Aircraft trailing edge devices, including devices with non-parallel motion paths, and associated methods

An aircraft, comprising:

• a fuselage having a longitudinal axis;
• a wing coupled to the fuselage;
• and
• an inboard trailing edge device coupled to the wing and movable relative to the wing between a first stowed position and a first deployed position along a first motion path, wherein an airflow gap exists between the inboard trailing edge device and the wing when the inboard trailing edge device is in the first deployed position, the inboard trailing edge device having (a) a first leading edge with a first sweep angle relative to the longitudinal axis, and (b) a first trailing edge;
• an outboard trailing edge device coupled to the wing outboard of the inboard trailing edge device, and being movable relative to the wing between a second stowed position and a second deployed position along a second motion path that is non-parallel to the first motion path, wherein an airflow gap exists between the outboard trailing edge device and the wing when the outboard trailing edge device is in the second deployed position, the outboard trailing edge device having (a) a second leading edge with a second sweep angle relative to the longitudinal axis, and (b) a second trailing edge;
• and
• an intermediate trailing edge device coupled to the wing between the inboard and outboard trailing edge devices, and being movable relative to the wing between a third stowed position and a third deployed position along a third motion path that is non-parallel to both the first and second motion paths, wherein an airflow gap exists between the intermediate trailing edge device and the wing when the intermediate trailing edge device is in the third deployed position, the intermediate trailing edge device having (a) a third leading edge with a third sweep angle relative to the longitudinal axis, the third sweep angle being greater than the first sweep angle and less than the second sweep angle, and (b) a third trailing edge;
• wherein
• the first, second and third leading edges are offset from each other when the trailing edge devices are in their stowed positions, and wherein the intermediate trailing edge device abuts the inboard trailing edge device and the outboard trailing edge device when the inboard, outboard and intermediate trailing edge devices are in the respective first, second and third stowed positions;
• the first, second and third leading edges form a generally monotonic leading edge profile when the trailing edge devices are in their deployed positions;
• the first, second and third trailing edges are offset from each other when the trailing edge devices are in their deployed positions;
• and
• the first, second and third trailing edges form a generally monotonic trailing edge profile when the trailing edge devices are in their deployed positions.

A method for operating an aircraft wing, comprising:

• moving an inboard trailing edge device relative to an aircraft wing between a first stowed position and a first deployed position along a first motion path to open a gap between the inboard trailing edge device and the wing;
• moving an outboard trailing edge device relative to the wing between a second stowed position and a second deployed position along a second motion path that is non-parallel to the first motion path to open a gap between the outboard trailing edge device and the wing;
• and
• moving an intermediate trailing edge device relative to the wing between a third stowed position and a third deployed position along a third motion path that is non-parallel to the first and second motion paths to open a gap between the intermediate trailing edge device and the wing, wherein the intermediate trailing edge device is positioned between the inboard and outboard trailing edge devices, and wherein the intermediate trailing edge device abuts the inboard trailing edge device and the outboard trailing edge device when the inboard, outboard and intermediate trailing edge devices are in the respective first, second and third stowed positions.