Aileron for fixed wing aircraft

An aerodynamic control system for roll control of an aircraft around a longitudinal axis of the aircraft, the aerodynamic control system comprising:

• a first wing having a rear portion, the first wing including a top surface and a bottom surface;
• an aileron assembly having an upper panel and a lower panel, the upper panel being pivotally attached to the top surface of the first wing at the rear portion and the lower panel being pivotally attached to the bottom surface of the first wing at the rear portion, wherein the upper panel and the lower panel are operatively related such that both the upper panel and the lower panel arc deflected in an upward direction as a unit from both an upper panel neutral position and a lower panel neutral position, the upper panel having an upper surface where the upper surface of the upper panel forms a continuation of the first wing top surface when the upper panel is in the upper panel neutral position, wherein the upper panel is limited to deflect only upwardly relative to the upper panel neutral position, the lower panel having at least one section, the lower panel having a lower surface where the lower surface of the lower panel forms a continuation of the first wing bottom surface when the lower panel is in the lower panel neutral position;
• and
• a second wing, the second wing being opposite the first wing, the second wing having the aileron assembly such that only the upward deflection of the upper panel of the aileron assembly on the second wing is sufficient to effect roll control of the aircraft without adverse yaw of a nose of the aircraft, where the lower panel of both the first wing aileron assembly and the second wing aileron assembly can be extended rearwardly to increase an effective wing area and can be deflected in a downward direction from the lower panel neutral position, independently of the upper panel, to provide flap function for the aircraft.

An aerodynamic control system for roll control of an aircraft around a longitudinal axis of the aircraft, the aerodynamic control system comprising:

• a first wing having a rear portion, the first wing having a top surface and a bottom surface;
• an aileron assembly having an upper panel and a lower panel where the upper panel is pivotally attached to the top surface of the first wing at the rear portion and the lower panel is pivotally attached to the bottom surface of the first wing at the rear portion, wherein the upper panel and the lower panel are operatively related such that both the upper panel and the lower panel are deflected in an upward direction as a unit from both an upper panel neutral position and a lower panel neutral position, the upper panel having an upper surface where the upper surface of the upper panel forms a continuation of the first wing top surface when the upper panel is in the upper panel neutral position, wherein the upper panel is limited to deflect only upwardly relative to the upper panel neutral position, the lower panel having a lower surface where the lower surface of the lower panel forms a continuation of the first wing bottom surface when the lower panel is in the lower panel neutral position;
• and
• a second wing, the second wing being opposite the first wing, the second wing having the aileron assembly such that only the upward deflection of the upper panel of the second wing aileron assembly is sufficient to effect roll control of the aircraft without adverse yaw of a nose of the aircraft, where the upper panel of both the first wing aileron assembly and the second wing aileron assembly are deflected up simultaneously to function as drag panels.

An aileron system to control roll of an aircraft, the aileron system comprising:

• a first wing of the aircraft, the first wing including a rear portion;
• a second wing of the aircraft;
• an upper panel pivotally attached to the rear portion of the first wing, the upper panel having an upper surface that is flush with an upper surface of the first wing when the upper panel is in an upper panel neutral position such that the upper panel forms a continuation of the first wing;
• and
• a lower panel pivotally attached to the rear portion of the first wing opposite the upper panel, wherein the first wing includes a lower surface which is flush with a lower surface of the lower panel when the lower panel is in a lower panel neutral position such that the lower panel forms a continuation of the first wing, the lower panel including a section where a lower surface of the section of the lower panel is flush with the lower surface of the first wing when the lower panel is in the lower panel neutral position such that the section of the lower panel forms a continuation of the first wing, the upper panel and the lower panel being operatively related such that both the upper panel and the lower panel are deflected in an upward direction as a unit from both the upper panel neutral position and the lower panel neutral position.

A method for controlling movement of an aircraft with an aileron system, the aircraft having a first wing and a second wing opposite the first wing where both the first wing and the second wing have a rear portion, the aileron system includes a first plurality of aileron panels pivotally attached to the rear portion of the first wing and the aileron system includes a second plurality of aileron panels attached to the rear portion of the second wing, the method comprising:

• deflecting a first upper aileron panel of the first plurality of the aileron panels into a deflected position;
• controlling a first lower panel of the first plurality of the aileron panels where the first lower panel is independently operable from the first upper aileron panel such that the first lower panel deflects with the first upper aileron panel;
• and
• maintaining a second upper aileron panel of the second plurality of the aileron panels in an upper panel neutral position such that an upper surface of the second upper aileron panel is substantially flush with an upper surface of the second wing to form a continuation of the upper surface of the second wing in the upper panel neutral position.

An aerodynamic control system for roll control of an aircraft around a longitudinal axis of the aircraft, the aerodynamic control system comprising:

• a first wing, the first wing including a top surface and a bottom surface;
• an aileron assembly having an upper panel and a lower panel, the lower panel having a section, the upper panel being pivotally attached to the top surface of the first wing, the lower panel being pivotally attached to the bottom surface of the first wing, the upper panel being limited to deflect only upwardly relative to an upper panel neutral position, the lower panel having a lower surface where the lower surface of the lower panel forms a continuation of the first wing bottom surface when the lower panel is in a lower panel neutral position, wherein the roll control of the aircraft may be effected without adverse yaw of the nose of the aircraft by upwardly deflecting only the upper panel of the aileron assembly of the first wing;
• and
• a second wing, the second wing having the aileron assembly wherein the upper panel of the aileron assembly on the second wing remains in the upper panel neutral position during upward deflection of the upper panel of the aileron assembly of the first wing.