Movable cover for a proprotor nacelle
An aircraft, including a fixed nacelle disposed on a wing of the aircraft, the fixed nacelle including a nacelle opening; a proprotor pylon disposed on the wing and rotatable relative to the fixed nacelle between a substantially horizontal position and a non-horizontal position, wherein rotation of the proprotor pylon to a non-horizontal position exposes the nacelle opening; and a movable cover disposed on at least one of the wing and fixed nacelle, said movable cover including a plurality of cover members that are movable between a closed position where at least a portion of the cover members collectively form a protective cover in front of the nacelle opening when the proprotor pylon is positioned in the non-horizontal position and a stowed position where at least a portion of the plurality of cover members are stowed. In other aspects, there is provide a method of covering a nacelle opening.
1. An aircraft, comprising:
a fixed nacelle disposed on a wing of the aircraft, the fixed nacelle comprising a nacelle opening;
a proprotor pylon disposed on the wing and rotatable relative to the fixed nacelle between a substantially horizontal position and a non-horizontal position, wherein rotation of the proprotor pylon to the non-horizontal position exposes the nacelle opening; and
a movable cover disposed on at least one of the wing and the fixed nacelle, said movable cover comprising a plurality of cover members that are movable between a closed position where at least a portion of the cover members collectively form a protective cover in front of the nacelle opening when the proprotor pylon is positioned in the non-horizontal position and a stowed position where at least a portion of the plurality of cover members are stowed.
2. The aircraft of claim 1 , further including a linkage connected between the movable cover and the proprotor pylon that rotation of the proprotor pylon moves the cover members to a closed position.
3. The aircraft of claim 1 , further including an actuator coupled to the movable cover to move at least a portion of the plurality of cover members.
4. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the fixed nacelle defines a channel that receives the proprotor pylon when the proprotor pylon is rotated to the substantially horizontal position.
5. The aircraft of claim 4 , wherein the movable cover is stowed at least partially in the channel of the fixed nacelle.
6. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the movable cover is stowed at least partially in the wing.
7. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cover members comprises a plurality of cover slats.
8. The aircraft of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of cover slats is disposed on a support frame.
9. The aircraft of claim 8 , wherein the support frame is disposed on at least one of the wing and the fixed nacelle.
10. The aircraft of claim 8 , further including a flexible cover in contact with at least one of the following: the plurality of cover members, the plurality of cover slats, and the support frame.
11. The aircraft of claim 7 , wherein the cover slats are interlinked and movably coupled to a plurality of support tracks.
12. The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the cover slats are interlinked by being in contact with a flexible secondary layer.
13. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the cover members comprise a plurality of cover shells.
14. The aircraft of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of cover shells comprises telescoping cover shells that are pivotally and slidably connected.
15. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the protective cover has a forwardly bowed shape when the proprotor pylon is in a non-horizontal position.
16. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cover members comprise a material selected from at least one of the following: a ceramic material, a composite material, a metallic material, an elastomeric material, and an armored material.
17. A method of covering a nacelle opening associated with rotation of a proprotor pylon to a non-horizontal position, comprising so moving a movable cover having a plurality of cover members that the plurality of cover members collectively form a protective cover in front of the nacelle opening that is exposed when the proprotor pylon is rotated.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the movable cover is moved by linking the movable cover to a proprotor pylon for movement with the proprotor pylon.
19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the movable cover is moved by an actuator.