Horizontal folding wingtip
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsGregory M. Santini, Seiya Sakurai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus of an aircraft, the apparatus may include a wing comprising an unfixed portion and a fixed portion. The unfixed portion movably may connect to the fixed portion. The unfixed portion may include a rotating portion to rotate the unfixed portion between a flight position and a folded position. The fixed portion may connect to the unfixed portion of the wing. A joint may allow rotation of the unfixed portion of the wing with respect to the fixed portion of the wing about a rotation axis.
Claims20
An apparatus of an aircraft, the apparatus comprising:
- a wing comprising:
- an unfixed portion, and a fixed portion;
- the unfixed portion movably connected to the fixed portion, the unfixed portion comprising a rotating portion of the unfixed portion, the rotating portion configured to rotate between a flight position and a folded position;
- the fixed portion connected to the unfixed portion of the wing;
- and
- a joint configured to allow rotation of the unfixed portion of the wing with respect to the fixed portion of the wing about a rotation axis, the rotation axis being one or more of:
- vertical, substantially perpendicular to the wing, and substantially parallel to a yaw axis of the aircraft.
A method of folding a wing of an aircraft comprising an unfixed portion and a fixed portion, the method comprising:
- actuating a fold actuator, the actuator being connected to the unfixed portion and the fixed portion;
- rotating about a joint, responsive to the fold actuator actuating, a rotating portion of the unfixed portion between a flight position and folded position, such that the rotating is about a rotation axis of the joint, the rotation axis being one or more of:
- substantially vertical, and substantially perpendicular to a span of the wing;
- and
- simultaneously rotating, about a substantially horizontal axis with respect to the rotating portion, a drop portion of the unfixed portion.
A system configured to improve a fuel efficiency of an aircraft, the system comprising:
- an expanded wingspan for the aircraft;
- a reduced wingspan for the aircraft that allows ground operation of the aircraft at an airport that prohibits ground operation of aircraft with the expanded wingspan;
- and
- a drop portion configured to allow an unfixed portion of a wing of the aircraft to rotate horizontally back toward a tail of the aircraft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.