US 6,364,254 B1Granted

Aircraft airfoil with close-mounted engine and leading edge high lift system

AssigneeDaimlerChrysler Aerospace Airbus GmbH

InventorPeter May

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Abstract

An arrangement of an airfoil, such as a main wing of an aircraft, includes a close-mounted engine on a short pylon connected to the airfoil, an inboard slat arranged inboard from the engine pylon along the leading edge of the airfoil, and an auxiliary high lift device. An open cut-out space is formed between the outboard edge of the inboard slat, the engine pylon, and the leading edge of the airfoil when the inboard slat is extended. The auxiliary high lift device is configured and arranged to be extendable into an extended position in which it aerodynamically covers or closes the cut-out space. The auxiliary high lift device is a movable high lift component that can be retracted into a retracted position in which it is recessed and integrated into the outer contour of the engine nacelle and/or the pylon. Thereby, the structural arrangement and mechanisms necessary for extending and retracting the auxiliary high lift device are simplified, and the weight and costs are reduced.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An airfoil arrangement comprising:

an airfoil;
an engine including an engine nacelle;
a pylon connecting said engine to said airfoil;
a high lift leading edge flap movably connected to said airfoil so as to be extendable into an extended flap position and retractable into a retracted flap position relative to said airfoil, wherein an open space and a corresponding aerodynamic gap is formed between a leading edge portion of said airfoil, said pylon and a side edge of said leading edge flap facing said pylon, when said leading edge flap is in said extended flap position;
and
an auxiliary high lift device that is movably arranged so as to be extendable into an extended device position and retractable into a retracted device position, wherein said auxiliary high lift device in said extended device position is positioned in said open space to cooperate with said leading edge flap in said extended flap position and to at least partly close said aerodynamic gap, and wherein said auxiliary high lift device in said retracted device position is integrated into an outer contour of at least one of said nacelle and said pylon.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.