Tiltrotor controls shield
A tiltrotor controls shield having a blade or wire substructure under a fragile spinner fairing improves bird strike durability. The present disclosure discloses a spinner wind fairing with a shield structure disposed thereunder for providing protection to the proprotor assembly components. The shield structure can segment a projectile, such as a bird, that penetrates the spinner fairing into a series of smaller and lower energy elements spread across a wider area, such that the rotor components can withstand the impact of the smaller elements without damage.
1. A wire tiltrotor controls shield, comprising:
a base having a flange on a first end of the base;
a wire cap disposed on a second end of the base;
a vertical member disposed between the flange and the wire cap;
a circumferential member disposed at least in part around the base; and
a plurality of wire segments operably coupled between the wire cap and the circumferential member, and configured to separate a projectile into a plurality of elements,
wherein the circumferential member is segmented into a plurality of member elements, each member element disposed along a particular arc of a circumference around the base.
2. The wire tiltrotor controls shield of claim 1 , further comprising a gusset coupled to the base and the flange.
3. The wire tiltrotor controls shield of claim 1 , wherein the base is a hollow structure.
4. The wire tiltrotor controls shield of claim 1 , wherein the base has an opening.
5. The wire tiltrotor controls shield of claim 1 , wherein the flange is configured to be operably coupled to an aircraft structure.
6. The wire tiltrotor controls shield of claim 1 , wherein the circumferential member is configured to be operably coupled to an aircraft structure.
7. The wire tiltrotor controls shield of claim 1 , wherein the wire shield is made of metal.
8. The wire tiltrotor controls shield of claim 7 , wherein the metal is aluminum.
9. A bladed tiltrotor controls shield, comprising:
a blade cap having a center point in a first plane;
a circumferential member having a center point in a second plane, the circumferential member is segmented into a plurality of member elements, each member element disposed along a particular arc of a circumference around a base of the tiltrotor controls shield; and
a plurality of blade arms operably coupled between the blade cap and the plurality of member elements of the circumferential member, and configured to separate a projectile into a plurality of elements,
wherein the blade arms have one or more sharp edges.
10. The bladed tiltrotor controls shield of claim 9 , wherein the blade cap includes spokes that extend radially from the blade cap center point to a blade cap ring.
11. The bladed tiltrotor controls shield of claim 10 , wherein the spokes have one or more sharpened edges.
12. The bladed tiltrotor controls shield of claim 9 , wherein the blade arms have at least three edges.
13. The bladed tiltrotor controls shield of claim 9 , wherein the circumferential member is configured to be operably coupled to an aircraft structure.
14. The bladed tiltrotor controls shield of claim 9 , wherein the bladed shield is made of metal.
15. A tiltrotor controls shield system, comprising:
a spinner fairing;
a proprotor assembly operably coupled to a tiltrotor; and
a tiltrotor controls shield having a circumferential member segmented into a plurality of member elements, coupled to the proprotor assembly and covered by the spinner fairing, the tiltrotor controls shield configured to separate a projectile into a plurality of elements.
16. The tiltrotor controls shield system of claim 15 , wherein the tiltrotor controls shield includes a plurality of wire segments.
17. The tiltrotor controls shield system of claim 16 , wherein the tiltrotor controls shield includes a plurality of bladed arms.