GB982898A - Airplane with adjustable wings and tail - Google Patents

Abstract

982,898. Aircraft. ADVANCED AIRCRAFT DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. Aug. 8, 1961, No. 28639/61. Headings B7G and B7W. An aeroplane has a tail so located that air flowing above and below the tail has previously flowed respectively above and below the wing, and the rail is adjustable relatively to the wing so that in effect it can asymmetrically extend the wing contour to produce lift and altitude control forces. As shown in Fig. 2, the half wings 6 and 7 are composed of swept forward inboard panels 80, 82, and swept back outboard panels 81, 83, these latter being washed-out so as to have negative incidence at the wing tips. This is stated to give rise to truly chordwise flow over the inboard panels. The tail 8 is of delta planform. In Fig. 4, fixed structure 18 in the fuselage supports a king-pin 14 on which V- frames 9 and 11 are pivoted. Each wing, such as 7, is freely pivoted on flapping hinges 10 to one frame. A yoke 21 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 16 supported by the king-pin, and the tail 8 is attached to yoke 24, the two yokes being connected by a universal joint. Arms 22 on yoke 21 are connected by cables 30 to arms 29 on an outer shaft 28, and the extremities of yoke 24 are connected by cables 34 running over pulleys 35 to arms 33 on an inner shaft 31. An arm 41 on the tail is pivoted to a link 37 extending inside shaft 31. Rotation of shaft 28 thus rotates the tail about a fore-and-aft axis, which influences the airflow over the wings in such a way as to cause rolling. Rotation of shaft 31 rotates the tail about a vertical axis, which influences the airflow over the wings in such a way as to cause yawing. Longitudinal movement of link 37 rotates the tail about a lateral axis, to cause pitching. These control movements are effected by a pilot's control handle 42 pivoted on a vertical axis in a yoke on a shaft 45 which is slidable and rotatable in a bearing 44. Arms 47 on shaft 45 are connected by cables 52 to arms 36<SP>1</SP> on shaft 28, so that rotation of handle 42 about the axis of shaft 45 causes rolling. Rotation of handle 42 about a vertical axis causes rotation of an inner shaft having arms 48 connected by cables 54 to arms 36 on shaft 31, and thus causes yawing. Fore-and-aft movement of handle 42 is transmitted by lever 38 to link 37, to cause pitching. The sweep of the wings is adjustable by a pilot's handle 63, which drives, through shaft 60 and gear-box 57, oppositely handed lead screws 55, 56, each connected by a nut 58 to one of the frames 9, 11. Alteration in sweep causes pitching moments, by movement of the centre of lift, which can cancel out pitching moments set up by the tail. The following flight conditions are mentioned: (1) wings forward and tail down for maximum lift and maximum drag, (2) wings aft and tail level for minimum lift and minimum drag, (3) wings forward and tail up for a line of descent parallel to the tail, the fuselage being slightly nose-up.