Foldable Dihedral Wing Extensions for Tiltrotor Spatial Footprint Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wing extensions on aircraft increase the spatial footprint, which is undesirable, especially for tiltrotor aircraft that need to operate efficiently in both cruise and vertical takeoff and landing modes while also being able to fit into confined spaces.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates foldable wing extensions with a dihedral configuration that can stow against a pylon, reducing the vertical and lateral envelope when folded, and are shaped to complement the pylon or wing structure, allowing for efficient deployment and retraction without excessive rotor download in hover mode.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If wing extensions are attached to nacelles or pylons to improve cruise efficiency, then cruise efficiency is improved, but the overall spatial footprint occupied by the aircraft increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wing extensions are designed to be movable rather than fixed, capable of extending into a deployed configuration during cruise operations to improve aerodynamic efficiency, and retracting into a folded configuration against the pylon or wing when not needed or during VTOL operations to minimize spatial footprint. This dynamic adaptability allows the system to optimize for different operational requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The wing extensions utilize a dihedral configuration that allows them to fold vertically against the pylon or wing structure, effectively using the vertical dimension to store the extensions when not in use. This dimensional approach allows the extensions to be compact during storage while still providing their full aerodynamic function when deployed.
2Use of energy by moving object
If wing extensions are deployed to improve cruise efficiency, then aerodynamic performance is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wing extensions are integrated with the existing pylon or wing structure of the aircraft, sharing common structural elements and mounting points. This merging approach reduces the need for entirely separate support structures and simplifies the overall system architecture while still providing the aerodynamic benefits of extended wingspan.
Solution Approach 2:
The folding mechanism incorporates hinges and struts that allow the wing extensions to transition between deployed and folded states. The dihedral configuration works with the hinge mechanism to enable compact storage against the pylon while maintaining structural integrity during both extended and retracted configurations.
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft has a wing, a pylon carried by the wing, at least one of a rotor system component and a drive system component disposed within the pylon, and a wing extension carried by the at least one of a rotor system component and drive system component, wherein the wing extension is foldable relative to the pylon to selectively reduce an overall space occupied by the aircraft.