Flight control surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12371151-B2
Application number	US-202318471519-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2023
Priority date	Sep 23, 2022
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

An aircraft wing with a moveable leading edge device mounted towards the leading edge of the wing. The leading edge device is moveable between a first configuration, a second configuration and a third configuration. In the first configuration, the leading edge device is retracted fully within the wing profile. In the second configuration, a portion of a surface of the leading edge device is extended away from the wing profile and into the oncoming airflow on the lower surface of the wing as the wing moves through the airflow to increase lift produced by the wing. In the third configuration, a portion of the surface of the leading edge device is extended away from the wing profile into the oncoming airflow over the upper surface of the wing to impair lift produced by the wing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft wing comprising:
a leading edge,
a trailing edge,
an upper surface extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge,
a lower surface extending between the leading edge and the trailing,
wherein the leading edge, trailing edge, upper surface and lower surface define a wing profile, and
a moveable and unitary leading edge device mounted towards the leading edge, wherein the leading edge device is movable between:
a first configuration in which the leading edge device is retracted fully within the wing profile;
a second configuration in which at least a lower portion of a surface of the leading edge device is extended through a first aperture in the lower surface and away from the wing profile and into oncoming airflow moving over the lower surface as the aircraft wing moves through the oncoming airflow;
a third configuration in which at least an upper portion of the surface of the leading edge device is extended through a second aperture in the upper surface and away from the wing profile and into the oncoming airflow moving over the upper surface of the wing as the aircraft wing moves through the oncoming airflow.

2. The aircraft wing according to claim 1 , wherein the leading edge device is driven to move between the first configuration, the second configuration and the third configuration mounted on a track or from a linkage arrangement.

3. The aircraft wing according to claim 1 , wherein in the second configuration the leading edge device increases lift produced by the wing compared to the first configuration.

4. The aircraft wing according to claim 1 , wherein in the third configuration the leading edge device impairs lift produced by the wing compared to the first configuration.

5. The aircraft wing according to claim 1 , wherein the aircraft wing has a chord direction and the surface of the leading edge device is oriented perpendicular to the chord direction when in the second and third configurations.

6. The aircraft wing according to claim 5 , wherein the surface of the leading edge device is oriented perpendicular to the chord when in the first configuration.

7. The aircraft wing according to claim 1 , further comprising an actuator coupled to the leading edge device and configured to move the leading edge device between the first, second and third configurations.

8. The aircraft wing according to claim 1 , wherein the leading edge device comprises a panel and a surface of the panel is the surface of the leading edge.

9. The aircraft wing according to claim 1 , further comprising a front spar and wherein the leading edge device is located between the leading edge and the front spar along a chord wise direction of the aircraft wing.

10. The aircraft wing according to claim 1 , wherein the aircraft wing has a root end and a tip end, and wherein the leading edge device is located closer to the tip end than to the root end.

11. The aircraft wing according to claim 1 , further comprising a wing tip device and the leading edge device is located on the wing tip device.

12. The aircraft wing according to claim 1 , further comprising a root end and tip end and a span between the root end and the tip end thereof, and
wherein the aircraft wing is devoid of moveable flight control surfaces overlapping in a spanwise direction the leading edge device.

13. A method of operating an aircraft wing, the wing comprising a leading edge, a trailing edge, an upper surface extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge and a lower surface extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge to define a wing profile, and a moveable and unitary leading edge device mounted towards the leading edge,
the method comprising moving the leading edge device between:
a first configuration in which the leading edge device is retracted fully within the wing profile;
a second configuration in which at least a lower portion of a surface of the leading edge device is extended through a first aperture in the lower surface, away from the wing profile and into oncoming airflow on the lower surface of the wing impairing lift produced by the wing; and
a third configuration in which at least an upper portion of the surface of the leading edge device is extended through a second aperture in the upper surface, away from the wing profile and into oncoming airflow over the upper surface of the wing increasing lift produced by the wing.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the second configuration is deployed during flight of the aircraft wing to alleviate wing loading or for roll control of the aircraft wing.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the third configuration is deployed during flight of the aircraft wing to improve a stall angle of attack of the wing.

16. A method to move a unitary leading edge device of a wing, wherein the wing includes a leading edge, a trailing edge, an upper surface extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge and a lower surface extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge, and a wing profile defined by the leading edge, the trailing edge, the upper surface and the lower surface,
the method comprising:
retracting the unitary leading edge device entirely within the wing profile of the wing;
extending at least a lower portion of the unitary leading edge device from within the wing profile, through a first aperture in the lower surface of the wing and into an oncoming airflow moving over the lower surface resulting in an impairment of lift produced by the wing; and
extending an upper portion of the unitary leading edge device from within the wing profile, through a second aperture in the upper surface of the wing and into the oncoming airflow moving over the upper surface resulting in increase lift produced by the wing.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the extending at least the lower portion of the unitary leading edge device is performed during flight of the wing to alleviate wing loading.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the extending at least the upper portion of the unitary leading edge device is performed during flight of the wing to increase a stall angle of attack of the wing.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Ltd

Inventors

• Family Oliver

Classifications

• B64C23/076

  the wing tip airfoil devices comprising one or more separate moveable members thereon affecting the vortices, e.g. flaps · CPC title

• B64C9/02

  Mounting or supporting thereof · CPC title

• B64C3/50

  by leading or trailing edge flaps · CPC title

• B64C9/26

  by multiple flaps · CPC title

• B64C9/22 Primary

  at the front of the wing · CPC title