A fixed-wing aircraft at least includes at least one vortex generator movable through an outer surface of the aircraft between a retracted state and a fully extended state by at least one electric motor, the at least one electric motor being exclusively adapted to actuate this at least one vortex generator, and including an electronic control unit adapted to control operation of the at least one electric motor for actuation of the at least one vortex generator.

An aircraft includes a wing and a leading-edge aerodynamic surface coupled to the wing. An actuator is disposed within the wing and coupled to the leading-edge aerodynamic surface via a linkage system. Two or more hinge systems are coupled to the leading-edge aerodynamic surface and configured to rotate about a fixed axis internal to the wing to move the leading-edge aerodynamic surface between a retracted position and a drooped position.

An aircraft includes a wing and a leading-edge aerodynamic surface coupled to the wing. An actuator is disposed within the wing and coupled to the leading-edge aerodynamic surface via a linkage system. Two or more hinge systems are coupled to the leading-edge aerodynamic surface and configured to rotate about a fixed axis internal to the wing to move the leading-edge aerodynamic surface between a retracted position and a drooped position.

An aircraft wing including a wing structure supporting a wing cover having an outer aerodynamic surface, and a pop-up spoiler unit including an actuation mechanism and a spoiler coupled to the actuation mechanism. The spoiler is moveable by the actuation mechanism to deploy through an aperture in the wing cover. The pop-up spoiler unit is mounted to the wing structure to be substantially isolated from wing bending deflections. The wing structure has a neutral plane which is substantially neither stretched nor compressed during bending of the wing structure. The pop-up spoiler unit is mounted to the wing structure at only two pin joints each having a respective pin axis about which the pop-up spoiler unit is substantially free to rotate, and each pin axis substantially lies in the neutral plane.

An aircraft wing including a wing structure supporting a wing cover having an outer aerodynamic surface, and a pop-up spoiler unit including an actuation mechanism and a spoiler coupled to the actuation mechanism. The spoiler is moveable by the actuation mechanism to deploy through an aperture in the wing cover. The pop-up spoiler unit is mounted to the wing structure to be substantially isolated from wing bending deflections. The wing structure has a neutral plane which is substantially neither stretched nor compressed during bending of the wing structure. The pop-up spoiler unit is mounted to the wing structure at only two pin joints each having a respective pin axis about which the pop-up spoiler unit is substantially free to rotate, and each pin axis substantially lies in the neutral plane.

An aircraft includes a wing and a leading-edge aerodynamic surface coupled to the wing. An actuator is disposed within the wing and coupled to the leading-edge aerodynamic surface via a linkage system. Two or more hinge systems are coupled to the leading-edge aerodynamic surface and configured to rotate about a fixed axis internal to the wing to move the leading-edge aerodynamic surface between a retracted position and a drooped position.

An aircraft includes a wing and a leading-edge aerodynamic surface coupled to the wing. An actuator is disposed within the wing and coupled to the leading-edge aerodynamic surface via a linkage system. Two or more hinge systems are coupled to the leading-edge aerodynamic surface and configured to rotate about a fixed axis internal to the wing to move the leading-edge aerodynamic surface between a retracted position and a drooped position.