US 11,772,771 B2
Vehicle configuration with aerodynamic shaping to reduce drag, and vehicle and method for the same
David S. Lazzara, Newport Beach, CA (US); and Dino L. Roman, Lake Forest, CA (US)
Assigned to The Boeing Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed by The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed on Feb. 24, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/680,252.
Prior Publication US 2023/0264801 A1, Aug. 24, 2023
Int. Cl. B64D 29/04 (2006.01); B64C 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC B64C 1/0009 (2013.01) [B64D 29/04 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle configuration to reduce drag in a fluid stream, the vehicle configuration comprising:
a vehicle body;
at least one auxiliary body coupled to, and positioned a distance from, the vehicle body, to form a gap between a lower surface of the at least one auxiliary body and an upper surface of the vehicle body; and
one or more carved out exterior profiles of one or more of, the upper surface of the vehicle body, and the lower surface of the at least one auxiliary body, the one or more carved out exterior profiles positioned in proximity to the gap, and externally shaped with an aerodynamic shaping to carve out the one or more carved out exterior profiles and to reduce a strength of a shock wave in the gap, so that the one or more carved out exterior profiles each comprises two or more concave shape portions alternating, in series, in opposite concavities,
wherein when a fluid flow from the fluid stream flows through the gap, the drag resulting from fluid flow interactions between the vehicle body and the at least one auxiliary body is reduced, the fluid flow comprising a compressible fluid flow moving at one of, transonic speed, subsonic speed, or supersonic speed, and the drag comprising interference drag, and the aerodynamic shaping based on a Mach number of the fluid flow.