Slipstream Wing Assembly for Pitch Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft transitioning between vertical and horizontal flight modes face challenges in pitch control, pitch trim, and pitch stability due to difficulties in regulating aerodynamic forces acting on the wing assembly in a slipstream.
Innovation Solution
A wing assembly mounted in the slipstream of a propulsion source, with moveable components and actuators allowing for linear and pivotal movement relative to the aircraft body, enabling balanced force distribution and stable pitch control across various flight modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the wing assembly is fixed in position, then the structure is simple, but pitch control and pitch stability are difficult to regulate during transitions between vertical and horizontal flight
Solution Approach 1:
The wing assembly is made dynamically adjustable through multiple degrees of freedom. The first actuator enables the moveable portion to translate along the longitudinal axis, while the second actuator allows the wing to pivot relative to the moveable portion. This dynamic configuration allows the wing to automatically assume a stable pitch attitude during flight mode transitions, resolving the pitch control difficulty without requiring complex active control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The wing assembly is segmented into distinct movable components: a moveable portion carried by the body and a wing carried by the moveable portion. This segmentation allows independent control of each segment's position and orientation, enabling fine-tuned pitch control during transitions while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the wing assembly is made moveable to improve pitch control, then pitch stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The second actuator is designed to at least selectively permit uninhibited pivoted movement of the wing in response to aerodynamic forces. This allows the wing to self-stabilize during flight mode transitions by automatically pivoting to a position where aerodynamic forces are balanced, reducing the need for complex active control systems while maintaining pitch stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the degree of constraint on the wing's pivoted movement as a parameter. The second actuator can transition between providing full freedom of movement for self-stabilization and providing constrained movement for precise control, allowing the system to adapt to different flight conditions without requiring a completely different mechanism for each mode.
3Ease of operation
If conventional control surface deflections are used, then pitch control is achieved, but pilot workload increases during rapid transitions between flight modes
Solution Approach 1:
The movable wing assembly provides inherent pitch stability through its ability to dynamically adjust its position and orientation. During rapid transitions between flight modes, the wing can automatically assume a stable pitch attitude, reducing the pilot's workload compared to systems requiring continuous control surface adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable wing assembly acts as a natural pitch stabilizer that counteracts destabilizing aerodynamic forces during flight mode transitions. By allowing the wing to pivot and translate, the system creates a self-balancing effect that reduces the need for pilot intervention and maintains control effectiveness without increasing workload.
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
The solution provides enhanced pitch control, trim, and stability during transitions between vertical and horizontal flight, reducing pilot workload and maintaining stability without conventional control surface deflections, thus improving aircraft maneuverability and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The second actuator at least selectively permits uninhibited pivoted movement of the wing relative to the body in response to aerodynamic forces acting on the wing so that the wing may pivot to a position wherein the forces acting on the wing are balanced
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft is provided with a wing assembly mounted in a slipstream of a source of propulsion of the aircraft. The aircraft includes a body having a longitudinal axis, a wing assembly carried by the body and including a moveable portion moveable relative to the body and a wing carried by the moveable portion. A first actuator is coupled to the moveable portion to move it relative to the body in a direction generally parallel to the axis of the body. A second actuator is coupled to the wing to move the wing relative to the moveable portion and between first and second positions. The second actuator at least selectively permits uninhibited pivoted movement of the wing relative to the body in response to aerodynamic forces acting on the wing so that the wing may pivot to a position wherein the forces acting on the wing are balanced.