Flight control surface
AssigneeAirbus Operations GmbH
InventorOliver Family
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aircraft wing with a moveable leading edge device mounted towards the leading edge of the wing. The leading edge device is moveable between a first configuration, a second configuration and a third configuration. In the first configuration, the leading edge device is retracted fully within the wing profile. In the second configuration, a portion of a surface of the leading edge device is extended away from the wing profile and into the oncoming airflow on the lower surface of the wing as the wing moves through the airflow to increase lift produced by the wing. In the third configuration, a portion of the surface of the leading edge device is extended away from the wing profile into the oncoming airflow over the upper surface of the wing to impair lift produced by the wing.
Claims18
An aircraft wing comprising:
- a leading edge,
- a trailing edge,
- an upper surface extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge,
- a lower surface extending between the leading edge and the trailing,
- wherein the leading edge, trailing edge, upper surface and lower surface define a wing profile, and
- a moveable and unitary leading edge device mounted towards the leading edge, wherein the leading edge device is movable between:
- a first configuration in which the leading edge device is retracted fully within the wing profile;
- a second configuration in which at least a lower portion of a surface of the leading edge device is extended through a first aperture in the lower surface and away from the wing profile and into oncoming airflow moving over the lower surface as the aircraft wing moves through the oncoming airflow;
- a third configuration in which at least an upper portion of the surface of the leading edge device is extended through a second aperture in the upper surface and away from the wing profile and into the oncoming airflow moving over the upper surface of the wing as the aircraft wing moves through the oncoming airflow.
A method of operating an aircraft wing, the wing comprising a leading edge, a trailing edge, an upper surface extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge and a lower surface extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge to define a wing profile, and a moveable and unitary leading edge device mounted towards the leading edge,
- the method comprising moving the leading edge device between:
- a first configuration in which the leading edge device is retracted fully within the wing profile;
- a second configuration in which at least a lower portion of a surface of the leading edge device is extended through a first aperture in the lower surface, away from the wing profile and into oncoming airflow on the lower surface of the wing impairing lift produced by the wing;
- and
- a third configuration in which at least an upper portion of the surface of the leading edge device is extended through a second aperture in the upper surface, away from the wing profile and into oncoming airflow over the upper surface of the wing increasing lift produced by the wing.
A method to move a unitary leading edge device of a wing, wherein the wing includes a leading edge, a trailing edge, an upper surface extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge and a lower surface extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge, and a wing profile defined by the leading edge, the trailing edge, the upper surface and the lower surface,
- the method comprising:
- retracting the unitary leading edge device entirely within the wing profile of the wing;
- extending at least a lower portion of the unitary leading edge device from within the wing profile, through a first aperture in the lower surface of the wing and into an oncoming airflow moving over the lower surface resulting in an impairment of lift produced by the wing;
- and
- extending an upper portion of the unitary leading edge device from within the wing profile, through a second aperture in the upper surface of the wing and into the oncoming airflow moving over the upper surface resulting in increase lift produced by the wing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.