Rotorcraft having a stabilizer device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9623965-B2
Application number	US-201514870317-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2015
Priority date	Sep 30, 2014
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

A rotorcraft having at least one stabilizer device of the tail plane and/or of the tail fin type. At least one stabilizer device is a variable wing area stabilizer device comprising an airfoil member provided with a stationary airfoil surface and a movable airfoil surface. A control system is connected to a mover system for moving the movable airfoil surface in translation between a refracted position for occupying when the rotorcraft has a forward speed less than a first speed threshold, and an extended position for occupying when the rotorcraft has a forward air speed greater than a second speed threshold greater than the first speed threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rotorcraft having an airframe extending longitudinally from a nose to a rear zone, the rotorcraft comprising at least one main lift rotor and at least one tail rotor for controlling yaw movement and arranged in the rear zone, the rotorcraft including at least one stabilizer device arranged in the rear zone, each stabilizer device being selected from a list comprising a tail plane for stabilizing the rotorcraft in pitching and a tail fin for stabilizing the rotorcraft in yaw, at least one of the stabilizer devices being a variable wing area stabilizer device , each variable wing area stabilizer device comprising an airfoil member having a stationary airfoil surface that is stationary relative to the airframe, the airfoil member having a movable airfoil surface that is movable relative to the stationary airfoil surface, wherein the movable airfoil surface is movable at least in translation relative to the stationary airfoil surface, the rotorcraft comprising:
a mover system for moving the movable airfoil surface at least in translation relative to the stationary airfoil surface from a retracted position in which a reference chord of the airfoil member is at a minimum, to an extended position in which the reference chord of the airfoil member is at a maximum; and
a control system connected to the mover system to position the movable airfoil surface in the retracted position when the rotorcraft has a forward speed less than a first speed threshold, and in an extended position when the rotorcraft has a forward speed greater than a second speed threshold greater than the first speed threshold.

2. A rotorcraft according to claim 1 , wherein at least two stabilizer devices are variable wing area stabilizer devices, the variable wing area stabilizer devices having a control system in common.

3. A rotorcraft according to claim 1 , wherein at least two stabilizer devices are variable wing area stabilizer devices, the variable wing area stabilizer devices having a mover system in common.

4. A rotorcraft according to claim 1 , wherein the mover system is a wormscrew system provided with a motor, a wormscrew, and at least one nut engaged on the wormscrew.

5. A rotorcraft according to claim 4 , wherein the wormscrew is driven in rotation by the motor, the nut being fastened to a movable airfoil surface and being prevented from moving in rotation relative to the movable airfoil surface.

6. A rotorcraft according to claim 1 , wherein the mover system comprises a jack.

7. A rotorcraft according to claim 1 , wherein the airframe includes a tail boom carrying the variable wing area stabilizer device, and the mover system is arranged at least in part in the tail boom.

8. A rotorcraft according to claim 1 , wherein the control system includes a computer, the computer being connected to a system for measuring the forward speed of the rotorcraft and to the mover system.

9. A rotorcraft according to claim 8 , wherein the computer includes a relationship for degrading control of the mover system so as to position the movable airfoil surface in the extended position in the event of the system for measuring forward air speed malfunctioning.

10. A rotorcraft according to claim 8 , wherein the system for measuring the forward air speed comprises an air speed measurement device enabling an indicated air speed to be measured.

11. A rotorcraft according to claim 8 , wherein the system for measuring forward speed comprises a measurement sensor for measuring a position of at least one flight control of the rotorcraft.

12. A rotorcraft according to claim 1 , wherein the control system includes manual control means operable by a pilot, the manual control means being connected to the mover system.

13. A rotorcraft according to claim 1 , wherein the stationary airfoil surface includes a housing opening out to a trailing edge of the stationary airfoil surface, the movable airfoil surface being housed at least in part in the housing when in the refracted position.

14. A rotorcraft according to claim 13 , wherein the movable airfoil surface is housed at least in part in the housing in the retracted position, with the reference chord of the airfoil member being equal to the reference chord of the stationary airfoil surface when the movable airfoil surface is in the retracted position.

15. A rotorcraft according to claim 1 , wherein the movable airfoil surface, when in the extended position, lies in continuity with the stationary airfoil surface in the forward direction of the rotorcraft.

16. A rotorcraft according to claim 13 , wherein, when the rotorcraft has a forward speed less than the first speed threshold, an air stream coming from a rotor impacts against a face of the stationary airfoil surface, and the housing is masked by the face facing the air stream.

17. A rotorcraft according to claim 1 , wherein the movable airfoil surface is movable both in rotation and in translation relative to the stationary airfoil surface, the mover system moving the movable airfoil surface both in rotation and in translation relative to the stationary airfoil surface from a retracted position in which a reference chord of the airfoil member is at a minimum to an extended position in which the reference chord of the airfoil member is at a maximum.

18. A rotorcraft according to claim 1 , wherein the movable airfoil surface is movable in translation relative to the stationary airfoil surface, the mover system moving the movable airfoil surface in translation relative to the stationary airfoil surface from a retracted position in which a reference chord of the airfoil member is at a minimum to an extended position in which the reference chord of the airfoil member is at a maximum.

Assignees

• Airbus Helicopters

Inventors

• Eglin Paul

Classifications

• B64C27/82

  characterised by the provision of an auxiliary rotor or fluid-jet device for counter-balancing lifting rotor torque or changing direction of rotorcraft · CPC title

• B64C2027/8272

  comprising fins, or movable rudders · CPC title

• B64C27/37

  having articulated joints · CPC title

• B64C2027/8281

  comprising horizontal tail planes · CPC title

• B64C27/08

  with two or more rotors · CPC title