British Aerospace Public Limited Company

Barry Sharrock

David P Halliday

John F Riley

An aircraft 10 includes a pair of aerodynamic control members 11 pivotally mounted one to each side of the cockpit, each for movement about a pivotal axis P. A probe 13 is carried adjacent the outboard end of each control member in a predetermined orientation by fixed support means 25 anchored to the aircraft body and extending through the aerodynamic control member 11 adjacent the pivotal axis P. By this arrangement, the probe 13 remains in its predetermined orientation with respect to the aircraft irrespective of the angular disposition of the control member. The probe may be an air-data probe.

Arrangements for mounting a probe on an aircraft

An aircraft wing and flap arrangement comprises a fixed wing (1) a flap (2) pivoted at (3) to the fixed wing and a variable camber upper surface member (6) anchored to the fixed wing and resiliently biased toward the flap at all times; a cam track (9) secured to upper surface member (6) and associated cam track engaging member (10) on an arm (11) secured to the flap to control movement of the upper surface member so that on relatively small deflections of the flap (2) the upper surface of the wing is substantially continuous, while on relatively large downward deflections the upper surface is urged, by cam track engaging member (10), away from the flap (2) to open a slot (12); the arrangement may include a lower surface member (14) which is urged towards the upper surface membr (6) on relatively large downward deflections of the flap (2).

Aircraft wing and flap arrangement

A variable camber wing which may act as an aileron and as a slotted flap comprises a leading wing portion 1, a chordwise arm 4 tiltably mounted thereon and carrying a flap element 5, and an intermediate wing portion 6 slidably mounted on the chordwise arm by means of trackways 8 and associated rollers 9. An upper flexible but inextensible skin 11 is anchored to both the leading wing portion 1 and the intermediate wing portion 6. Downward tilting of the arm 4 from a median position causes the upper skin 11 to draw the intermediate wing portion 6 away from the flap element 5. On tilting through small angles, the intermediate wing portion 6 moves chordwise and the skin 11 slides over flap element 5 and defines a smooth and continuous surface between the leading wing portion 1 and the flap element, while on tilting through large angles, the intermediate wing portion moves upwardly relative to the flap element and lifts the skin 11 therefrom.

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Preston, United Kingdom

Barry Sharrock