Patent ID: 8322655

Claim:
A twin-boom empennage, comprising: a pair of torque tube members, each torque tube member attached to and extending rearward from a fuselage portion of an aircraft and comprising at least one wall configured to enclose a space extending a length of the torque tube; and a bridging member connecting a top portion of each of the pair of torque tube members, that the pair of torque tube members and the bridging member providing opposing lateral barriers and an upper barrier around a payload space disposed between the pair of torque tube members such that the opposing lateral barriers and the upper barrier provide structural support for an access cut-out to the payload space between the pair of the torque tube members; wherein each of the pair of torque tube members comprises a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, and wherein each of the pair of torque tube members is configured such that a longest side of the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape is positioned adjacent to the payload space and an opposing shortest side of the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape is positioned adjacent to a side of the aircraft.