Back to results
US 8,128,020 B2Granted
Active twisting of an aircraft lifting surface via modulated clamping of substructure
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsDale M. Pitt, Nicholas Stephen Eckstein
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for enabling controlled twisting of a tip of a wing in response to the aerodynamic forces experienced by the wing. The structural stiffness of the wing is modulated to modulate the twist of the wing in the presence of aerodynamic forces.
Claims20
An aircraft wing having a controllable structural stiffness for adjusting its shape, the wing comprising:
- an upper wing surface;
- at least one upper spar coupled to said upper wing surface;
- a lower wing surface;
- at least one lower spar coupled to said lower wing surface;
- a plurality of fasteners for connecting said one upper spar and said one lower spar;
- at least one of said fasteners comprising an adjustable clamp movable between a clamped position wherein said one upper spar and said one lower spar are secured at said clamp for fixing the shape of said wing and an unclamped position wherein said one upper spar and said one lower spar are relatively movable at said clamp for adjusting the shape of said wing.
3 more elements
An aircraft wing comprising:
- an upper wing surface;
- a first substructure extending from said upper wing surface;
- a lower wing surface;
- a second substructure extending from said lower wing surface;
- a plurality of selectively operable clamping assemblies coupling said first and said second substructures and operable to selectively control the structural stiffness of said wing.
2 more elements
A method for controlling a wing comprising an upper wing surface and a lower wing surface, said method comprising:
- providing a first substructure coupled to said upper wing surface;
- providing a second substructure coupled to said lower wing surface;
- providing a plurality of selectively operable clamping assemblies coupling said first and said second substructures;
- and
- selectively adjusting said clamping assemblies to selectively control the structural stiffness of said wing.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.