GB299274A - Improvements in or relating to planes for aircraft - Google Patents

Abstract

299,274. Fowler, H. D. May 9, 1928. Planes, construction of; steering and balancing.-An aircraft plane comprises a cambered main portion, a trailing portion of smaller cross-section and an auxiliary surface adapted to be housed beneath the trailing portion and to be projected rearwardly and downwardly to vary the area and camber of the plane. Mechanism is provided for projecting and retracting end sections of the auxiliary surface in opposite directions when required to facilitate control. The main portion of the plane has front and rear spars 16, 17 connected by pressure ribs 18 and prevented from tilting by bracing 23. The under surface of the trailing portion is offset from the main under surface to accommodate auxiliary planes 28 carried by trolleys 29 running on curved rails 24 secured by brackets 25 to the rear spar 17. The rails 24 project through slots in the trailing portion. The trolleys are moved by endless cables 34 passed around pulleys 34 on the rails 24 and secured to drums on a vertical shaft 37 moved by a handle 33 in the central section of the plane. The cables leading to the two outer sections are secured to drums 36<a>, 36<b>, on a shaft 37a and sleeve 49, Fig. 11, and that from the central section is secured to a drum 36 on a sleeve 47 surrounding the shaft 37<a> and suspended from a bearing 48. The sleeve 49 has a gear 50 in mesh with a gear 71 on a shaft 69 which has a gear 68 meshing with a gear 67 on a third shaft 65. The gear 67 is in mesh also with a gear 63 splined to the shaft 37a when the parts are in the position shown. Movement of the handle 38 when the parts are in this position causes opposite rotations of the two drums 36<a>, 36<b> while the drum 36 remains stationary. By moving a lever 55, cams 54 on shafts 52, 56 cause a plate 60 to be raised to move the gear 63 out of mesh with the gear 67, and by raising the sleeve 49 and shaft 37<a> cause all three drums to be clutched together. Movement of the handle 38 under these circumstances causes all three drums to be moved together to vary the camber and area of the plane as a whole.