摘要 |
An aircraft wheel rotation assembly is mountable on the rim of an aircraft wheel and includes a plurality of vanes which are equally spaced around the rim. Each vane has a generally radially aligned airfoil shaped cross section so that when a passing air current impinges on the vanes, each vane contributes a positive torque to rotate the associated wheel through an angle of more than 180 degress about the wheel axis. The vanes may be deployable and retractable, in which case each vane also has an integral segment gear which meshes with a ring gear carrried by the assembly. Rotation of the ring gear, which may be done hydraulically, moves the vanes in unison from a fully retracted position toward a fully extended position.
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