Aircraft comprising a central fairing that adjusts the pressure on the wing structures by means of local geometric deformations
US 20090078830 A1
"An aircraft including: a fuselage and two wings to which engine nacelles are attached and that are each connected laterally to the fuselage, one on each side thereof, by a central fairing. The central fairing includes, facing each wing, two opposed surfaces connected one to a suction face side and the other to a pressure face side of the wing and that extend longitudinally along the fuselage. At least one of the two surfaces includes at least one local geometric deformation configured to generate lateral aerodynamic disturbances on the central fairing toward the wing to control the flow of air over the wing."
http://www.google.ch/patents/US20090078830
Granted in 2009, and picked up by flightglobal immediately:
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/airbus-develops-wing-fairing-to-reduce-larger-engine-324808/
As alluded to in that article, the technology seems to be in service today on the A320NEO - which is how I became aware of the patent actually. Saw the following photos of an IndiGo NEO:
http://www.bangaloreaviation.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IndiGo_A320neo_VT-ITC_FUSELAGE_DSC_6126_2560px_WM.jpg
http://s1.ibtimes.com/sites/www.ibtimes.com/files/2015/10/27/indigo.jpg
Note the bump in the wing/fuselage fairing in the area of the over-wing emergency exits? Now, it's hard to find good quality images showing the same view on a CEO, but I'm pretty sure it was not there originally. Well, late model CEOs do appear to have it (incorporated for increased commonality to smooth the switch to the new model, possibly even with a minor drag reduction even without the big engines?):
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2871/12187264424_9750981db5_b.jpg
(Note V2500s, but sharklets argue a very recent frame)
Might this also be the idea behind the rather radical contouring of the wing/fuselage fairing on the Boeing 787 (which obviously also has some seriously big engines), including - unlike the A320 - below the wing?
EDIT: I keep finding images showing CEOs *with* the bump, but most are clearly recent builds and at last I've also tracked down photos showing airframes *positively* WITHOUT the bump:
http://www.airplane-pictures.net/photo/371458/vn-a555-jetstar-pacific-airlines-airbus-a320/
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RwGnKzsKiXo/TZtB4B15B_I/AAAAAAAACzI/VscwUb2Phbw/s1600/DSC09272.JPG
https://www.runwaygirlnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/An-A319-meant-a-relatively-speedy-boarding-process-on-the-cut-down-narrowbody.jpg
https://freakyflier.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/imgp4177.jpg
So I'm not imagining things after all
US 20090078830 A1
"An aircraft including: a fuselage and two wings to which engine nacelles are attached and that are each connected laterally to the fuselage, one on each side thereof, by a central fairing. The central fairing includes, facing each wing, two opposed surfaces connected one to a suction face side and the other to a pressure face side of the wing and that extend longitudinally along the fuselage. At least one of the two surfaces includes at least one local geometric deformation configured to generate lateral aerodynamic disturbances on the central fairing toward the wing to control the flow of air over the wing."
http://www.google.ch/patents/US20090078830
Granted in 2009, and picked up by flightglobal immediately:
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/airbus-develops-wing-fairing-to-reduce-larger-engine-324808/
As alluded to in that article, the technology seems to be in service today on the A320NEO - which is how I became aware of the patent actually. Saw the following photos of an IndiGo NEO:
http://www.bangaloreaviation.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IndiGo_A320neo_VT-ITC_FUSELAGE_DSC_6126_2560px_WM.jpg
http://s1.ibtimes.com/sites/www.ibtimes.com/files/2015/10/27/indigo.jpg
Note the bump in the wing/fuselage fairing in the area of the over-wing emergency exits? Now, it's hard to find good quality images showing the same view on a CEO, but I'm pretty sure it was not there originally. Well, late model CEOs do appear to have it (incorporated for increased commonality to smooth the switch to the new model, possibly even with a minor drag reduction even without the big engines?):
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2871/12187264424_9750981db5_b.jpg
(Note V2500s, but sharklets argue a very recent frame)
Might this also be the idea behind the rather radical contouring of the wing/fuselage fairing on the Boeing 787 (which obviously also has some seriously big engines), including - unlike the A320 - below the wing?
EDIT: I keep finding images showing CEOs *with* the bump, but most are clearly recent builds and at last I've also tracked down photos showing airframes *positively* WITHOUT the bump:
http://www.airplane-pictures.net/photo/371458/vn-a555-jetstar-pacific-airlines-airbus-a320/
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RwGnKzsKiXo/TZtB4B15B_I/AAAAAAAACzI/VscwUb2Phbw/s1600/DSC09272.JPG
https://www.runwaygirlnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/An-A319-meant-a-relatively-speedy-boarding-process-on-the-cut-down-narrowbody.jpg
https://freakyflier.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/imgp4177.jpg
So I'm not imagining things after all
