Patent classifications
B64C23/072
Aircraft beacon light, aircraft wing, aircraft beacon light system, and method of supplementing an aircraft beacon light system
An aircraft beacon light for an aircraft wing with a foldable wing tip includes a housing, a lens cover, and at least one light source arranged between the housing and the lens cover, wherein the aircraft beacon light is configured to emit flashes of red light in operation, and wherein the housing and the lens cover are shaped to embed the aircraft beacon light into a hinge assembly coupling the foldable wing tip to a main wing portion of the aircraft wing.
Foldable raked wing tips having aerodynamic devices
Foldable raked wing tips having aerodynamic devices are disclosed. A disclosed example wing for use with an aircraft includes a fixed portion, and a folding portion proximate a distal end of the wing. The folding portion includes a raked surface. The wing also includes at least one of a feather or a winglet, and a hinge operatively coupled between the fixed and folding portions to enable the folding portion to fold relative to the fixed portion.
STRUCTURE WITH RIGID PROJECTIONS ADAPTED TO TRAVERSE A FLUID ENVIRONMENT
A structure adapted to traverse a fluid environment includes an elongate body having a root, a wingtip, a leading edge and a trailing edge; and a plurality of rigid projections each extending from a respective position along the leading edge and/or the trailing edge generally along the same plane as a front surface of the body.
FLUID-REDIRECTING STRUCTURE
A fluid-redirecting structure includes a rigid body having an upstream end, a downstream end, and an axis of rotation, the rigid body incorporating a plurality of troughs each spiralled from a tip at the upstream end to the downstream end about the axis of rotation, the troughs being splayed with respect to the axis of rotation thereby to, proximate the downstream end, direct incident fluid along the troughs away from the axis of rotation.
STRUCTURE WITH RIGID WINGLET ADAPTED TO TRAVERSE A FLUID ENVIRONMENT
A structure adapted to traverse a fluid environment includes an elongate body having a root, a wingtip, a leading edge and a trailing edge; and a rigid winglet associated with the wingtip and having a winglet body extending substantially normal to one of a suction side and a pressure side of the elongate body to a termination point that is rearward of the trailing edge. In an embodiment, the structure is a rotor blade that may be incorporated into a wind turbine.
Airplane wing
The invention relates to a wing for an airplane having at least two winglets, wherein a local angle of attack at the upstream winglet shall be reduced by a passive elastic morphing in heavy load conditions and wherein stall shall occur for the downstream winglet, then. Both serves for limiting and reducing the forces and torques produced by the winglets.
Aircraft wing with a moveable wing tip device for load alleviation
An aircraft is disclosed having a wing, the wing having a fixed wing with a wing tip device moveably mounted about a hinge at the tip thereof. The wing tip device is operable between a flight configuration, and a load alleviating configuration for load alleviation during flight. The aircraft includes a restraining assembly operable between a restraining mode in which the wing tip device is held in the flight configuration using a restraining force such as by a brake, and a releasing mode in which the restraining force on the wing tip device is released, such that the wing tip device may adopt the load alleviating configuration.
Methods and apparatus to control and monitor a folding wingtip actuation system
Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to control and monitor a folding wingtip actuation system are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a sequence and control module to determine whether to control a movement of a folding wingtip assembly coupled to a wing of an aircraft, the sequence and control module is to determine actions during a first stage and a second stage to complete in sequence to move the folding wingtip assembly, determine a status of a first component of the folding wingtip assembly based on a sensor measurement, in response to the status being a non-responsive status, replace a first input from the first component with a second input from a second component, and control the movement of the folding wingtip assembly based on the actions and the second input.
Moveable wing tip device, an outer end of a wing, and interface therebetween
An aircraft having a wing, including a fixed wing with a wing tip device movably mounted at the outer end thereof is disclosed. The wing tip device is movable between: a flight configuration; and a ground configuration. The wing tip device and the fixed wing are separated along an oblique primary cut plane. The wing tip device and the fixed wing meet along an interfacing cut line. The wing tip device and fixed wing comprise a wing skin with a thickness, and end faces extending across the thickness of the wing skin provide interfacing surfaces corresponding to the interfacing cut line, wherein the interfacing surfaces are angled at a first orientation towards the front of the wing and a second, opposite, orientation towards the rear of the wing.
Apparatus, aircraft and method for moving a wing tip device away from a load-alleviating configuration
An aircraft (1) including a fixed wing (7) and a wing tip device (9) moveably mounted thereon. The wing tip device (9) is movable from a load-alleviating configuration to a flight configuration. The wing tip device includes an airflow channel (88) extending between respective apertures (83, 84) on the upper surface and lower surface of the wing tip device. The channel (88) is configurable between an open state in which air can flow through the channel and a closed state in which the airflow through the channel (88), via the apertures (83, 84), is blocked. The channel (88) is configured such that when the wing tip device (9) is in the load-alleviating configuration and the channel (88) is in the open state, the aerodynamic loading on the wing tip device in flight urges the wing tip device towards the flight configuration.