Multiple controlloable airflow modification devices
AssigneeTamarack Aerospace Group, Inc.
InventorNicholas R. Guida
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An active wing extension includes a body portion substantially parallel to a wing of an aircraft, as if it were an extension of the wing. The body portion is attachable to an aircraft wing and includes multiple controllable airflow modification devices coupled thereto. By virtue of having multiple controllable airflow modification devices, the wing extension is capable of adjusting control surfaces of the multiple controllable airflow modification devices in response to in-flight conditions, to reduce wing loads, improve wing fatigue characteristics, increase range, and/or increase efficiency.
Claims22
An aircraft comprising:
- a fuselage;
- a baseline wing, the baseline wing coupled to the fuselage at a first end of the baseline wing and having an aileron;
- and
- a wing extension comprising:
- a horizontal portion coupled to a second end of the baseline wing, such that the horizontal portion is outboard of the baseline wing;
- and
- a plurality of controllable airflow modification devices (CAMDs) directly coupled to the horizontal portion of the wing extension, the plurality of CAMDs being configured to alleviate a load on a wing and to be controllable independently of the aileron.
A wing extension fixedly attachable to a baseline wing of an aircraft, the wing extension comprising:
- a horizontal portion that, when attached to the aircraft, is substantially parallel to the baseline wing of the aircraft, the horizontal portion being configured to fixedly attach to an outboard portion of the baseline wing of the aircraft;
- and
- a plurality of controllable airflow modification devices (CAMDs) coupled to the horizontal portion of the wing extension, the plurality of CAMDs being configured to alleviate a load on the baseline wing and to be controllable independently of a control surface of the baseline wing.
A method comprising:
- receiving flight condition data from a sensor located on an aircraft;
- and
- adjusting a plurality of controllable airflow modification devices (CAMDs) located on a wing extension of the aircraft based at least in part on the received flight condition data, the plurality of CAMDs located on a horizontal portion of the wing extension that is substantially parallel to a baseline wing of the aircraft, the plurality of CAMDs controllable independently of a control surface of the baseline wing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.