Multi-Airfoil Tail for Wing-in-Ground Effect Vehicle Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Airborne vehicles, particularly wing-in-ground effect vehicles, face challenges in transitioning from a ground or water-based phase to airborne flight due to instability and efficiency issues related to high aspect ratio wings, which affect pitch stability and maneuverability while also increasing drag and reducing aerodynamic efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a multi-airfoil tail system with a distributed blown-wing propulsion configuration, retractable hydrofoil systems, and advanced digital flight control systems to enhance pitch authority, stability, and efficiency, allowing for operation in various modes including waterborne, hydrofoil-borne, and airborne phases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a high aspect ratio wing is used to improve aerodynamic efficiency, then drag is reduced, but pitch stability and maneuverability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The tail assembly is divided into multiple independent airfoils (first and second airfoils) positioned at different vertical locations. This segmentation allows each airfoil to contribute differently to pitch control, with the lower first airfoil providing stability and the upper second airfoil enhancing maneuverability, thereby resolving the contradiction between pitch stability and maneuverability while maintaining aerodynamic efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds a vertical dimension to pitch control by positioning airfoils at different heights above the fuselage. The first airfoil is located at a lower vertical position while the second airfoil is positioned higher, creating a multi-level pitch control system that independently addresses stability and maneuverability requirements without compromising aerodynamic efficiency.
2Ease of operation
If a multi-airfoil tail system is implemented to enhance pitch authority, then pitch control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple airfoil control surfaces are merged into a single integrated tail assembly that functions as one cohesive unit. The first and second airfoils are positioned vertically stacked and work together under unified control, providing enhanced pitch authority while avoiding the complexity of separate, independently controlled tail systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-airfoil tail assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously: the lower first airfoil provides primary pitch stability, the upper second airfoil enhances pitch maneuverability, and together they create a versatile pitch control system that adapts to different flight conditions without requiring additional specialized components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration improves passenger comfort, reduces operating costs, increases flight stability and safety, and enables operation in high seas and low-speed environments with zero emissions, providing a more efficient and versatile flight experience.
Implementation Method 1
airborne vehicles, such as aircraft, wing-in-ground effect vehicles, and other vehicles operable to travel based at least in part on aerodynamic lift
Implementation Method 2
wing-in-ground effect flight wherein a vehicle is able to move over a ground or water surface by gaining support from the reactions of the air against the ground or water surface to reduce induced drag according to the principle of ground effect
Data Source
AI summary
An airborne vehicle having a body section; a main wing extending from the body section configured to generate aerodynamic lift, the main wing having one or more main wing control surfaces; and a tail assembly extending from the body section aft of the main wing. The tail assembly having a first tail member and a second tail member substantially parallel to each other. The first tail member having one or more control surfaces and the second tail member having one or more flap surfaces selectively deployable between a retracted position and an extended position. The flap surfaces being configured to increase a surface area and/or camber of the second tail member in the extended position.