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CN-114940258-B - Aircraft tail section with horizontal stabilizer joined at the root of the vertical stabilizer

CN114940258BCN 114940258 BCN114940258 BCN 114940258BCN-114940258-B

Abstract

An aircraft tail section comprises-a vertical tail, -a rear fuselage section attached to the vertical tail and comprising a skin and internal stiffening members, -a horizontal tail comprising two lateral torque boxes and a frame structure between the two lateral torque boxes, the frame structure comprising a front spar, a rear spar and two ribs extending between the front spar and the rear spar, and each rib being adjacent to a lateral torque box. The frame structure encloses a portion of the vertical tail along a spanwise direction of the vertical tail. The aircraft tail section includes an attachment assembly that attaches the frame structure to the aft fuselage section, the attachment assembly spanning the skin and extending between an inner stiffening member of the aft fuselage section and the frame structure.

Inventors

  • Francisco Javier honorato Ruiz
  • Maria Muruzabalsopelana

Assignees

  • 空中客车操作有限责任公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20211126
Priority Date
20210210

Claims (15)

  1. 1. An aircraft tail section comprising: A vertical tail (2), An aft fuselage section (1) comprising a skin (1.1) and internal stiffening members, the vertical tail (2) being attached to the aft fuselage section (1), A horizontal tail (3) comprising two lateral torque boxes (31, 32), Characterized in that the horizontal rear wing (3) further comprises: -a frame structure (33) located between the two lateral torque boxes (31, 32) and connected to the two lateral torque boxes (31, 32), the frame structure (33) comprising a front spar (34), a rear spar (35) and two ribs (36, 37) extending between the front spar (34) and the rear spar (35), each rib (36, 37) being adjacent to a lateral torque box (31, 32), the frame structure (33) surrounding a portion of the vertical tail along a spanwise direction of the vertical tail (2), And the aircraft tail section comprises an attachment assembly attaching the frame structure (33) to the rear fuselage section (1), the attachment assembly extending across the skin (1.1) and between an inner stiffening member of the rear fuselage section (1) and the frame structure (33).
  2. 2. The aircraft tail section according to claim 1, wherein the attachment assembly attaching the frame structure (33) to the rear fuselage section (1) comprises: An aft attachment (4) extending between an inner stiffening member of the aft fuselage section (1) and an aft spar (35) of the frame structure (33), -A front attachment (5) extending between an inner stiffening member of the aft fuselage section (1) and a front spar (34) of the frame structure (33).
  3. 3. An aircraft tail section according to claim 2, wherein the horizontal tail (3) is trimmable, the connection between the rear attachment (4) and the frame structure (33) is configured as a pivot (4.1) of the trimmable horizontal tail (3), and the front attachment (5) is configured to move the trimmable horizontal tail (3) about the pivot (4.1) to control the angle of rotation of the horizontal tail (3).
  4. 4. An aircraft tail section according to claim 3, wherein the front attachment (5) comprises a worm.
  5. 5. An aircraft tail section according to claim 4, wherein the front attachment (5) comprises an actuator (6) connected to the worm and configured to move the trimmable horizontal tail (3) about the pivot axis (4.1) to control the angle of rotation of the horizontal tail (3).
  6. 6. An aircraft tail section according to claim 5, wherein the actuator (6) is placed within the rear fuselage section (1).
  7. 7. An aircraft tail section according to claim 6, wherein the skin (1.1) of the rear fuselage section (1) comprises an opening which allows the worm to pass through.
  8. 8. An aircraft tail section according to any one of claims 1to 7, wherein the frame structure (33) is located at a root region of the vertical tail (2).
  9. 9. An aircraft tail section according to claim 8, wherein the frame structure (33) of the horizontal tail wing (3) is located in the vicinity of the skin (1.1) of the rear fuselage section (1) with respect to the spanwise direction of the vertical tail wing (2).
  10. 10. The aircraft tail section according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the vertical tail (2) comprises a rudder (2.1), the rudder (2.1) comprising a lower edge (2.2) which is located in the vicinity of the rear attachment (4) of the horizontal tail (3) with respect to the spanwise direction of the vertical tail (2).
  11. 11. The aircraft tail section of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the two lateral torque boxes (31, 32) comprise a front spar (31.1,32.1) and a rear spar (31.2,32.2), the front spar (34) of the frame structure (33) being joined to the front spar (31.1,32.1) of the lateral torque boxes (31, 32), the rear spar (35) of the frame structure (33) being joined to the rear spar (31.2,32.2) of the lateral torque boxes (31, 32).
  12. 12. The aircraft tail section according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the front attachment (5) is bonded to the frame structure (33) near a longitudinal center of the front spar (34).
  13. 13. An aircraft tail section according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the rear attachment (4) comprises two lugs, each lug being bonded to a rear spar (35) of the frame structure (33) in alignment with the longitudinal direction of each rib (36, 37).
  14. 14. The aircraft tail section according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the spar (34, 35) and the rib (36, 37) of the frame structure (33) are metallic.
  15. 15. The aircraft tail section of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the spar (34, 35) and the rib (36, 37) are made of a composite material.

Description

Aircraft tail section with horizontal stabilizer joined at the root of the vertical stabilizer Technical Field The present invention relates to an aircraft tail section or tail configuration. The tail section of the aircraft includes a Horizontal Tail (HTP) located at a root region of a Vertical Tail (VTP). Background Tail sections (also known as tails, tail assemblies, or tail configurations) are structures at the rear of an aircraft that provide stability during take-off and flight. The tail section is the entire tail structure and includes the rear fuselage, a vertical stabilizer or tail (VTP), and a horizontal stabilizer or tail (HTP). The tail section also includes a rudder and an elevator. Optimization of wet surfaces, and the weight and size of the Horizontal Tail (HTP) and Vertical Tail (VTP) are associated with improving aircraft performance. Various configurations of tail assemblies are found in the literature of commercial and defense aircraft. The three most relevant tail components are explained below as conventional, T-tail and cross-tail. Although the position of the Vertical Tail (VTP) is the same in all three configurations mentioned, the position of the Horizontal Tail (HTP) is different from the top of the Vertical Tail (VTP) structure to the middle section of the rear fuselage. These locations not only alter the aerodynamics of the overall aircraft, but also affect the rear fuselage and Vertical Tail (VTP) structure. The area where the Horizontal Tail (HTP) is attached must be reinforced, thus increasing the weight and cost of the aircraft. Conventional tail Conventional tail sections are the most common configuration of tail sections in commercial aircraft. Such tail section includes a vertical tail wing (VTP) coupled to an upper region of the rear fuselage. A Horizontal Tail (HTP) is attached to an inner structure of the rear fuselage. The attachment of the Horizontal Tail (HTP) to the middle section of the rear fuselage is achieved by several fittings and structural bars connected to the inner frame of the rear fuselage. Since the Horizontal Tail (HTP) is typically trimmable, it is necessary to modify the rear fuselage at the interface with the Horizontal Tail (HTP) to allow for movement thereof, as follows: a clear cut in the aft fuselage is required to locate the Horizontal Tail (HTP) and provide sufficient clearance to avoid any conflict during its trimming motion. Several stiffeners are implemented as beams and high load frames to strengthen the cutouts and redistribute the load. The final frame of the rear fuselage remains open to introduce a horizontal tail wing (HTP) into the rear fuselage during the final assembly operation of the aircraft. This is detrimental to the structural efficiency of the rear fuselage. Finally the frame is closed by a lattice structure to meet interchangeability requirements to replace the Horizontal Tail (HTP), if required. The aft fuselage aerodynamic profile is modified around the incision. The double curvature region is performed such that it is compatible with the trimming motion of a Horizontal Tail (HTP). The double curvature region also minimizes parasitic aerodynamic drag due to the partial installation of the fairing. The main disadvantages of conventional tails in terms of structure, use and aerodynamics of an aircraft are: since the connection between the Horizontal Tail (HTP) and the rear fuselage is made inside the fuselage, a significant portion of the Horizontal Tail (HTP) is hidden inside the rear fuselage. This hidden portion is not useful for aircraft control. Accordingly, the overall size of the Horizontal Tail (HTP) is increased to compensate for such non-wetting areas, thereby reducing component drag, weight, and cost. Since the Horizontal Tail (HTP) is located partially inside the rear fuselage, this fuselage section is greatly affected in terms of weight and cost by the need for additional structural reinforcement to redistribute the load around the cut-out region. Furthermore, due to the interchangeability requirements of Horizontal Tails (HTPs), the use of strut structures in the closed frame is not an optimal solution in terms of weight. The manufacture and assembly of the aft fuselage is adversely affected by the high complexity involved in the production of the double curvature shape around the cut-out region. Furthermore, the use of the fuselage interior to accommodate the Horizontal Tail (HTP) interface eliminates the possibility of using this space for other purposes such as Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) location, passenger boarding, system distribution, etc. It reduces the effective capacity of the aircraft and makes it necessary to enlarge the fuselage to position them, thus affecting drag, weight and cost. Due to the low position of the Horizontal Tail (HTP), the probability of an impact with a different object projected from the runway and of an accident occurring during ground operation is higher than in other tail sec