Movable wing for weight and balance management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10850828-B2
Application number	US-201715473908-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2017
Priority date	Mar 30, 2017
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

An aircraft includes a fuselage having a longitudinal axis, a wing assembly, and a fuselage positioning mechanism operatively connecting the fuselage to the wing assembly. The fuselage positioning mechanism is operable to move the fuselage relative to the wing assembly in a longitudinal direction parallel to the longitudinal axis between a fuselage maximum forward position and a fuselage maximum aft position. When the aircraft for flight, a position of a center of gravity of the aircraft relative to a center of lift is determined. The fuselage can be moved relative to the wing assembly to bring the center of gravity within an allowable range of distances from the center of lift to balance the aircraft for flight. The fuselage positioning mechanism can be automated to allow adjustment of the fuselage position during the flight of the aircraft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft comprising:
a fuselage having a longitudinal axis;
a wing assembly having a transverse axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, a center wing, a right wing extending outward from the center wing in a transverse direction and a left wing extending outward from the center wing opposite the right wing in the transverse direction; and
a fuselage positioning mechanism operatively connecting the fuselage to the wing assembly, wherein the fuselage positioning mechanism is operable to move the fuselage relative to the wing assembly in a longitudinal direction parallel to the longitudinal axis between a fuselage maximum forward position and a fuselage maximum aft position, and wherein the fuselage positioning mechanism comprises:
a fuselage positioning rail mounted on the fuselage and parallel to the longitudinal axis, and
a forward wing connection assembly comprising a cam bracket assembly mounted on the fuselage positioning rail and movable between a plurality of discrete positions in the longitudinal direction, wherein the cam bracket assembly is operatively connected to the wing assembly so that movement of the cam bracket assembly along the fuselage positioning rail facilitates movement of the fuselage in the longitudinal direction between the fuselage maximum forward position and the fuselage maximum aft position, and wherein the cam bracket assembly comprises a cam bracket assembly locking mechanism that alternately engages the fuselage positioning rail to maintain the cam bracket assembly in a longitudinal position along the fuselage positioning rail and disengages from the fuselage positioning rail to allow the cam bracket assembly to move between the plurality of discrete positions along the fuselage positioning rail in the longitudinal direction.

2. An aircraft comprising:
a fuselage having a longitudinal axis;
a wing assembly having a transverse axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, a center wing, a right wing extending outward from the center wing in a transverse direction and a left wing extending outward from the center wing opposite the right wing in the transverse direction; and
a fuselage positioning mechanism operatively connecting the fuselage to the wing assembly, wherein the fuselage positioning mechanism is operable to move the fuselage relative to the wing assembly in a longitudinal direction parallel to the longitudinal axis between a fuselage maximum forward position and a fuselage maximum aft position, and wherein the fuselage positioning mechanism comprises:
a fuselage positioning rail mounted on the fuselage and parallel to the longitudinal axis, and
a forward wing connection assembly comprising a cam bracket assembly mounted on the fuselage positioning rail and movable between a plurality of discrete positions in the longitudinal direction, wherein the cam bracket assembly is operatively connected to the wing assembly so that movement of the cam bracket assembly along the fuselage positioning rail facilitates movement of the fuselage in the longitudinal direction between the fuselage maximum forward position and the fuselage maximum aft position, wherein the forward wing connection assembly comprises a center wing sway rib assembly operatively connected to the wing assembly, and wherein the cam bracket assembly comprises a cam lock arm that is movable between a locked position where the cam lock arm engages the center wing sway rib assembly to lock the cam bracket assembly to the center wing sway rib assembly for movement together in the longitudinal direction and an unlocked position where the cam lock arm is disengaged from the center wing sway rib assembly to allow the cam bracket assembly and the center wing sway rib assembly to move independently in the longitudinal direction.

3. The aircraft of claim 2 , wherein the cam bracket assembly comprises a cam lock head washer mounted on a threaded portion of the cam lock arm, and wherein the center wing sway rib assembly comprises a cam lock receiving slot receiving the cam lock arm and the cam lock head washer when the cam lock arm moves to the locked position and a head washer engagement surface that engages the cam lock head washer to prevent the cam lock head washer from pulling through the cam lock receiving slot.

4. The aircraft of claim 2 , wherein the fuselage positioning mechanism comprises an aft wing connection assembly comprising:
an aft shear pin bracket assembly having an aft shear pin extending rearward therefrom, wherein the aft shear pin bracket assembly is mounted on the fuselage positioning rail and movable thereon in the longitudinal direction; and
a wing shear pin block operatively connected to the wing assembly aft of the center wing sway rib assembly so that the wing shear pin block moves with the wing assembly in the longitudinal direction, and wherein the wing shear pin block comprises a shear pin bore that receives and engages the aft shear pin so that the aft shear pin carries shear loads created when forces on the fuselage and the wing assembly cause the aft shear pin bracket assembly and the wing shear pin block to move in opposite directions perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

5. A method for balancing an aircraft having a fuselage and a wing assembly mounted thereon for movement of the fuselage relative to the wing assembly in a longitudinal direction that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the fuselage between a fuselage maximum forward position and a fuselage maximum aft position, wherein the wing assembly has a transverse axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, a center wing, a right wing extending outward from the center wing in a transverse direction and a left wing extending outward from the center wing opposite the right wing in the transverse direction, wherein the aircraft further includes a fuselage positioning rail mounted on the fuselage and parallel to the longitudinal axis, and a forward wing connection assembly comprising a cam bracket assembly mounted on the fuselage positioning rail and movable between a plurality of discrete positions in the longitudinal direction and having a cam bracket assembly locking mechanism that alternately engages the fuselage positioning rail to maintain the cam bracket assembly in the longitudinal position and disengages from the fuselage positioning rail to allow the cam bracket assembly to move between the plurality of discrete positions along the fuselage positioning rail in the longitudinal direction, wherein the cam bracket assembly is operatively connected to the wing assembly so that movement of the cam bracket assembly along the fuselage positioning rail facilitates movement of the fuselage in the longitudinal direction between the fuselage maximum forward position and the fuselage maximum aft position, and wherein the cam bracket assembly is demountably attached to the wing assembly, the method comprising:
preparing the aircraft for flight;
determining a position of a center of gravity of the aircraft along the longitudinal axis;
determining whether the center of gravity is within an allowable range of longitudinal distances from a center of lift of the aircraft;
detaching the cam bracket assembly from the wing assembly response to determining that the center of gravity is not within the allowable range of longitudinal distances from the center of lift;
unlocking the cam bracket assembly locking mechanism from the fuselage positioning rail;
moving the cam bracket assembly along the fuselage positioning rail after the cam bracket assembly is detached from the wing assembly and to a balance position to bring the center of gravity within the allowable range of longitudinal distances from the center of lift;
locking the cam bracket assembly locking mechanism to the fuselage position

Assignees

• Insitu Inc
• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Grubb Matthew D
• Kunz Peter J
• Goodrich Wayne D

Classifications

• B64U30/16

  movable along the UAV body · CPC title

• B64U40/20

  for in-flight adjustment of the base configuration · CPC title

• B64C3/38 Primary

  Adjustment of complete wings or parts thereof · CPC title

• B64C2211/00

  Modular constructions of airplanes or helicopters · CPC title

• B64C39/024

  of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV · CPC title