Patent ID: 7975961

Claim:
An aircraft, comprising: a fuselage; a pair of wings; an engine; a surface of the aircraft upstream of the engine; and an air induction system, the air induction system including: an inlet defining a passageway to deliver air to the engine, wherein the passageway extends along a longitudinal axis of the inlet generally aligned with a direction of flow of air as the air approaches the inlet, wherein the passageway defines an aperture at a first end to receive a portion of the air as intake air for delivery to the engine at a second end of the passageway; at least one first dielectric barrier discharge generator positioned along the surface, wherein, during operation, the first dielectric barrier discharge generator applies a first force to a boundary layer of the air adjacent to the surface, wherein the first force acts in a first direction that is oblique to the longitudinal axis; and at least one second dielectric barrier discharge generator positioned along the surface, wherein, during operation, the second dielectric barrier discharge generator applies a second force to a portion of the boundary layer, wherein the second force acts in a second direction, wherein the second direction is one of: generally parallel to the longitudinal axis and at an angle that is between the first direction and the longitudinal axis.