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N.VENTOR WAA, 42. 4% oozée4 //s1772/7ez . Patented Apr. 16, 1946 2,398,704 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,398,704 ENGINENACELLE INSTALLATION Fort AIRCRAFT Alfred A. Gassner, New York, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Ridgefield Manufactur ing Corporation, Ridgefield, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 3, 1943, Serial No. 485.425 7 Claims. (CI. 244-54) This invention relates to improvements in air parts enlarged, the view being taken on line III Craft and more particularly to engine nacelle in III of Fig. 4; stallations for aircrafts of the large transport Fig. 4, a diagrammatic front view particularly glider type embodying a large fuselage provided showing one nacelle installation on enlarged with elevators, rudder, etc., and large wing Scale; Spreads. . Fig. 5, a detail sectional view taken on line The wing structure of such gliders is not suffi W-V of Fig. 6; ciently strong to take the weight of an engine Fig. 6, a detail view particularly showing con nacelle or nacelles in addition to the normal nection of engine nacelle strut with fuselage; flight loads, therefore they cannot be solely and 0. Fig. 7, an enlarged detail view partly in section directly supported by the wing structure. It is showing the front spar of the wing structure and desirable, however, to position the nacelle or connections leading thereto; nacelles at predetermined points along the for Fig. 8, a view similar to Fig. 7, showing the rear ward part of the aircraft wing. This must be Spar of the wing structure and attaching means accomplished in such a manner that the weight 15 for wing and nacelle struts; or weight reactions do not cause additional det Fig. 9, an enlarged detail particularly show rimental stresses in the wing structure. ing a nacelle strut and connection therefor with An object of the present invention is to provide a wing spar, a bolt supported from the wing struc efficient and simple means embodying struts and ture by a straddle member; a combination and arrangement of parts designed 20 Fig. 10, a detail sectional view taken on line. to cooperate with the glider structure, whereby X-X of Fig. 4; and the weight or weight reactions of the engine Figs. 11 and 12, detail diagrammatic views par nacelle are carried to the fuselage, not causing ticularly showing two forms of connection be additional deterimental stresses in the basic Wing tween the straddle fitting at the wing front spar structure, and may even serve to increase the 25 and a wing root fitting, strength of the original wing structure. In the illustrated embodiment of my invention The present invention also contemplates a I have shown a transport glider or aircraft in nacelle installation in which the wing structure cluding a fuselage 5, which is provided with the of the glider or aircraft takes only spanwise side conventional elevator, rudder, etc., not shown, and load components of the support struts of the 30 a divided wing structure 6, of relatively large nacelle installation, which spanwise side load can wing Spread located at the top of the fuselage usually be made, in effect, a relieve load on the and attached thereto adjacent its top by any suit wing structure. able means. This wing structure includes a front A further object of the present invention is, spar 7 and a rear spar 8, and 9 designates wing to provide a nacelle installation embodying 35 lift struts extending upwardly from a fitting to nacelle struts in which the struts may be at On the fuselage. tached to fittings employed in wing lift struts The structure entering into nacelle installa and landing gear attachments of a glider or air tion of my invention includes an engine nacelle craft structure, and when thus located, it will be designated generally by , preferably constructed understood that the horizontal components of the 40 of Welded metallic tubing, an engine cowling 2 load in the said nacelle struts are taken by the preferably formed with cooling baffles and made wing spars, these components are tension-pull of aluminum, and a nacelle cowling 3, made ing outboards at the front Spar, and compres of metal or of plywood. This installation also in sion-acting inboards at the rear spar. It is fur cludes Suitable engines 4, a fuel tank 5 for ther contemplated that the front, spar of the 45 each set of engines, filliable through a flexible wing structure takes the torque loads of the en metal hose 6 extending through the wing to gines as vertical loads. the top wing skin. designates a fire wall that In the accompanying drawings which illustrate Separates the engines from the wing and also an application of my invention: 50 from the fuel tank. Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic front view of an air It will of course be understood that the fuel craft embodying my invention; lines 8 from tank to the engines are provided Fig. 2, a diagrammatic side view taken on line with valves that may be operated from the cock I-II of Fig. ; pit of the glider or aircraft and that engine Fig. 3, a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the 55 throttle and magneto control, not shown, may 2 2,898,704 likewise be operated by suitable means from the member extending therefrom, an engine nacelle, cockpit of the glider. an engine carried by the nacelle, means pivotally Characteristic and important features of my mounting the nacelle to said wing member, for invention reside in the employment of and in swinging movement about an axis located later the arrangement of engine nacelle struts posi ally spaced to one side of the longitudinal axis tioned between the fuselage and the wing struc of the nacelle, and strut means extending from ture, whereby the weight or weight inertia re the other member and connected in Spaced rela actions of the engines are carried to the fuselage tion to the pivotal axis of Said first means Sup and do not cause additional detrimental stresses porting the weight of the nacelle and engine and on the wing structure. s normally relatively fixedly holding the nacelle As illustrated and as preferred I employ front against said swinging movement. struts 9 extending from the fuselage to a point 3. In combination with craft of the class de of nacelle below the front spar 7 of the Wing scribed having a fuselage and a wing extending structure and rear struts 20 extending from the laterally therefrom, an engine nacelle disposed fuselage to a point of nacelle below the rear spar relatively close to said Wing in Outwardly spaced 8 of the Wing. relation to the fuselage, means pivotally connect The front nacelle lift strut 9, preferably a steel ing the nacelle to said wing on an axis approxi tube with fabric fairing, is attached at its lower mately parallel to the longitudinal Center line of end to the fitting O by a bolt Oa and extends the fuselage, and strut means pivoted adjacent to upwardly to and is connected with the engine 20 the wing approximately centrally of and to the nacelle frame by a swivel joint and a single bolt nacelle on an axis parallel to said axes and out 21, whereby the nacelle is free to swivellaterally wardly of the pivotal connection of the nacelle about this bolt. 22 designates a straddle fitting to the wing and connecting it to the fuselage. clamped to the wing front spar 7, this fitting is 4. In combination with craft of the class de braced sideways-spanwise by blocks 22a glued or scribed having a fuselage and a wing extending otherwise connected to the spar webs. This na therefrom, an engine nacelle, an engine Carried celle structure is attached to the fitting 22 by a by the nacelle, means pivotally mounting the link connection 23, the latter having swivel con nacelle for swinging movement thereof to said nections with the nacelle through a bolt 24 and wing for Swinging movement about an axis lo the said strap fitting 22 of the wing and will 30 cated laterally spaced to one side of the longi transmit thrust loads, torque loads and strut out tudinal axis of the nacelle, and strut means ex boards-wise reaction to the wing Spar. No Wer tending from the fuselage and connected to the tical weight reactions however, are taken by the nacelle in spaced relation to the pivotal axis of said Spar. the nacelle, Supporting the Weight of the nacelle The rear strut 20 extends from the fuselage and 35 and engine and normally relatively fixedly hold is connected to a strap fitting 25 on the rear spar ing the nacelle against Swinging movement. of the wing through a link connection 23d, this 5. In aircraft having a fuselage and a wing fitting 25 takes the inboard-wise rear nacelle structure including a front spar and a rear sup Strut reaction. porting element, an engine nacelle installation In Fig. 11 there is shown, mainly diagram 40 therefor having propulsion means, said installa matically, engine nacelle connected to the Wing tion including a nacelle having pivotal connec front spar strap fitting 22 and in which brace tions to the said front Spar and rear Supporting members a and b are employed connecting with element on an axis approximately parallel to the the fitting and with a hinge or root fitting 26 of fuselage, a front nacelle-supporting strut ex the wing. The braces a and b forming thrust 45 tending from the fuselage, means pivotally con and tension members between the fittings, where necting the Strut to the nacelle On an axis parallel by outward-wise reaction of the engine nacelle to Said axis of the nacelle, and a rear nacelle is transmitted through the brace connections in supporting strut extending from the fuselage piv such manner as to cause an up or down load at otally connected on approximately the latter axis the strap fitting 22-the thrust or load as created 50 to the nacelle, the first-mentioned pivotal con through reaction of the engine nacelle being nections being located between the second-men transmitted to the root fitting, relieving the Wing tioned axis and the fuselage, whereby the hori of loads imposed by engine reaction. - Zontal components of the load in the nacelle Similarly as in Fig. 12, the braces a and b act Supporting Struts are taken by the front spar and through their connections. With the strap 22 and 55 rear supporing element, the components acting hinge or root fitting 26 to transmit or transfer On the front spar and rear supporting element engine reaction load or thrust to cause a down being respectively tension-pulling outboards and Wardly directed load at the strap fitting, Which compression-acting inboards. is a relieve oad for a particular Wing Structure 6. In aircraft having a Wing structure and a or cantilever Wing. 30 fuselage, a propelling engine, a nacelle therefor, What I claim is: Said wing structure including a front supporting . In combination with craft of the class de element and a rear Supporting element, a fitting scribed having a fuselage and a wing extending on the fuselage below the wing structure, a na laterally therefrom, an engine nacelle connected celle-Supporting strut extending from the fitting to said wing, strut means extending from the 35 to a point on the nacelle below the front Sup fuselage to said nacelle, a connection from the porting element, a Second nacelle-supporting strut nacelle to the wing located between the fuselage diverging from said first strut and connecting and the Zone of connection of the strut means to Said fitting to a point on the engine nacelle below said nacelle, the connections of the strut means the rear Supporting element, means for pivotally to the fuselage and nacelle and of the nacelle to O connecting the struts to the nacelle at said points, Said Wing being on pivotal axes approximately and means pivotally mounting the nacelle on the parallel to the plane of longitudinal symmetry of wing Supporting elements at points on an axis the craft. located between he fuselage and the points of 2. In combination with craft of the class de connection of Said struts to the nacelel, scribed having a fuselage member and a wing 76 7. In craft of the class described having a wir 2,898,704 3 structure and a fuselage and a wing root fitting mental to the wing spar connecting said first at their juncture, an engine, a nacelle therefor means and fitting, a second fitting on the fuselage, in the form of a generally elongated truss frame a nacelle-supporting strut connected between said work engine mounting having its longitudinal axis nacelle and said second fitting, and means for transverse with respect to the wing, said wing 6. pivotally connecting the engine nacelle to the having a nacelle supporting means spaced out nacelle supporting means. wardly from said fitting, brace means supple AFRED A. GASSNER