Abstract: An airplane arresting gear has a generally planar frame (20) having a front end and a rear end that is adapted to be attached at the front end to a structure of the airplane for pivotal movement about a frame pivot axis (FPA) substantially parallel to the airplane z-axis between a stowed position in which the frame (20) resides within the fuselage skin and a deployed position in which the frame (20) extends rearwardly and obliquely downwardly with respect to the x-axis of the airplane. A shank (30) having a cable hook (80) at the rear end is coupled at its front end to the rear end of the frame (20) for pivotal movement about a shank pivot axis between a deployed position in which the shank (30) extends rearwardly from the shank pivot axis and a stowed position in which the shank (30) extends generally forwardly from the shank pivot axis and lies abreast of the frame (20).

Abstract: A variable displacement fuel tank for aircraft is provided. The variable displacement fuel tank may be disposed within an upper medial portion (12) of a fuselage (18) of an aircraft (10). In one embodiment, a variable displacement fuel tank (20) includes a fuel bladder (22) adapted to contain fuel and a plurality of panels (30, 34, and 36) coupled to the fuselage (18) and acting on the fuel bladder (22) to restrain and control the shape of the fuel bladder (22). The variable displacement fuel tank (20) also include a power drive system (26) that operates to move the plurality of panels (30, 34, and 36) through a continuum of positions between fully deployed and stowed in order to maintain substantially zero ullage within the fuel bladder (22).