Elevon design for all-axis control in a blended wing body aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11827355-B2
Application number	US-202217873679-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2022
Priority date	Dec 31, 2018
Publication date	Nov 28, 2023
Grant date	Nov 28, 2023

Abstract

Aspects relate to airplanes having a blended wing body. A blended wing body may include a fuselage and a port wing and a starboard wing continuously coupled to the fuselage and a nose section. A midship control surface may be disposed on a trailing edge of the blended wing body and centered between the port wing and the starboard wing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An airplane comprising:
a blended wing body, wherein the blended wing body comprises:
a fuselage;
a port wing and a starboard wing continuously coupled to the fuselage and a nose section;
a midship control surface disposed on a trailing edge of the blended wing body and centered between the port wing and the starboard wing; and
at least a first control surface triplet comprising at least a triangular shaped control surface coupled to a rectangular shaped control surface having an interface angle;
wherein each control surface of the first control surface triplet rotates about an axis that is not parallel to the axes of rotation of the other two control surfaces of the first control surface triplet; and
wherein the trailing edge of the first control surface triplet forms a straight line.

2. The airplane of claim 1 , wherein the midship control surface comprises an obtuse angle planform.

3. The airplane of claim 1 , wherein the midship control surface is movable in an upward direction and downward direction.

4. The airplane of claim 1 , wherein the midship control surface may be movable in a split configuration.

5. The airplane of claim 4 , wherein the split configuration comprises a top surface of the midship control surface moving in an upward direction and a bottom surface of the midship control surface moving in a downward direction.

6. The airplane of claim 1 , wherein the midship control surface includes an edge interface.

7. The airplane of claim 6 , wherein the edge interface includes an interface angle ranging from 20 degrees to less than 90 degrees.

8. The airplane of claim 1 , wherein the midship control surface comprises an elevon.

9. The airplane of claim 1 , wherein the midship control surface comprises an elevator.

10. The airplane of claim 1 , wherein the midship control surface is configured to perform air braking.

11. The airplane of claim 1 , wherein the first control surface triplet is located on the port wing, and wherein the midship control surface is moved coincidently with the first control surface.

12. The airplane of claim 11 , wherein the first control surface triplet comprises three discrete control surfaces, a first control surface, a second control surface, and a third control surface, and wherein the first control surface has a first triangular planform.

13. The airplane of claim 12 , wherein the first control surface, the second control surface, or the third control surface are movable in an upward direction or a downward direction.

14. The airplane of claim 12 , wherein the first control surface, the second control surface, or the third control surface are individually controllable.

15. The airplane of claim 12 , wherein the first triangular planform includes:
a first edge coincident a trailing edge of the port wing;
a second edge rotatably affixed to the port wing; and
a third edge proximal the second control surface, wherein both a first inner control surface angle, between the second edge and the third edge, and a first outer control surface angle, between the first edge and the second edge, are within a first range from 1 degree to 89 degrees.

16. The airplane of claim 12 , wherein the first control surface triplet comprises an elevon.

17. The airplane of claim 12 , wherein the first control surface triplet comprises an aileron.

18. The airplane of claim 11 , further comprising:
a second control surface triplet on the starboard wing, and wherein the midship control surface is moved coincidently with the second control surface.

19. The airplane of claim 11 , further comprising a first control surface doublet on the port wing.

20. The airplane of claim 19 , wherein the first control surface triplet, the first control surface doublet, and the midship control surface are configured to operate together as an elevon.

Assignees

• Jetzero Inc

Inventors

• Page Mark A

Classifications

• B64C9/02 Primary

  Mounting or supporting thereof · CPC title

• B64C39/10

  All-wing aircraft · CPC title

• B64C2039/105

  of blended wing body type · CPC title

• B64C2009/005

  Ailerons · CPC title

• B64C9/04

  with compound dependent movements · CPC title