A High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS) aircraft is disclosed, the aircraft including at least one aeroelastic span loaded fixed wing, an aspect ratio greater than 15 and wing loading less than 6 kg/m.sup.2, where the at least one wing has a plurality of spoilers distributed across the span of the wing and each spoiler being chordwise located adjacent the centre of pressure of the wing. The HAPS aircraft further includes a control system for controlling the spoilers, sensors which allow at least one of the quantity or quantities selected from the group comprising the amount of lift at points or regions along the wing span the pitch and roll at points or regions along the wing span, the bending and torsional strain at points or regions along the wing span, or the net speed and roll and pitch angle of the wing to be determined by the control system, and the spoiler being activatable to reduce the lift experienced by the wing in the location of the spoiler in response to the quantities determined by control system.

An example of a deflected slip stream wing system with coflow jet flow control includes a wingbox, a flap, a compressor, and a propulsor. The wingbox has a root and a tip. The flap is moveably attached to the wingbox and has a leading edge, a trailing edge, an injection opening, a suction opening, and a channel. The injection opening is disposed between the leading edge and the suction opening. The suction opening is disposed between the injection opening and the trailing edge. The channel extends from the injection opening to the suction opening. The compressor is disposed within the channel. The propulsor is disposed on the wingbox between the root and the tip. The propulsor has an off state and an on state. When in the on state, the propulsor is aligned relative to the flap such that fluid accelerated by the propulsor contacts the flap.

A lift-changing mechanism is configured to change generated by a wing of an aircraft and includes a slit and an opening and closing member. The slit extends in a wingspan direction inside the wing and forms openings on the lower surface of the wing and on the upper surface of the wing respectively. A part of airflow below the lower surface is allowed to flow toward the upper surface through the slit. The opening and closing member is configured to open and close the slit. When the opening and closing member opens the slit, lift generated on the wing is decreased compared with when the slit is closed.

A lift-changing mechanism is configured to change generated by a wing of an aircraft and includes a slit and an opening and closing member. The slit extends in a wingspan direction inside the wing and forms openings on the lower surface of the wing and on the upper surface of the wing respectively. A part of airflow below the lower surface is allowed to flow toward the upper surface through the slit. The opening and closing member is configured to open and close the slit. When the opening and closing member opens the slit, lift generated on the wing is decreased compared with when the slit is closed.

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.

The present invention refers to a personal flight apparatus with vertical take-off and landing characterized in that it is a biplane apparatus constituted by two distinct parts articulated there between, the first distinct part consisting of the cockpit 1, which is hinged to the second part of the latter, which is formed of the wings assembly 6, the cockpit 1 being attached to the wings assembly 6 by two hinges 3 fixed in the upright central vertical supports 7 of the wings, and in this way the cockpit having a limited swing possibility inside of the wings support structure which in turn they are provided with four propellers 9, of ducted type and driven by electric engines 20 disposed two on the top wing and two on the bottom wing, thus forming a kind of quadcopter, the duct 10 of each propeller being provided on the inlet lip with an annular ejection slit 11, and the electrical energy required to operate the apparatus is provided by the batteries 14 placed under the pilot's seat which through the speed regulators transmit the electric energy to the engines, the entire operation of the apparatus being managed by means of a flight computer 17 disposed in the central part of the upper wing of the biplane, and the taking off being made with the wings and the engines vertically oriented, the flight apparatus being laid on the ground by means of a landing gear 15 fixed in the wing extremities, the flight apparatus taking off as a quadcopter, and the transition to the cruise flight is made by reducing the angle of incidence of the wings, this angle decreasing naturally due to the increased resistance to advancement of the wings concurrently with the speed of translation of the flight apparatus, and in the meantime the cockpit 1 remains in a vertical position due to its lower center of gravity and due to the joints 3 which allow it to rotate relative to the wings assembly 6 and the landing is made similarly to a quadcopter, slowing down the speed leading to increasing the incidence angle of the wings until they return to the vertical plane required for landing.

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.

A method and apparatus for reducing bending moment on a wing of an aircraft can include at least one sensor provided on the aircraft configured to monitor a shape or position of the wing. The sensor can provide a change in the position or shape of the wing to a controller. The controller can operate one or more spoilers in response to the change in shape or position of the wings to reduce loading on the wings to reduce the bending moment.

An apparatus (1000) is provided for controlling a movable wing tip device (9) of an aircraft (1). The apparatus includes an actuator (15) for moving the wing tip device from a load-alleviating configuration to a flight configuration; and a processor (10) which generates a signal for controlling operation of the aircraft so as to reduce the force required for the actuator to move the wing tip device from the load-alleviating configuration to the flight configuration. The apparatus may be included on an aircraft (1) and used in a method of moving the wing tip device from the load-alleviating configuration to the flight configuration during flight.

An apparatus is provided, allowing vertical take-off and landing. The apparatus, a biplane, has a cockpit 1attached to a wings assembly 6 by hinges 3 fixed in the supports 7 of the wings. The cockpit having a limited swing possibility within the wings' support structure. The apparatus has four propellers 9, driven by engines 20, disposed two per wing; forming a quadcopter. The apparatus being managed by a computer 17 disposed in the upper wing, and take off being made with the wings and the engines vertically oriented. The apparatus takes off as a quadcopter, and then transitions to cruise flight by reducing the angle of incidence of the wings. Meanwhile, the cockpit 1 remains in a vertical position, due to its lower center of gravity and due to joints 3, which allow it to rotate relative to the wings assembly 6 through a central open area of the lower wing. Landing is made similarly to a quadcopter.