Drive mechanism for combined flap-aileron surface

In an aircraft:

• a forward wing structure;
• a rear edge flap having opposite ends;
• a pair of fore and aft extending fixed tracks, one positioned immediately outwardly of each end of the flap, said tracks being carried by the forward wing structure;
• guide means carried by each end of the flap, mounting its end of the flap for movement along the track means;
• and
• flap positioning means comprising a torque tube supported within the main wing structure forwardly of said track means, a bell crank arm having a first end connected to the torque tube and a second end spaced radially outwardly from the torque tube, a reaction link pivotally connected at a first end to the second end of the bell crank arm and pivotally connected at a second end to the flap at a location offset below the pivot axis, and a two-way linear actuator having a first end which is pivotally connected to the second end of the bell crank arm, on a common axis with said reactive link, and a second end which is pivotally connected to the flap at a location offset above the pivot axis.

In an aircraft:

• a slotted wing comprising a main wing structure having upper, lower and forward edge skin surfaces and a rear recess, and a combination flap-aileron having upper and lower skin surfaces, a forward edge, and a hinge axis, said wing skin surfaces establishing a wing skin envelope;
• track means carried by the main wing structure, mounting said flap-aileron for fore and aft movement relative to the main wing structure, between a forward position in which the forward edge of the flap-aileron is received within the recess and a rearward position in which said forward edge is spaced rearwardly of the recess;
• and
• positioning means operable for (a) drivingly moving the flap-aileron fore and aft along said track means, and for holding the flap-aileron in a selected position along said track means, and (b) rotating the flap-aileron about said hinge axis, and for holding the flap-aileron in a selected rotational position, said movement of the flap-aileron along said track means being independent of rotation of the flap-aileron about said hinge axis, the flap-aileron being rotatable at any position of the flap-aileron fore and aft along said track means, and further, the flap-aileron being movable along said track means for any rotational position of the flap-aileron within a selected range of rotational positions,
• wherein the track means and the positioning means are located totally within the wing envelope, and
• wherein the flap-aileron comprises opposite ends and the track means comprises a pair of fixed tracks, one positioned immediately outwardly of each end of the flap-aileron, and guide means carried by each end of the flap-aileron, mounting its end of the flap-aileron for movement along the track means.

In an aircraft:

• a slotted wing comprising a main wing structure having upper, lower and forward edge skin surfaces and a rear recess, and a combination flap-aileron having opposite ends and a guide means carried by each of said ends, said flap-aileron further having upper and lower skin surfaces, a forward edge, and a hinge axis, said wing skin surfaces establishing a wing skin envelope;
• track means in the form of a pair of fixed tracks, one each of said pair being positioned immediately outwardly of each end of the flap-aileron, each of said fixed tracks having spaced apart upper and lower rails carried by the main wing structure, with the guide means carried by each end of the flap-ailerons being positioned between the rails for mounting each end of the flap-aileron for movement along the track means, for fore and aft movement relative to the main wing structure between a forward position in which the forward edge of the flap-aileron is received within the recess and a rearward position in which said forward edge is spaced rearwardly of the recess, and wherein said guide means have axes coinciding with the hinge axis such that they mount the flap-aileron for rotation about the hinge axis;
• and
• positioning means comprising a torque tube, a bell crank haing a first end connected to the torque tube and a second end spaced radially outwardly from the torque tube, a reaction link pivotally connected at one end to the second end of the bell crank and pivotally connected at a second end to the flap-aileron at a location offset below the pivot axis, and a two-way linear actuator having a first end which is pivotally connected to the second end of the bell crank, on a common axis with said reaction link, and a second end which is pivotally connected to the flap-aileron at a location offset above the pivot axis, said positioning means being operable for:
• (a) driving the flap-aileron fore and aft along said track, (b) rotating the flap-aileron about the hinge axis, and (c) holding the flap-aileron in a selected position,
• wherein the track means and the positioning means are located totally within the wing skin envelope.

In an aircraft:

• a slotted wing comprising a main wing structure having upper, lower and forward edge skin surfaces and a rear recess, and a combination flap-aileron having opposite ends and guide means in the form of a roller carried by each of said ends, said flap-aileron further having upper and lower skin surfaces, a forward edge, and a hinge axis, said wing skin surfaces establishing a wing skin envelope;
• track means in the form of a pair of fixed tracks, one each of said pair being positioned immediately outwardly of each end of the flap-aileron, each of said fixed tracks having spaced apart upper and lower rails carried by the main wing structure, with the roller carried by each end of the flap-aileron being positioned between the rails of that track which is positioned immediately outwardly of its end, for mounting its end for movement along the track, for fore and aft movement relative to the main wing structure between a forward position in which the forward edge of the flap-aileron is received within the recess and a rearward position in which said forward edge is spaced rearwardly of the recess, and wherein each roller has an axis coinciding with the hinge axis such that the rollers carried at the ends of the flap-aileron mount the flap-aileron for rotation about the hinge axis;
• and
• positioning means operable for (a) driving the flap-aileron fore and aft along said fixed tracks, (b) rotating the flap-aileron about the hinge axis, and (c) holding the flap-aileron in a selected position, said positioning means comprising:
• a torque tube, a bell crank having a first end connected to the torque tube and a second end spaced radially outwardly from the torque tube, a reaction link pivotally connected at a first end to the second end of the bell crank and pivotally connected at a second end to the flap-aileron at a location offset below the pivot axis, and a two-way linear actuator having a first end which is pivotally connected to the second end of the bell crank, on a common axis with said reaction link, and a second end which is pivotally connected to the flap-aileron at a location offset above the pivot axis,
• wherein the track means and the positioning means are located totally within the wing skin envelope.