Tail-Mounted Flaps for Aircraft Directional Stability Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft systems for influencing directional stability, particularly in response to wind gusts, require significant construction expenditure and can be demanding on pilots and passenger comfort, with limited efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising ailerons, spoilers, and tail-mounted flaps with actuators, connected to a flight control device that generates adjusting commands based on rotation rates and control inputs to improve directional stability and compensate for wind gusts, allowing for modest design and system technology expenditure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional flaps are used to generate forces and moments for directional stability control, then yaw control capability is improved, but construction expenditure and system complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The tail-mounted flaps are designed to serve multiple functions: they act as directional stability control elements (rudder supplement), wind gust compensation devices, and can be used for lateral control. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated components for each function, thereby reducing overall construction expenditure and system complexity while maintaining improved yaw control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the functions of directional stability control and wind gust compensation into a single control system using tail-mounted flaps. By combining these functions rather than using separate independent systems, the patent reduces device complexity and construction costs while achieving the desired yaw control improvement.
2Speed
If additional flaps are used for direct force control, then control responsiveness is improved, but pilot demand and passenger comfort are significantly increased
Solution Approach 1:
The flight control device continuously monitors aircraft motion and automatically adjusts the tail-mounted flaps based on real-time feedback from sensors. This automatic feedback control provides rapid response to wind gusts and control inputs without requiring excessive pilot intervention, thereby maintaining high control responsiveness while reducing pilot demand and improving passenger comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the aircraft's own motion characteristics and sensor feedback to automatically generate control commands for the tail-mounted flaps. This self-service capability allows the aircraft to compensate for wind gusts and maintain stability without requiring constant pilot input, thus reducing operational demands on the pilot while maintaining responsive control.
3Stability of the object's composition
If conventional wind gust compensation methods are used, then directional stability is improved, but construction expenditure and system technology requirements are significant
Solution Approach 1:
The tail-mounted flaps are designed as dynamic control elements that can be adjusted in real-time based on wind gust conditions and aircraft motion. This dynamic adaptability allows the system to provide effective directional stability compensation without requiring complex fixed structures, thereby reducing design and system technology expenditure while maintaining improved stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the geometric parameters (deflection angle, position) of the tail-mounted flaps dynamically to optimize wind gust compensation. By adjusting these parameters based on real-time sensor feedback and control algorithms, the system achieves effective directional stability with relatively simple mechanical structures, reducing overall construction expenditure and system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft including a device for influencing the directional stability of the aircraft is provided. The device includes a control-input device; a flight control device; a sensor device for acquiring the rotation rates, including the yaw rates, of the aircraft; and at least one actuator, which is coupled with ailerons, spoilers, an elevator and a rudder. The flight control device includes a control function generating adjusting commands for the actuators for controlling the aircraft according to control commands. The aircraft includes two tail-mounted flaps, each including an actuator connected with the flight control device, situated symmetrically to each other and on opposite sides of the fuselage, and movable between retracted and extended positions. The control function is designed such that the adjusting commands that are generated on the basis of the control commands depending on the acquired rotation rates include adjusting commands to the actuators of the tail-mounted flaps.