A detent alignment mechanism assembly is provided and includes a shaft, a lock mechanism configured to selectively occupy an unlocked position at which the shaft is movable and a locked position at which the shaft is immovable, a detent mechanism coupled to the shaft and formed to define detent positions for the shaft to assume and move between and a detent alignment mechanism configured to provide to an operator of the shaft feedback and assistance corresponding to assumptions of the detent positions by the shaft during movements thereof by the operator.

Systems and methods for deploying adjacent trailing edge flaps that are part of different flap assemblies of different stiffnesses are disclosed. An exemplary method comprises: deploying a first flap of a first flap assembly having a first stiffness by a first deployment amount and deploying a second flap adjacent the first flap by a second deployment amount where the deployment amount of the first flap part of the flap assembly of lower stiffness is greater than the second deployment amount of the second flap part of the flap assembly of higher stiffness. The difference in deployment amounts may be adapted to improve continuity between the first flap and the second flap when the first and second flaps are deployed and subjected to an aerodynamic load.

Systems and methods for deploying adjacent trailing edge flaps that are part of different flap assemblies of different stiffnesses are disclosed. An exemplary method comprises: deploying a first flap of a first flap assembly having a first stiffness by a first deployment amount and deploying a second flap adjacent the first flap by a second deployment amount where the deployment amount of the first flap part of the flap assembly of lower stiffness is greater than the second deployment amount of the second flap part of the flap assembly of higher stiffness. The difference in deployment amounts may be adapted to improve continuity between the first flap and the second flap when the first and second flaps are deployed and subjected to an aerodynamic load.

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a linear-to-rotary apparatus that includes a linear actuator having an actuator housing including a piston chamber, a piston shaft disposed in the piston chamber, and a rotor apparatus. The rotor apparatus includes a rotary joint defining a rotational axis, a rotor arm extending radially from the rotary joint and configured to at least partially pivot about the rotary joint, and a torque linkage pivotably connected to the rotor arm. The torque linkage is also attached to an end of the piston shaft of the piston at a pivot connection joint, where the pivot connection joint defines a pivot axis that is substantially perpendicular to the translation axis of the piston shaft.

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a linear-to-rotary apparatus that includes a linear actuator having an actuator housing including a piston chamber, a piston shaft disposed in the piston chamber, and a rotor apparatus. The rotor apparatus includes a rotary joint defining a rotational axis, a rotor arm extending radially from the rotary joint and configured to at least partially pivot about the rotary joint, and a torque linkage pivotably connected to the rotor arm. The torque linkage is also attached to an end of the piston shaft of the piston at a pivot connection joint, where the pivot connection joint defines a pivot axis that is substantially perpendicular to the translation axis of the piston shaft.

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.

A harmonic gearset, having: a drive shaft; first and second ground gears spaced apart from each other along the drive shaft; an output gear disposed on the drive shaft, between the first and second ground gears; a first flexspline disposed radially between the drive shaft, the first ground gear and the output gear; and a second flexspline disposed radially between the drive shaft, the second ground gear and the output gear, wherein the first and second flexsplines are axially adjacent to each other.

A harmonic gearset, having: a drive shaft; first and second ground gears spaced apart from each other along the drive shaft; an output gear disposed on the drive shaft, between the first and second ground gears; a first flexspline disposed radially between the drive shaft, the first ground gear and the output gear; and a second flexspline disposed radially between the drive shaft, the second ground gear and the output gear, wherein the first and second flexsplines are axially adjacent to each other.

A robust control method for an oblique flying wing aircraft includes computing an angular velocity error between a reference angular velocity and an actual angular velocity and computing a moment command with an angular velocity controller based at least in part on the angular velocity error. The angular velocity controller decouples two or more of a yaw rate axis, a pitch rate axis, and a roll rate axis of the asymmetric aircraft for the moment command.