The present invention achieves technical advantages as a rotorcraft engine inlet configuration to optimize performance in both hover and high-speed flight. A rotorcraft fuselage with a ram air intake and a side air intake allows airflow into the engine inlet plenum. A door can be operably coupled to the fuselage, wherein the door is in an open position when the airspeed is below a first threshold and is in a closed position when the airspeed exceeds a second threshold. Additionally, control logic, compares the rotorcraft airspeed with a stored airspeed to operate an actuator to open and close the door to modulate the airflow into the engine inlet plenum. The present invention realizes the advantages of eliminating the inlet spillage drag due to inlet ram airflow in forward flight and increasing the available engine power by mitigating the loss of inlet air pressure recovery.

A rotorcraft has a fuselage, an engine disposed substantially laterally centrally relative to the fuselage, and an air intake system (AIS). The AIS has a first duct configured to provide streamline air flow, a second duct configured to provide streamline air flow, and a combining section configured to receive streamline air flow from each of the first duct and the second duct. The combining section is further configured to output streamline air flow.

A gas turbine engine includes an inlet duct that is formed with a generally elliptical shape. The inlet duct includes a vertical centerline and a fan section that has an axis of rotation. The axis of rotation is spaced from the vertical centerline and is disposed within an inlet duct orifice.

A boundary layer utilization apparatus for intake of air to a high speed aircraft, comprises a first air inlet adjacent an exterior surface of a fuselage of the aircraft and offset from the fuselage enough to integrate a second air inlet in the offset space to ingest and divert the boundary layer air flowing next to the fuselage into the aircraft for a useful purpose such as cooling the engine compartment. The second air inlet is disposed aft of the first air inlet to minimize hot gas re-ingestion.

An air intake system for an aircraft engine includes an air duct having an inlet port to provide fluid communication between the inlet port and the engine and a removable air filter assembly configured to interface with the inlet port of the air duct and a skin of the aircraft. The air filter assembly includes an air filter frame having an outer wall and an inner wall, the outer wall of the air filter frame forming an air filter slot. The air filter assembly also includes a bypass door forward of the air filter slot and an air filter insertable into the air filter slot. The bypass door is movable between a closed door position and an open door position, air flowing to the inlet port of the air duct via the air filter in the closed door position and bypassing the air filter in the open door position.

A system and method of an airflow control system for a vehicle is described herein. The airflow control system (100) includes an airflow housing (120) defining an airflow passageway (125) extending between a bypass opening (122) and an intake outlet (124). The airflow housing also defines a duct opening (126) positioned between the bypass opening (122) and the intake outlet (124). The intake outlet (124) may be in fluid communication with an engine intake (12) of the vehicle such that air passes from the bypass opening (122) and/or the duct opening (126) to the engine intake (12). The airflow control system (100) also includes a movable duct (160) movably connected to the airflow housing (120) to selectively allow or prevent air passage through the duct opening (126) and into the engine intake (12), and further includes a bypass door (140) movably connected to the airflow housing (120) to selectively allow or prevent air passage through the bypass opening (122) and into the engine intake (12).

The aircraft can have an aircraft engine and a cowl, the engine having an engine part disposed within the cowl, the cowl having a cowl section movable relative to a remainder of the cowl, the engine further having a gas path duct internal to the cowl with a first portion and a cooperating second portion, the second portion mounted to the cowl section, the cowl section moveable between a first position in which the first portion and the second portion are in fluid flow communication with one another and a second position in which the cowl section and the second portion are moved away from the first portion, wherein in the first position at least the second portion obstructs external access to the engine part and in the second position at least the second portion is displaced to permit external access to the engine part.

The present invention achieves technical advantages as a rotorcraft engine inlet configuration to optimize performance in both hover and high-speed flight. A rotorcraft fuselage with a ram air intake and a side air intake allows airflow into the engine inlet plenum. A door can be operably coupled to the fuselage, wherein the door is in an open position when the airspeed is below a first threshold and is in a closed position when the airspeed exceeds a second threshold. Additionally, control logic, compares the rotorcraft airspeed with a stored airspeed to operate an actuator to open and close the door to modulate the airflow into the engine inlet plenum. The present invention realizes the advantages of eliminating the inlet spillage drag due to inlet ram airflow in forward flight and increasing the available engine power by mitigating the loss of inlet air pressure recovery.

A vehicle provided with an engine, at least one air intake opening through which the engine takes in the external air needed to operate, and an air filter, which is arranged in the area of the air intake opening; the air filter has: at least one wave-shaped filtering material element; an outer reinforcement mesh; an inner reinforcement mesh; and a heating device, which is electrically connected to a group of electrified wires of the outer reinforcement mesh and is designed to cause an electric current to flow through the electrified wires, so as to generate heat, due to Joule effect, on the inside of the outer reinforcement mesh.

Systems and methods for operating a rotorcraft engine are described herein. Measurements indicative of at least one of current temperature and current pressure at an inlet of the engine are obtained from at least one sensor while the rotorcraft is in flight. At least one current inlet loss is determined from the measurements. Current available engine power of the rotorcraft engine is determined based on the at least one current inlet losses. A visual indication of the current available engine power is produced via a flight display.