Patent ID: 8459036

Claim:
An aircraft engine apparatus comprising: a gas turbine engine including a combustor used to combust a fuel and air mixture, a turbine positioned downstream of the combustor and structured to receive the combusted fuel and air mixture, and a ramburner positioned downstream of the turbine and structure to receive an expanded flow of the combusted fuel and air mixture from the turbine wherein the ramburner also includes a fuel injector oriented to deliver fuel to the ramburner for a ramburning combustion; a nozzle having a center plug nozzle and structured to receive a flow that develops from the ramburning combustion, the nozzle having a first and second actuator operable to change a throat area and an exit area of the nozzle, the first actuator operable to be commanded to a non-reversible release condition in which a first cowl attached to the first actuator moves to a downstream location relative to a second cowl and that the first cowl cannot be recalled by the first actuator once the first actuator is commanded to the non-reversible release condition, the second actuator operable to be commanded to a position during operation of the gas turbine engine; and wherein a nozzle flow surface is gradually formed during deployment of the first cowl and wherein the nozzle flow surface that is gradually formed is substantially exposed to the flow stream throughout the deployment of the first cowl.