Control system for an aircraft and a method of operating the control system

An aircraft comprising:

• a fuselage;
• a control system including:
• a tilt-wing coupled to the fuselage and including a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a center section disposed adjacent to the leading edge, and the tilt-wing is pivotable relative to the fuselage between a cruise position and a hover position, wherein the tilt-wing defines an inlet configured to receive air and an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet such that the outlet is configured to expel the air;
• a high-lift device coupled to at least one of the leading edge and the trailing edge of the tilt-wing, and the high-lift device is movable relative to the tilt-wing, when deployed, as the tilt-wing transitions between the cruise position and the hover position;
• and
• a compressor in fluid communication with the inlet and the outlet, and the compressor is configured to increase pressure of the air that is expelled out of the outlet, and the outlet directs the pressurized air toward at least one of the high-lift device and the center section of the tilt-wing to maintain attachment of airflow across the tilt-wing.

A method of operating a control system of an aircraft, the method comprising:

• transitioning a tilt-wing of the aircraft between a cruise position and a hover position, wherein the tilt-wing defines an inlet configured to receive air and an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet such that the outlet is configured to expel the air;
• actuating a high-lift device along at least one of a leading edge of the tilt-wing and a trailing edge of the tilt-wing when the tilt-wing transitions between the cruise position and the hover position;
• determining whether a boundary layer separation condition is met, wherein the boundary layer separation condition occurs as a boundary of airflow begins to separate from the tilt-wing;
• and
• activating a compressor in response to meeting the boundary layer separation condition, in which the compressor operates to increase pressure of the air that is expelled out of the outlet, and the outlet directs the pressurized air toward at least one of the high-lift device and a center section of the tilt-wing to maintain attachment of airflow across the tilt-wing.