Robert M French

US Patent:

6419189, Jul 16, 2002

Filed:

Nov 1, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/703568

Inventors:

Robert E. French - San Gabriel CA
Conley Siddoway Thatcher - Placentia CA
Edward A. Zadorozny - Redondo Beach CA
Peter A. Hogenson - Long Beach CA

Assignee:

The Boeing Company - Chicago IL

International Classification:

B64C 100

US Classification:

244123, 244124, 244 35 R, 244 87, 244131, 416223 R

Abstract:

A ruddervator for an aerospacecraft. The ruddervator is formed by a plurality of airfoil sections nestably disposed in side by side fashion and supported by a pair of titanium box beam frame elements extending through central openings in each of the airfoil sections. Each airfoil section includes an oxide fiber/oxide matrix-based ceramic matrix composite (oxide-CMC) panel made up of multiple plies of oxide-CMC fabric which are fused over a rigid ceramic foam insulation member. The lower ends of the frame elements are secured to a transition component comprising a conventional torque box. The ruddervator can be manufactured with less cost and lower weight over previous ruddervator designs which require one or more large skin sections which are mechanically fastened to a substructure. The ruddervator of the present invention further minimizes fabrication costs by using a common design for the nesting airfoil sections so that a common female lay-up mold can be used for fabricating all of the airfoil sections.

US Patent:

6676077, Jan 13, 2004

Filed:

Nov 1, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/703947

Inventors:

Robert E. French - San Gabriel CA
Conley Siddoway Thatcher - Placentia CA
Edward A. Zadorozny - Redondo Beach CA
Peter A. Hogenson - Long Beach CA

Assignee:

The Boeing Company - Chicago IL

International Classification:

B64G 100

US Classification:

244117R, 244158 A, 244123, 244133

Abstract:

A ruddervator for an aerospacecraft including a monolithic, one-piece, oxide/oxide-based ceramic matrix composite (Oxide-CMC) shell having a hollowed interior area. A graphite composite structural member is inserted into the hollowed interior area and bonded thereto. The Oxide-CMC shell is comprised of one or more plies of Oxide-CMC fabric which are fused over a thick substrate of rigid ceramic foam insulation to form the monolithic shell. An outer mold line ply of the Oxide-CMC shell is further infused with a high-emissivity coating such as reaction-cured glass (RCG) to provide plasma heating re-radiation outward to reduce internal temperatures in the ruddervator. A torque box transition structure is secured to the graphite composite structural member to interface the ruddervator to a fuselage actuator spindle of the aerospacecraft. The ruddervator is reusable and formed from a reduced number of independent component parts, and weighs less than previously developed ruddervators. The manufacturing cost of the ruddervator is reduced by utilizing the reduced tooling complexities of Oxide-CMC over CMC fabrication processes.