Aircraft wing droop leading edge apparatus and methods are described. An example aircraft includes a wing having a front spar and an outer skin covering the front spar. The outer skin includes a forward portion located forward of the front spar. The forward portion of the outer skin includes a leading edge movable between a neutral position and a drooped position deflected downward relative to the neutral position. The forward portion of the outer skin has a continuous outer mold line when the leading edge is in the drooped position.

A shape memory structure includes a plurality of bases directly attached to a composite structure and arranged along a first line at a first edge of the composite structure. A plurality of buckle-shaped shape memory structures are attached to corresponding ones of the plurality of bases, such that first ends of the plurality of buckle-shaped shape memory structures are raised relative to the composite structure. Second ends of the plurality of buckle-shaped shape memory structures are directly attached to the composite structure along a second line at a second edge of the composite structure, the second edge being opposite the first edge. When activated, the shape memory structure changes from a buckled shape to an original shape to cause the composite structure to assume a deployed shape; when deactivated, the shape memory structure to resumes a buckled shape and the composite structure an undeployed shape.

A morphing aerofoil comprising: a leading edge; a trailing edge; and upper and lower surfaces extending between the leading and trailing edges. An upper thermal actuation member is provided proximate the upper surface; and a lower thermal actuation member is provided proximate the lower surface opposite the upper thermal actuator. The upper and lower thermal actuation members have different thermal expansion coefficients and are positioned such that they cause the trailing edge to deflect when they expand or contract by different amounts in response to a change in ambient temperature, thereby changing a camber of the aerofoil.

Processes for real-time drag optimization control for aeroelastic wing structures are disclosed. Adaptive reconfiguration of aircraft control surfaces by an online real-time drag optimization control approach to reduce or minimize drag may reduce the amount of fuel that is consumed by the aircraft during flight. The input data may be obtained from sensor information pertaining to the wing deflection and aircraft state information. The optimization approach may compute an optimal solution of the distributed flight control surface deflections that are integrated in a flight path angle flight control system.

A deformable aerospace structure includes a first layer and a second layer spaced from the first layer and defining a space therebetween. The space includes one or more reinforcement elements extending between the first layer and the second layer. The ends or portions of the reinforcement element(s) proximate to the first layer are connected thereto and ends or portions of the reinforcement element(s) proximate to the second layer are moveable with respect to ends or portions of adjacent reinforcement element(s) proximate to the second layer.

An aircraft wing trailing edge section assembly is disclosed having an upper skin structure providing an upper external aerodynamic trailing edge surface, a lower skin structure providing a lower external aerodynamic trailing edge surface, and a movement mechanism including a first portion attached to an internal surface of the upper skin structure, a second portion attached to an internal surface of the lower skin structure, and a rotationally mounted connector member connected between the first and second portions, such that rotational movement of the connector member causes simultaneous movement of both first and second portions and therefore both upper and lower skin structures, such that the camber of the trailing edge section is changed. An aircraft wing section assembly, an aircraft and methods of operating an aircraft are disclosed.

A morphing panel mechanism may include a central panel and a side panel, where a first edge of the side panel may be pivotally coupled to a first edge of the central panel. A morphing panel mechanism may further include a guide panel that may be coupled with a first corner of the central panel via a ball joint, where the guide panel may include a first slit. A morphing panel mechanism may further include a flexible panel, where a first edge of the flexible panel may be pivotally coupled with a second edge of the side panel, and a second edge of the flexible panel may be slidably disposed within the slit of the guide panel.

Flexural digital materials are discrete parts that can be assembled into a lattice structure to produce an actuatable structure capable of coordinated reversible spatially-distributed deformation. The structure comprises a set of discrete flexural digital material units assembled according to a lattice geometry, with a majority of the discrete units being connected, or adapted to be connected, to at least two other units according to the geometry. In response to certain types of loading of the structure, a coordinated reversible spatially-distributed deformation of at least part of the structure occurs. The deformation of the structure is due to the shape or material composition of the discrete units, the configuration of connections between the units, and/or the configuration of the lattice geometry. Exemplary types of such actuatable structures include airplane wing sections and robotic leg structures. An automated process may be employed for constructing an actuatable structure from flexural digital materials.

An elastomeric transition for spanning a gap between first and second surfaces on an aircraft includes an elastomeric skin. A first skin edge is configured for attachment to the first surface and a second skin edge is configured for attachment to the second surface. The elastomeric skin has a longitudinal dimension, coincident with the gap, which is significantly longer than a distance between laterally corresponding points on the first and second skin edges. At least one continuous rod is coupled at one end to a selected first point on the first surface and at another end to a selected second point, spaced apart from the first point, on the second surface. The at least one continuous rod is configured in the elastomeric transition to run along the gap such that the rod extends at an acute angle in relation to both the first and second skin edges.

An airfoil member includes an airfoil skin, a trailing edge member, a spar member extending in a lateral direction within the airfoil skin, and an airfoil member morphing device configured to modify a shape of the airfoil skin. The device includes at least one motor or actuator, an airfoil skin support sheet attached to the spar member and corrugated to define alternating upper and lower lines of contact with inner surfaces of the rearward upper skin and rearward lower skin. Actuating bands extend from the spar member through alternating upward and downward sections of the airfoil skin support sheet and are operably connected to the at least one motor or actuator. The airfoil member morphing device is configured to independently adjust a camber, twist, and chord length of the airfoil member.