Aircraft having a variable geometry
AssigneeEADS Deutschland GmbH
InventorJost Seifert
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aircraft having a variable geometry for adapting the flight characteristics to different flight situations includes a fuselage with a pair of wings projecting on both sides of the fuselage in the transverse direction (y), each of which wings has an inner wing section arranged stationarily with respect to the fuselage and an outer wing section adjacent thereto and pivotable about a pivot axis. The pivot axis is oriented in a direction deviating from the longitudinal direction (x) of the aircraft by a maximum of 40°.
Claims14
An aircraft having a variable geometry for adapting the flight characteristics, comprising:
- a fuselage;
- a pair of wings projecting on both sides from the fuselage in transverse direction, wherein each of wings of the pair of wings has an inner wing section arranged stationarily with respect to the fuselage and an outer wing section adjacent to the inner wing section, the outer wing section is configured to be pivotable about a pivot axis, wherein the pivot axis is oriented in a direction deviating from a longitudinal direction of the aircraft by a maximum of 40°, and is substantially oriented in said longitudinal direction, wherein when the outer wing sections are in an unpivoted state;
- and
- a course of a leading edge of the outer wing sections is offset backward with respect to a course of a leading edge of the inner wing sections and a course of the trailing edge of the outer wing sections is offset backward with respect to a course of the trailing edge of the inner wing sections in such a manner that the leading edges of the outer and inner wings are offset at the pivot axis and the trailing edges of the outer and inner wings are offset at the pivot axis, wherein the outer wing sections are completely aft the inner wing sections.
An aircraft having a variable geometry for adapting the flight characteristics, comprising:
- a fuselage;
- a pair of wings projecting on both sides from the fuselage in transverse direction, wherein each of wings of the pair of wings has an inner wing section arranged stationarily with respect to the fuselage and an outer wing section adjacent to the inner wing section, the outer wing section is configured to be pivotable about a pivot axis, wherein the pivot axis is oriented in a direction deviating from a longitudinal direction of the aircraft by a maximum of 40°, and is substantially oriented in said longitudinal direction;
- a stabilizing mechanism arranged in a region of the pivot axes and configured to lock the outer wing sections in the non-pivoted state against undesired pivoting by aerodynamic forces;
- and
- aerodynamically effective control elements arranged on the outer wing sections, wherein the aerodynamically effective control elements are control flaps or rudders,
- wherein the aerodynamically effective control elements and the stabilizing mechanism are actuatable in such a manner that the outer wing sections pivot due to aerodynamic forces acting on the outer wing sections, and
- wherein the aerodynamic forces are the exclusive forces acting to pivot the outer wing sections in a direction of the pivot, wherein the outer wing sections are completely aft the inner wing sections.
A method comprising:
- changing a geometry of an aircraft having fixed inner wing sections coupled to hinged outer wing sections during a flight by adjusting control flaps or rudders arranged on the outer wing sections in such a manner that pivoting of the outer wing sections between a pivoted and non-pivoted state is achieved utilizing aerodynamic forces acting on the outer wing sections of the aircraft, and wherein the aerodynamic forces are the exclusive forces acting to pivot the outer wing sections in a direction of the pivot, wherein the outer wing sections are completely aft the inner wing sections.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.