AIRCRAFT LIGHT

Abstract

A wingtip device 1 including an upwardly extending winglet 2 and a downwardly extending winglet 4. The downwardly extending winglet 4 is connected to the upwardly extending winglet 2 at a join 6. An aircraft light 10 is located at the join 6 between the upwardly extending winglet 2 and the downwardly extending winglet 4.

Claims

1. A wingtip device comprising an upwardly extending winglet and a downwardly extending winglet, the downwardly extending winglet being connected to the upwardly extending winglet at a join, and wherein at least part of an aircraft light is located in the join between the upwardly extending winglet and the downwardly extending winglet.

2. The wingtip device according to claim 1, wherein the upwardly extending winglet comprises an upper surface and a lower surface, and the downwardly extending winglet is joined at a proximal end to the lower surface of the upwardly extending winglet, and wherein said at least part of the aircraft light is located in the join between the proximal end of the downwardly extending winglet and the lower surface of the upwardly extending winglet.

3. The wingtip device according to claim 1, wherein the wingtip device comprises an aerodynamic fairing configured to fair at least a portion of the join and at least a portion of the aircraft light.

4. The wingtip device according to claim 1, wherein the downwardly extending winglet is connected to the upwardly extending winglet via a first attachment feature mounted on the upwardly extending winglet, and a second attachment feature mounted on the downwardly extending winglet such that, in use, the upwardly extending winglet is connected to the downwardly extending winglet via the first and second attachment features.

5. The wingtip device according to claim 4, wherein the aircraft light is connected to the wingtip via the first and/or second attachment features.

6. The wingtip device according to claim 4, wherein the aircraft light is connected to the wingtip via a light fitting separate from the first and second attachment features.

7. The wingtip device according to claim 1, wherein the aircraft light is mounted on the upwardly extending winglet such that at least part of the aircraft light is located in the join between the upwardly extending winglet and the downwardly extending winglet.

8. The wingtip device according to claim 7, wherein the wingtip device is configured to provide power to the aircraft light via the upwardly extending winglet.

9. The wingtip device according to claim 1, wherein the aircraft light comprises a light source and a housing, said housing having at least one transparent region for allowing the transmission of light from the light source to the surroundings.

10. The wingtip device according to claim 1, wherein the aircraft light is located on the outboard side of the winglet.

11. The wingtip device according to claim 1 wherein the aircraft light is located at the trailing edge of the wingtip device.

12. The wingtip device according to claim 1, wherein the light is a rear-facing light.

13. An aircraft having a wingtip device according to claim 1.

14. A method of integrating an aircraft light with a wingtip device comprising an upwardly extending winglet and a downwardly extending winglet, the method comprising the step of joining the downwardly extending winglet to the upwardly extending winglet such that at least part of the aircraft light is located in-between the upwardly extending winglet and the downwardly extending winglet.

15. The method of integrating an aircraft light with a wingtip device according to claim 14, wherein the method comprises providing power to the aircraft light via the upwardly extending winglet.

16. The method of integrating an aircraft light with a wingtip device according to claim 14, wherein the method comprises leaving the aircraft light in position while the downwardly extending winglet is removed.

17. A wingtip device comprising: an upwardly extending winglet configured to be fixed to a fixed wing; a downwardly extending winglet joined to the upwardly extending winglet; an aircraft light in a joint between the upwardly extending winglet and the downwardly extending winglet.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a wingtip device 1 in accordance with a first example embodiment of the invention. The wingtip device 1 comprises an upwardly extending winglet (an uplet) 2 and a downwardly extending winglet (a downlet) 4. A proximal end of the downwardly extending winglet 4 intersects the underside of the upwardly extending winglet 2 at a join 6. The join 6 extends along the root chord of the downwardly extending winglet 4, between the downwardly extending winglet 4 and the underside of the upwardly extending winglet 2.

[0035] FIG. 2 shows a close up view of a region of the join 6 labelled A in FIG. 1. A rearward facing obstruction light 10 is located towards the trailing edge of the join 6; that is to say at right hand side of the join 6 in FIG. 2. An aerodynamic seal 8 extends along the gap formed between the upwardly extending winglet 2 and downwardly extending winglet 4. The seal 8 extends around the root of the downwardly extending winglet 4 and up to either side of the light 10. The aerodynamic seal 8 therefore fairs the join 6 and part of the light 10.

[0036] FIG. 3 shows a rear view of the wingtip device 1 of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3 the light 10 is located on the mean camber line of the downwardly extending winglet 4, at the point which is closest to the mean camber line of the upwardly extending winglet. The angle between the upwardly extending winglet 2 and downwardly extending winglet 4 is around 130 degrees. The angle between the wing plane and the tip of the upwardly extending winglet 2 is around 120 degrees, and the angle between the wing plane and the downwardly extending winglet 4 is around 120 degrees.

[0037] As can be seen from FIGS. 1 to 3, wingtip devices in accordance with the present embodiment may experience less drag as locating the light 10 at the join 6 allows the majority of the body of the light 10 to sit within the join thereby shielding it from the airflow around the wingtip device when the aircraft is in flight. Positioning the obstruction light 10 at the trailing edge of the wingtip device 1 may also allow for a wider light cone due to the lack of other structure to obscure the light.

[0038] FIG. 4 shows a close-up schematic outboard view of part of a wingtip device 101 in accordance with a second example embodiment, again the trailing edge of the wingtip device is on the right-hand side of FIG. 4. Only those features of the second embodiment which differ with respect to the first embodiment will be discussed here. Like reference numerals denote like elements. The aerodynamic seal 108 of the second embodiment is not shown in FIG. 4 for clarity. In the second embodiment a bracket 112a is mounted on the upwardly extending winglet 102 using fasteners (not shown). Another bracket 112b is mounted on the downwardly extending winglet 104 using fasteners (not shown). The downwardly extending winglet 104 is fixed to the upwardly extending winglet 102 via the brackets 112a, 112b. The upwardly extending winglet bracket 112a defines a recess (not shown), which in contrast to the first embodiment is spaced apart from the trailing edge of the wingtip device 101, and in which a light 110 is located. A dashed line 116 is used in FIG. 4 to represent the electrical connection between light 110 and power source 114. The electrical connection is provided to the light 110 via the upwardly extending winglet 102. Accordingly, wingtip devices in accordance with the second embodiment may be disassembled by disconnecting the lower bracket 112b from the upper bracket 112a to remove the downwardly extending winglet 104. The downwardly extending winglet 104 may be removed while the light 110 remains located in upper bracket 112a and without disturbing the electrical connection 116.

[0039] In an alternative embodiment (not shown), a separate light fitting is located in the join adjacent to the trailing edge of the wingtip device (i.e. at the right hand side of FIG. 4). The light is then connected to the upwardly extending winglet via that fitting.

[0040] Whilst the present invention has been described and illustrated with reference to particular embodiments, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention lends itself to many different variations not specifically illustrated herein. By way of example only, certain possible variations will now be described. The second embodiment described above uses brackets to fix the downwardly extending winglet to the upwardly extending winglet, it will be appreciated that any type of fixings may be used with the present invention. It will also be appreciated that the type of light used with the present invention may vary, as well as its position along the length of the join. For example, in some embodiments in accordance with the present invention the light may be located adjacent to the leading edge of the downwardly extending winglet.

[0041] Where in the foregoing description, integers or elements are mentioned which have known, obvious or foreseeable equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. Reference should be made to the claims for determining the true scope of the present invention, which should be construed so as to encompass any such equivalents. It will also be appreciated by the reader that integers or features of the invention that are described as preferable, advantageous, convenient or the like are optional and do not limit the scope of the independent claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that such optional integers or features, whilst of possible benefit in some embodiments of the invention, may not be desirable, and may therefore be absent, in other embodiments.