Control surface for an aircraft and control structure for an aircraft with anti-flutter balance weight

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021122459-A1
Application number	US-202017081318-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 27, 2020
Priority date	Oct 29, 2019
Publication date	Apr 29, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A leading edge (3) of a control surface (1) for an aircraft includes a balance weight (6) attached to the forward-most region of the leading edge (3). The control surface (1) rotates with respect to the stabilizer (2) around a hinge line (5). The balance weight (6) is ahead of and adjacent to the most frontal portion (7) of the leading edge (3) of the control surface (1) are is inside the trailing edge of the stabilizer (2). This arrangement allows to have an anti-flutter balance weight without any impact in aerodynamic drag.

First claim

The invention is:

1 . A balance weight and control surface assembly for an aircraft comprising:
a control surface including leading edge and a trailing edge, wherein the control surface pivots about a spanwise hinge line; and a balance weight mounted to a most frontal portion of leading edge of the control surface, wherein an exposed curved surface of the balance weight is an extension of an exposed curved portion of the leading edge of the control surface, and wherein the balance weight is a separable component from the control surface.

2 . The balance weight and control surface assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the balance weight includes a flat surface configured to seat on the most frontal portion of the leading edge of the control surface, and the exposed curved surface of the balance weight meets the flat surface along a spanwise edge of the balance weight, wherein the spanwise edge of the balance weight is parallel to and adjacent a spanwise edge of the control surface which joins the flat surface and the exposed curved portion of the leading edge.

3 . The balance weight and control surface assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the balance weight is teardrop shaped in cross section.

4 . The balance weight and control surface assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the exposed curved section of the balance weight has a radius of curvature matching a radius of curvature of a portion of the exposed curved portion of the leading edge.

5 . The balance weight and control surface assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the balance weight includes a flat surface configured to seat on the most frontal portion of the leading edge of the control surface, and a rounded edge joining the flat surface to the exposed curved surface of the balance weight.

6 . The balance weight and control surface assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the balance weight is fastened to the most frontal portion of the leading edge by fasteners.

7 . The balance weight and control surface assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the fasteners include bolts and anchor nuts.

8 . The balance weight and control surface assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the balance weight is formed of a material having a density greater than a density of a material forming the control surface.

9 . The balance weight and control surface assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the balance weight is metallic and the control surface is a composite material.

10 . A stabilizer of an aircraft comprising:
a leading edge; a torsion box attached to and rearward of the leading edge, wherein a rear portion of the torsion box include an upper and lower trailing edges; a control surface including leading edge and a trailing edge and mounted to the rear portion of the torsion box, wherein the control surface pivots about a spanwise hinge line of the stabilizer and the leading edge of the control surface is between the upper and lower trailing edges of the torsion box, wherein the leading edge of the control surface includes a most frontal portion and a curved portion connected to the most frontal portion along a spanwise edge of the control surface; and a balance weight releasably mounted to the most frontal portion of the leading edge of the control surface and positioned between the upper and lower trailing edges of the torsion box, wherein an exposed surface of the balance weight is an extension of the curved portion of the leading edge of the control surface.

11 . The stabilizer according to claim 10 , wherein the control surface is an elevator and the stabilizer is a horizontal stabilizer.

12 . The stabilizer according to claim 10 , wherein the control surface is a rudder and the stabilizer is a vertical stabilizer.

13 . The stabilizer according to claim 10 , wherein the balance weight includes a flat surface configured to seat on the most frontal portion of the leading edge of the control surface, and the exposed surface of the balance weight meets the flat surface along a spanwise edge of the balance weight.

14 . The stabilizer according to claim 13 , wherein the spanwise edge of the balance weight is parallel to and adjacent the spanwise edge of the control surface.

15 . The stabilizer according to claim 10 , wherein the exposed surface of the balance weight has a radius of curvature in a spanwise direction which matches a radius of curvature in the spanwise direction of a curvature of the curved portion of the leading edge of the control surface.

16 . The stabilizer according to claim 10 , wherein the balance weight includes a flat surface configured to seat on the most frontal portion of the leading edge of the control surface, and a rounded edge joining the flat surface to the exposed curved surface of the balance weight.

17 . The stabilizer according to claim 10 , wherein the balance weight is fastened to the most frontal portion of the leading edge by fasteners.

18 . The stabilizer according to claim 17 , wherein the fasteners include bolts and anchor nuts.

19 . The stabilizer according to claim 10 , wherein the balance weight is formed of a material having a density greater than a density of a material forming the control surface.

20 . The stabilizer according to claim 10 , wherein the balance weight is metallic and the control surface is a composite material.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Slu

Inventors

• Balsa-Gonzalez Alberto
• Mendez Rodriguez Miguel Ángel
• Kobierecki Robert
• Sánchez Ruiz Juan Antonio

Classifications

• B64C9/30 Primary

  Balancing hinged surfaces, e.g. dynamically · CPC title

• B64C9/00

  Adjustable control surfaces or members, e.g. rudders (trimming stabilising surfaces B64C5/10) · CPC title

• B64C5/02

  Tailplanes · CPC title

• B64C5/06

  Fins (B64C5/08 takes precedence) · CPC title