| 摘要 |
An aerodynamic fairing system for an airship (10) having a substantially spherical balloon portion (12) includes an inflatable fairing that is attachable to the balloon portion (12) , and a fairing actuation mechanism that selectively inflates and deploys the fairing after lift-off, and deflates and retracts the fairing before landing. The actuation mechanism includes an inflation/deflation mechanism and a deployment/retraction mechanism that cooperate to deploy and inflate the fairing, and to deflate and retract the fairing. The fairing includes a substantially conical, inflatable tail section (14) tapering from a wide forward end to a narrow aft end, and a collapsible annular collar (16) connecting the forward end of the tail section (14) to the balloon portion (12) . The inflation/deflation mechanism includes a fan system (34) in the tail section (14) , and the deployment/retraction mechanism includes a plurality of cables (48) attached between the tail section (14) and a plurality of winches (50) mounted on the balloon portion (12) . |
