GB289517A - Improvements in or relating to the wings or supporting planes of aircraft - Google Patents

Abstract

289,517. Wood, R. M. Jan. 25, 1927. Steering, balancing, and regulating altitude. -A pilot plane 1 is freely pivoted in advance of a main plane 4, so that at small incidences it sets itself as in Fig. 4 in the air stream, adding little to the drag, while at large incidences it rises as in Fig. 3 against a stop 6 to form a slot, which tends to maintain steady air flow over the upper surface. The pilot plane may extend only along the tip of the wing, and the stop 6 may be linked to the aileron. As shown in Fig. 7, downward movement of the aileron 12 from its neutral position lowers the upward limit of the pilot plane in a small degree, while upward movement of the aileron raises the limit in a greater degree. The link control may act in the opposite sense, as shown in Fig. 5. The stop 6 may be linked as in Fig 9 to a freely pivoted rear-flap 20, the movement of which is limited by check-wires 24, 25 or by stops. The flap 20 may be linked to the pilot plane itself, as in Fig. 14, so that as the pilot plane rises the flap is depressed; a slot may thus be opened between the main plane and flap, or the slot may be open in all positions of the flap. Automatic control of the camber of the wing, as in Fig. 14, may be combined with lateral control by enabling the pilot to superimpose a differential movement on the flap 20 of the two wings. Wires 16, 17 Fig. 15, from differentially geared pulleys are connected to the two flaps in such manner that these can only move up or down together while the control column 44 is held stationary, but movement of the column 44 superimposes an upward movement on one flap and a downward movement on the other. The same effect may be obtained by a lever 52, Fig. 17, pivoted on the control column 54 and connected by links to the flaps 33, 34. A pilot plane may be mounted in advance of a symmetrical aerofoil, such as a rudder, in which case it is pivoted one fifth of its chord behind its leading edge and a stop is provided on each side.