Aircraft having a vertical lift system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9266605-B2
Application number	US-201013322486-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2010
Priority date	May 26, 2009
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

An aircraft having a high lift system, including a control computer, high lift bodies on each wing, a drive coupled to these, an activation device connected to the drive via an analog connection, an input device, and sensors detecting a state of the high lift bodies connected via analog lines to the activation device. The input device connects via a digital connection to the activation device for transmitting commands for adjusting the high lift bodies. The activation device is installed in the payload area of the fuselage and in an area extending from a location spaced from the front of the wingbox by a distance of one third of the fuselage length extending from there to the aircraft's tip, as far as a location spaced from the rear of the wingbox by a distance of one third of the fuselage length extending from there to the aircraft's tail end.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft having a high lift system, comprising:
a flight control computer installed in a cockpit of the aircraft;
at least one high lift body disposed on each respective wing of the aircraft, each high lift body being adjustable relative to the respective aircraft wing;
a drive device coupled with the high lift bodies, which is configured such that it adjusts the high lift bodies between a retracted position and an extended position on the basis of activation commands;
an activation device connected to the drive device via an analog data connection and including an activation function that generates activation commands for setting an adjustment state of the high lift bodies and that generates monitoring and locking commands for locking the high lift bodies in the event of a system failure, wherein the activation device is connected via a digital data connection to the flight control computer for receiving flight state-related data;
an input device arranged in the cockpit of the aircraft, the input device receiving input of target commands for adjusting the high lift bodies;
sensors configured to detect an adjustment state of the high lift bodies which are connected via analog signal lines to the activation device; and

wherein
the input device is connected via a digital data connection to the activation device for the transmission of target commands for adjusting the high lift bodies; and
the activation device of the high lift system is installed in a payload area of the aircraft's fuselage and in an area extending, when viewed in a longitudinal direction of the aircraft's fuselage, from a location which is spaced apart from a front side of a wingbox by a distance of one third of a fuselage length extending from the front side of the wingbox to a tip of the aircraft, as far as a location which is spaced apart from a rear side of the wingbox by a distance of one third of a fuselage length extending from the rear side of the wingbox to a fuselage end at a tail end of the aircraft, such that the flight control computer and the activation device are installed in separate areas of the aircraft's fuselage in a decentralized arrangement.

2. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the high lift system is a leading edge lift system having adjustable leading edge lift bodies and an activation device, wherein the activation device of the leading edge lift system is functionally connected to the leading edge lift bodies for adjusting them.

3. The aircraft according to claim 2 , wherein the activation device of the leading edge lift system is installed in the payload area of the aircraft's fuselage and in an area extending from the front side of the wingbox to a location which is spaced apart from the front side of the wingbox by a distance of one third of the fuselage length extending from the front side of the wingbox to the tip of the aircraft.

4. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the high lift system is a trailing edge lift system having adjustable trailing edge lift bodies and an activation device, wherein the activation device of the trailing edge lift system is functionally connected to the trailing edge lift bodies for adjusting them.

5. The aircraft according to claim 4 , wherein the activation device of the trailing edge lift system is installed in the payload area of the aircraft's fuselage and in an area extending from the rear side of the wingbox to a location which is spaced apart from the rear side of the wingbox by a distance of one third of the fuselage length extending from the rear side of the wingbox to the end of the fuselage at the tail end of the aircraft.

6. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one activation device(s) are formed of respective computers and hardware interfaces which are implemented in their hardware so as to be identical, in order to ensure an exchangeability of computers with hardware interfaces between activation devices and/or within activation devices.

7. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the aircraft is a rear-drive aircraft.

Assignees

• Richter Martin
• Lücken Peter
• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Richter Martin
• Lücken Peter

Classifications

• B64D45/0005 Primary

  Devices specially adapted to indicate the position of a movable element of the aircraft, e.g. landing gear · CPC title

• B64C13/503 Primary

  Fly-by-Wire · CPC title

• B64D2045/001

  for indicating symmetry of flaps deflection · CPC title