A flight control surface with an actuator with an aerodynamic fairing for a swept aircraft wing. The swept aircraft wing includes a movable flight control surface with a hinge line non-perpendicular to the line of flight of the aircraft, and an actuator arm configured to actuate the flight control surface. The actuator arm includes a longitudinal axis substantially aligned with the line of flight, the actuator arm extending at least partially from an outer surface of the aircraft wing, and a fairing arranged on the outer surface of the aircraft wing to at least partially cover the actuator arm. Aligning the actuator arm with the line of flight of the aircraft may allow for an improved fairing to be provided.

A flight control surface with an actuator with an aerodynamic fairing for a swept aircraft wing. The swept aircraft wing includes a movable flight control surface with a hinge line non-perpendicular to the line of flight of the aircraft, and an actuator arm configured to actuate the flight control surface. The actuator arm includes a longitudinal axis substantially aligned with the line of flight, the actuator arm extending at least partially from an outer surface of the aircraft wing, and a fairing arranged on the outer surface of the aircraft wing to at least partially cover the actuator arm. Aligning the actuator arm with the line of flight of the aircraft may allow for an improved fairing to be provided.

A method of prognostic health monitoring is provided for use with an aircraft. The method includes generating torque for controlling positions of controllable surfaces at right- and left-hand-sides (RHS and LHS) of the aircraft in a power drive unit (PDU) based on torque-limiter (TL) thresholds, performing real-time monitoring of the torque at the RHS and LHS of the aircraft, generating RHS and LHS torque information from results of the performing of the real-time monitoring, analyzing the RHS and LHS torque information and controlling operations of the PDU based on results of the analysis by at least one of modifying, tuning and defining the TL thresholds.

An actuator for at least one flight control surface of an aircraft. The actuator has at least two actuator members for actuating the flight control surface between two extreme positions and a motor connected to the actuator members by at least one rotary motion transmission line. Each actuator member includes a drive pinion and the actuator is arranged so that the transmission line has an angular amplitude of less than one revolution during movement of the flight control surface between its two positions. The motion transmission line is arranged to allow only one angular position between the drive pinions and the actuator member.

An aircraft convertible between fixed-wing and hovering orientations includes a fuselage. The aircraft includes a main wing pair comprising two opposing wings attached to the fuselage, where each wing of the two opposing wings includes a fixed wing section attached to the fuselage and a movable wing section rotatably mounted to the fixed wing section. The aircraft includes at least a first propulsor mounted to the movable wing section of each of the two opposing wings. The aircraft includes at least a first rotation mechanism attached to the fixed wing section and movable wing section of each of the two opposing wings, the at least a first rotation mechanism configured to rotate the movable wing section between a first movable wing section position parallel to the fixed wing section and a second movable wing section position perpendicular to the fixed wing section.

An aircraft convertible between fixed-wing and hovering orientations includes a fuselage. The aircraft includes a main wing pair comprising two opposing wings attached to the fuselage, where each wing of the two opposing wings includes a fixed wing section attached to the fuselage and a movable wing section rotatably mounted to the fixed wing section. The aircraft includes at least a first propulsor mounted to the movable wing section of each of the two opposing wings. The aircraft includes at least a first rotation mechanism attached to the fixed wing section and movable wing section of each of the two opposing wings, the at least a first rotation mechanism configured to rotate the movable wing section between a first movable wing section position parallel to the fixed wing section and a second movable wing section position perpendicular to the fixed wing section.

A screw actuator includes a primary ball nut, a secondary nut, and a ball screw. The primary ball nut and secondary nut are both in threaded engagement with the ball screw, in which the inner functional plays of the screw actuator are configured such that in normal operation the threads of the secondary nut are in contact with the ball screw threads.

A screw actuator includes a primary ball nut, a secondary nut, and a ball screw. The primary ball nut and secondary nut are both in threaded engagement with the ball screw, in which the inner functional plays of the screw actuator are configured such that in normal operation the threads of the secondary nut are in contact with the ball screw threads.

Flight control surface actuation systems including skew detection systems and associated methods. A flight control surface actuation system includes a skew detection system configured to generate a skew detection signal that represents a skew condition of a flight control surface. In some examples, the skew detection system includes a skew lanyard and a detection mechanism assembly (DMA) configured to detect a lanyard displacement of the skew lanyard and to generate an analog lanyard displacement signal. In some examples, the skew detection system includes a hybrid sensing actuator that includes an actuator output and an actuator output position sensor directly coupled to the actuator output. Methods of utilizing a flight control surface actuation system include detecting a skew condition in the flight control surface utilizing DMAs and/or hybrid sensing actuators.

Flight control surface actuation systems including skew detection systems and associated methods. A flight control surface actuation system includes a skew detection system configured to generate a skew detection signal that represents a skew condition of a flight control surface. In some examples, the skew detection system includes a skew lanyard and a detection mechanism assembly (DMA) configured to detect a lanyard displacement of the skew lanyard and to generate an analog lanyard displacement signal. In some examples, the skew detection system includes a hybrid sensing actuator that includes an actuator output and an actuator output position sensor directly coupled to the actuator output. Methods of utilizing a flight control surface actuation system include detecting a skew condition in the flight control surface utilizing DMAs and/or hybrid sensing actuators.