Patent ID: 6260567
Filing Date: 2001-07-17
Classification: B64D,F02C,Y02T,Y10T

Abstract:
A mission adaptive inlet for an aircraft for controlling airflow into an engine of the aircraft without forming gaps or surface discontinuities in the adaptive inlet, the adaptive inlet comprising:an inlet duct ducted to the engine;an exterior rigid structure attached to an exterior surface of an input port of the inlet duct of the aircraft;an interior rigid structure attached to an interior surface of the input port of the inlet duct of the aircraft;a plurality of shape memory alloy wires connected to the exterior rigid structure and the interior rigid structure, each of the plurality of shape memory alloy wires forming a non-linear shape;a flexible layer covering the plurality of shape memory alloy wires to form a lip adjacent the input port of the inlet duct; andwherein the shape memory alloy wires are operable to alter a shape of the lip, to thereby control the airflow into the inlet duct without creating gaps or surface discontinuities in the adaptive inlet.