Translating independently mounted air inlet system for aircraft turbofan jet engine

摘要

An arrangement for an aircraft propulsion system to determinably reduce or eliminate inlet cowl induced bending of a turbofan aircraft jet engine case during certain flight conditions. The arrangement includes a turbofan aircraft jet engine having an engine case with a fan case portion, a nacelle structure housing the engine and having a forward nacelle portion and a rearward nacelle portion, and a pylon structure to support the engine and the nacelle structure while permitting the forward nacelle structure to be translated forwardly from an operational position to a servicing position to permit access to the engine and its components. The forward nacelle portion is independently supported from the pylon and has an inner skin portion that sealingly engages the fan case portion of the engine case and an outer skin portion that is determinably locked to the rearward nacelle portion. The sealing arrangement of the forward nacelle portion and the fan case portion is designed to determinably tailor the load transfer between the forward nacelle portion and the fan case portion to completely eliminate or to reduce such load transfer according to the particular propulsion system arrangement.