Patent ID: 7299636

Claim:
An extendible exhaust nozzle bell for a rocket engine of one of an aircraft and spacecraft comprising: a first part, having a quasi-conical shape, fixedly arranged on a motor of the rocket engine; a second, having a quasi-conical shape with a greater diameter than the first part, arranged in a flexible manner with respect to the first part; the second part having a stowed position in which the second part surrounds the first part and is positioned closer to the motor, and an operating position in which the first part and the second part form a continuous shape and the second part is arranged farther from the motor; and an extension mechanism structured and arranged to extend the second part from the stowed position to the operating position, the extension mechanism comprising a plurality of swiveling extension arms distributed over a circumference of the first part, and coupled between the first part and the second part, wherein the extension arms have first and second ends, such that the first ends are hingedly connected to a support structure provided on an outside of the first part; and wherein the second ends are displaceably arranged with respect to an inside of the second part and configured to be swivelable while reducing a radial distance of the second ends to the first part.