Textron Inc.
Selectively engageable aircraft driveshaft off-axis from component stow axis

Abstract:

Systems and methods include providing an aircraft with a fuselage and a wing assembly rotatable relative to the fuselage about a stow axis between a flight position and a stowed position. The aircraft includes a gearbox having a retractable driveshaft that selectively engages the mid-wing gearbox via axially translatable motion along a rotation axis when the wing assembly is in the flight position. The retractable driveshaft also selectively disengages the mid-wing gearbox in the flight position to allow selectively rotation of the wing assembly about the stow axis from the flight position to the stowed position resulting in the mid-wing gearbox being misaligned with the retractable driveshaft when the wing assembly is in the stowed position.