There is described a vehicle door assembly with shear layer control for controlling the airflow in and around an aperture in the vehicle fuselage. The vehicle door assembly consists of an upper door and a lower door, both slidably mounted to the exterior surface of the vehicle fuselage. In addition, an inner door is slidably mounted beneath the upper door. Beneath the inner door is an aperture assembly having an aperture opening positionable to be substantially flush with the exterior surface of the vehicle fuselage. Also provided are means for positioning the aperture assembly in an upward and downward direction in relation to the vehicle fuselage.
An aircraft weapons bay acoustic suppression apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus reduces or eliminates acoustic resonance within an open cavity of an aircraft such as a weapons bay of an aircraft in flight. The apparatus includes an oscillatable spoiler plate which is extended into the airstream. At least one shaker is placed in operative engagement with the spoiler plate in order to oscillate the spoiler plate at high frequencies and high amplitudes to seed the shear layer with frequencies which directly complete with the natural frequency of the shear layer vortices. In this way, the damage arising from natural shear layer vortices can reduced or canceled within the weapons bay.
A door for aircraft is capable of blocking an aperture made in the aircraft. A framing of the door is connected to the fuselage by hinging means. The framing is mounted rotationally on the hinging means. The door is capable of taking two opposite stable positions, by 180.degree. rotation about hinging means. The door comprises means to lock the framing in either of the stable positions. A first face of the framing is fitted with an observation dome, a second face comprising an access hole to the dome.