Patent ID: 7669785

Claim:
A propulsion system for an aircraft, comprising: an engine installation configured to be mounted on a wing assembly of the aircraft, the engine installation including: an engine; and an exhaust system operatively coupled to the engine, the exhaust system including: an inner nozzle to exhaust a core exhaust flow from the engine, and an outer nozzle disposed about the inner nozzle to exhaust a secondary exhaust flow from the engine, the outer nozzle having a variable portion to vary an exit aperture of the outer nozzle from a first shape to a second shape to change a flowfield shape of at least a portion of the outer nozzle flowfield proximate the wing assembly to reduce at least one of drag and thermal loading on the wing assembly in comparison with the variable portion operating in the first shape, the exit area of the first shape substantially equal to the exit area of the second shape.