GB813568A - Improvements in aircraft - Google Patents

Abstract

813,568. Controlling aircraft. PAYEN, R. N. May 10, 1955 [May 10, 1954; Oct. 6, 1954], No. 13557/55. Class 4. Apparatus for increasing the positive incidence of a tail-less aircraft comprises at least two opposed retractable control surfaces mounted on a fin or port of the fuselage of the aircraft to open and close as a pair. In one embodiment, shown in the Figures, a tail-less aircraft has a fuselage 4 extending into a fin provided with hinges 5 for a pair of flaps 3, 31 which may be opened in unison from the dotted to the full-line positions shown in Fig. 5a. This results in the application of a force Fl which, acting about the wing lift centre 2, applies an upward pitching moment during landing without impairing the lift properties of the wing. Other embodiments are described. In one the flaps are mounted on the fin forward of a conventional rudder ; in another they are mounted one on each side of a fin about fore-andaft axes for upward and outward swinging movement. In another they are mounted about substantially vertical axes at the nose of a fuselage for forward-swinging movement from retracted positions within the fuselage to extended positions transversely of the fore-andaft axis, or they may be mounted at the root leading edges of the wings for outward movement from retracted positions within the leading edges of the wings. The flaps may be operated differentially to act as rudders and mechanism for this purpose comprises a rod P connected to a lever G coupled by rods b, b<SP>1</SP>, respectively to levers G1, G4. Other levers G2, G3 are connected by rods b 2 , b<SP>1</SP> 2 to operating levers 12 on flaps 3. Two concentric tubes T, T1 on an axis BB1 are pivotally mounted on levers 13 fast with a tube mounted for rotation on an axis CC1. A lever 14 is fast with the tube CC1 and is rotatably mounted on tube T, the upper end of the lever being connected to a jack V. Levers Gland G3 are fast on tube T1 and levers G2 and G4 are fast on tube T. With rod P inoperative operation of jack V will act through lever 14 to rock the assembly about tube CC1 to pull rods b 2 , b<SP>1</SP> 2 and thereby open the flaps in unison. Operation of rod P will cause push-pull movement in a selected direction of rod b, levers G1, G3 and rod b<SP>1</SP> 2 and rod b<SP>1</SP>, levers G4, G2 and rod b 2 to move the flaps simultaneously in the same direction whereby they function as a rudder. Subsequent operation of jack V will cause the flaps to be opened in unison from this deflected position.