57° with respect to the equator. Services include an Integrated Digital Service (IDS) and Backhaul Data Service (BDS) to accommodate the needs of different users.

Abstract: A system for controlling an aircraft control surface may include a control surface having at least two control surface elements mounted to rotate about an axis on a stabilizer element of the aircraft. An actuator with at least two actuating devices moves the control surface elements according to individual turn commands. Also, a first device determines a particular phase of flight of the aircraft. When the particular phase of flight is determined to exist by the first device, a second device generates differentiated individual turn commands for the actuating devices, according to an overall turn command received from a control unit, to provide prioritized control of the control surface element that generates the lowest force on the stabilizer element.

Abstract: A reorientation controller for a satellite includes a slew rate command generator that generates a slew rate command signal ({right arrow over (?)}r—cmd) in response to an attitude error signal. The attitude error signal corresponds to the difference between an initial attitude and a target attitude. The slew rate command generator may introduce a phase lead (?L) into the slew rate command signal ({right arrow over (?)}r—cmd). The controller may perform a spin phase synchronization when the target attitude is unsynchronized in spin phase with the initial attitude. The satellite may perform a reorientation maneuver in response to the slew rate command signal ({right arrow over (?)}r—cmd).

Abstract: A system and apparatus for deployment of a decoy from a moving object, such as an aircraft, to protect the aircraft from an enemy missile. The decoy is stored in a housing mounted on the aircraft and is connected by a cable containing fiber optics and high voltage conductors. The cable is stored on a spool which is reciprocally moveable along a rotating shaft provided with a double helix and which is located coaxially within an outer rotatable de-bailer. The cable is drawn through a passage formed in an outer cylindrical side wall and end wall of the de-bailer as the decoy is deployed from the aircraft. The cable causes the de-bailer to rotate about the spool which reciprocates back and forth along the double helix shaft. The spool is connected to the helix of the shaft by a pawl and a brake mechanism controls the rotational speed of the shaft, and thus the payout speed of the cable.

Abstract: An aircraft, comprising a fuselage having an elongated, narrow forward portion, a main wing carried by a rear portion of the fuselage, a canard wing carried by said fuselage forward portion and having swept back leading and trailing edges tapering toward a tip or tips, the canard wing having less lifting surface than the main wing.