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US 9,038,943 B1Granted
Safety aileron system
OwnerRalph F. Morrisinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Individually operable ailerons pivotable to extend a forward end below a bottom wing surface and a rearward end above a top wing surface. The extended aileron forward end increases drag and subsumes the rudder function in the turn, while the aileron rear end produces drag and airflow redirection to reduce lift on the wing. The advantage of the safety ailerons is that habitual or instinctive pilot inputs to the yoke will recover from a dropped-wing stall at low speed and altitude, while conventional ailerons require counter-intuitive pilot actions to avoid crashing in such conditions.
Claims18
A safety aileron system, comprising an aircraft having
- a. first and second wings further comprising:
- i. an airfoil type defining a shape;
- ii. first and second top wing surfaces, respectively;
- iii. first and second bottom wing surfaces, respectively;
- and
- iv. first and second aft portions, respectively;
- b. first and second individually operable ailerons integral with said first and second aft portions, respectively;
- and
- c. for each aileron of said first and second ailerons, a pivot axis positioned to enable rotation of said aileron to a position in which a front portion of said aileron extends below a bottom surface of said respective wing and a rear portion of said aileron extends above said top surface of said respective wing wherein said pivot axis comprises a mechanically repositionable pivot axis.
6 more elements
A safety aileron system, comprising an aircraft having
- a. first and second wings further comprising:
- i. an airfoil type defining a shape;
- ii. first and second top wing surfaces, respectively;
- iii. first and second bottom wing surfaces, respectively;
- and
- iv. first and second aft portions, respectively;
- b. first and second individually operable ailerons integral with said first and second aft portions, respectively;
- c. for each aileron of said first and second ailerons, a pivot axis positioned to enable rotation of said aileron to a position in which a front portion of said aileron extends below a bottom surface of said respective wing and a rear portion of said aileron extends above said top surface of said respective wing;
- and
- d. wherein said first and second ailerons are controllable to enable only one of said first aileron and said second aileron to rotate at any particular time wherein said pivot axis comprises a mechanically repositionable pivot axis.
7 more elements
A safety aileron system, comprising:
- a. an aircraft having
- i. first and second wings further comprising:
- 1) an airfoil type defining a shape;
- 2) first and second top wing surfaces, respectively;
- 3) first and second bottom wing surfaces, respectively;
- 4) first and second aft portions, respectively;
- and
- ii. a control yoke;
- b. first and second individually operable ailerons integral with said first and second aft portions, respectively;
- c. for each aileron of said first and second ailerons, a pivot axis that is one of positioned and positionable to enable rotation of said aileron to a position in which a front portion of said aileron extends below a bottom surface of said respective wing and a rear portion of said aileron extends above said top surface of said respective wing;
- d. said first and second ailerons are shaped to conform to said shape of said airfoil type of said first and second wings, respectively, when said first and second ailerons are not rotated;
- and
- e. wherein said first and second ailerons are controllable to enable only one of said first aileron and said second aileron to rotate at any particular time;
- f. said first aileron is operable to rotate, responsive to a first particular movement of the control yoke, to correct a dropped-wing stall condition on said second wing;
- g. said second aileron is operable to rotate, responsive to a second particular movement of the control yoke, to correct a dropped-wing stall condition on said first wing;
- h. said first aileron is operable to rotate, responsive to said first particular movement of said control yoke, to turn the aircraft in a first direction;
- and
- i. said second aileron is operable to rotate, responsive to said second particular movement of said control yoke, to turn the aircraft in a second direction.
15 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.