NOSE WHEEL WATER SPRAY DEFLECTOR

Abstract: A nose landing gear supported deflector (20) for preventing ingestion of nose wheel side spray into wing mounted engines. The deflector (20) extends horizontally with respect to the runway surface (200) and in front of the nose wheels (10) and (12) while permitting landing gear and deflector (20) retraction into the nose gear wheel well (600).

Description: NOSE WHEEL WATER SPRAY DEFLECTOR This invention relates to landing gear water spray deflectors and more particularly to a nose wheel water spray deflector. Heretofore, main landing gear water spray deflectors have included an af wheel mounted deflector for aircraft having aft body mounted engines and the proposed use of a modified automobile fender type deflector concerned with bow wave spray ingestion by the aircraft engines. Further exemplary spray deflectors in the patent literature include those shown in ϋ. S.. Patent Nos. 2,814,454; 3,169,001; 3,670,996; and 3,680,885. In contrast with the preceding, the present deflector embodiment is a landing gear deflector mounted retractable structure which when deployed horizontally in front of the nose wheels prevents wing mounted engine spray ingestion. A full understanding of the invention, and of its further advantages and the several unique aspects thereof, will be had from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the present nose wheel water spray deflector apparatus; FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the deflector apparatus of Figure 1; FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of the deflector apparatus of Figure 1; FIGURE 4 is a top view of the deflector apparatus of Figure 1 looking down from the aircraft fuselage with nose landing gear inner cylinder support for the nose wheel pair sectioned; and, FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view of the nose wheel water spray deflector apparatus of Figure 1 showing the nose gear in solid line in stowed position and in dashed line for deployed position operation. Turning now to Figure 1, it will be seen that nose landing gear inner cylinder 16 carries supportedly fixed thereto axle 14 supporting rotatably.mounted thereon in conventional manner a pair of nose gear wheels 10 and 12. The present nose wheel water spray deflector appara¬ tus 20 includes a lateral support tube member 22 fixed on either end thereof by a pair of flanges 24 and 26 integral with horizontal deflector plate member 28. Center support member 30 provides linkage to connect lateral support tube membe 22 with nose gear tow fitting 40 via bolt connection 41. Side support members 42 and 44 Cseen in Figure 3) , one fixed as by bolting at one end to each side of horizontal deflector plate member 28 at points 50 and 52 (.see Figure 3) , and with the other ends thereof disposed over axle 14 stubs. The particular structural configuration, of nose wheel water spray deflector apparatus 20 and important geometrical features thereof can be further understood when it is further noted that the leading -edge (as observed from the indicated forward direction denoted in Figure 4 by numeral 128) extends beyond the outer front surfaces of nose wheels 10 and 12. It can readily be seen from Figures 1 and 3 that the side edge portions 112 and 110 of horizontal deflector plate member 28 are curved and directed downward toward runway surface 200 (as seen in Figure 3) . Besides noting that horizontal deflector plate member 28 extends sideways and ahead of nose wheels 10 and 12, it should be further noted that horizontal deflector plate member 28 extends (where nose landing gear is deployed in the extended condition as shown in Figure 5 by dotted line representation) in a horizontal plane with respect to runway surface 200 and at a predetermined distance above runway surface 200, suspended with the bottom surface thereof about 9.1 inches below the center of axle 14, The inside dimension between OMPI side edge portions 112 and 110 of horizontal deflector plate member 28 is about 45 * 5 inches, and horizontal deflector plate member 28 has a central portion 228 (seen in Figure 41 which extends aftwardly between nose wheels 10 and 12 a predetermined distance of about 8.0 inches measured rearwardly from leading edge 128. Side leg portions 328 of horizontal deflector plate member 28 extend aft of leading edge 128 a distance of about 32.2 inches. As seen in Figure 1, a flexible pad support member 428 is utilized below horizontal deflector plate member 28 to sandwich reinforced flexible pad member 528 therebetween in a secured condition as by fasteners 628. As seen from a top view in Figure 4, flexible pad member 528 extends in a horizontal plane around the periphery of horizontal deflector plate member 28 along at least the front and sidewall surface portions of nose wheels 10 and 12 thereby reducing and minimizing the gap between horizontal deflector plate member 28 and the front and sidewall surface portions of nose wheels 10 and 12, the flexibility accommodating deflections and changes in shape and size of tires caused by use. The distance dimension of horizontal deflector plate member 28 from wheel centers provides sufficient ground clearance of member 28 in the event of a flat tire on the nose gear. Figure 5 is deemed helpful in showing how the present nose wheel water spray deflector apparatus 20 as hereinbefore described can be extended for .deployment (as in the dotted' line representation) or retracted by conventional nose wheel landing gear apparatus 500 into nose gear wheel well 600, OMFI

Claims: We claim: 1. In combination with the landing strut and axle supporting a pair of nose gear wheels of an air¬ craft, a nose wheel water spray deflector having a leading edge extending forward of said nose gear wheels 5 and beyond the outer sidewall surface portions of said pair of nose gear wheels, said nose wheel water spray deflector having aftwardly extending side leg portions and a central surface portion extending aftwardly between said pair of nose gear wheels, said aftwardly extending 0 side leg portions having downturned side edge portions; and, said nose wheel water spray deflector extending in a plane parallel to the runway surface when the aircraft is in a landing configuration with the bottom surface of said nose wheel water spray deflector disposed about 9.1 5 inches below the center of said axle. 2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein the inner periphery of said nose wheel water spray deflector facing said pair of nose gear wheels is supportive of a flexible pad member minimizing the gap intermediate said e nose wheel water spray deflector and said pair of nose gear wheels. OMPI >. V/IFO 3. In combination in an aircraft having a plurality of wing mounted engines and a nose landing gear having a pair of nose wheels, a nose wheel water spray deflector for preventing nose landing gear wheel generated side spray ingestion by said wing mounted engine, said nose wheel water spray deflector having a leading edge extending forward of said pair of nose wheels and further extending in a plane parallel to the runway surface when the aircraft is in a landing configuration with nose wheels on the runway surface, said nose wheel water spray deflecto attached to the inner cylinder of said nose landing gear and retractable through the nose wheel doorway during flight of the aircraft, said nose wheel water. spray de¬ flector having a lateral support tube connected through a center support member to the tow fitting of said nose gear. OMFI V WIPO

Inventors: GLASENAPP RUDI KARL HEINZ, MCCULLOCH ANDREW JOHN, GLASENAPP, RUDI, KARL, HEINZ, MCCULLOCH, ANDREW, JOHN
Applicants: BOEING CO, THE BOEING COMPANY
Application year: 1981
Main classification: B64C25
IPC codes: B64C25