Airbus Operations Gmbh

Rolls-Royce Corporation

Deutsches Zentrum Fur Luft-Und Raumfahrt E.v.

Christopher Wright

Jan Himisch

James K Chu

Ben Commis

Karl W Shore

Gervas Franceschini

Gerd Heller

Michael John Agg

Martin Christopher Johnson

Jonathan J Morgan

Michael K Morrison

Kasidit Leoviriyakit

Frank A Hewitt

Norman J Wedlake

Simon D Granville-George

Guy Saysell

Paul J H Harris

Steven V Allen

Robin M Coleman

John A Rumbelow

Christopher J Finch

Paul Jeremy Hugh Harris

Frank Anthony Hewitt

Simon David Granville-George

A wing tip device for fixing to the outboard end of a wing, the wing defining a wing plane, the wing tip device comprising: an upper wing-like element projecting upwardly with respect to the wing plane and having a trailing edge; and a lower wing-like element fixed with respect to the upper wing-like element and having a root chord and a trailing edge, the lower wing-like element root chord intersecting with the upper wing-like element, and the lower wing-like element projecting downwardly from the intersection, wherein the upper wing-like element is larger than the lower wing-like element and the trailing edge of the lower wing-like element is adjacent the trailing edge of the upper wing-like element at the intersection, and wherein an included angle between the upper and lower wing-like elements at the intersection is less than, or equal to, 160 degrees.

Wing tip device

A wing tip device for fixing to the outboard end of a wing, the wing defining a wing plane, the wing tip device comprising: an upper wing-like element projecting upwardly with respect to the wing plane and having a trailing edge; and a lower wing-like element fixed with respect to the upper wing-like element and having a root chord and a trailing edge, the lower wing-like element root chord intersecting with the upper wing-like element, and the lower wing-like element projecting downwardly from the intersection, wherein the upper wing-like element is larger than the lower wing-like element and the trailing edge of the lower wing-like element is adjacent the trailing edge of the upper wing-like element at the intersection, and wherein an included angle between the upper and lower wing-like elements at the intersection is less than, or equal to, 160 degrees. Also, a wing with the wing tip device; an aircraft with the wing; a method of fitting, or retro-fitting, the wing tip device to a wing; a method of modifying an existing wing tip device; and a method of operating a wing with the wing tip device.

A wing tip device having a first wing tip device element for attaching at a first wing tip device element root to a tip of an aircraft wing, and a second wing tip device element extending from a second wing tip device element root to a second wing tip device element tip, the second wing tip device element root outboard, when viewed in the wing planform direction, of the first wing tip device element root; the first wing tip device element having a first wing tip device element leading edge and a first wing tip device element trailing edge, and the second wing tip device element having a second wing tip device element leading edge and a second wing tip device element trailing edge; and a fairing between the first and second wing tip device element which extends aft from the second wing tip device element trailing edge.

An aircraft () including a wing () and a winglet () at the end of the wing, the winglet including: a root (); a tip (); a transition region () extending away from the root; and a wing-like region () extending from the distal end of the transition region to the tip. When the aircraft wing () is under the worst-case static loading, the tip of the winglet is located at the maximum spanwise extent of the winglet (), but when the aircraft wing () is under the no-load condition, the wing-like region () is canted inboard such that the tip () of the winglet () is located inboard of the maximum spanwise extent of the winglet.

Winglet and method of designing a winglet

A wing tip device for fixing to the outboard end of a wing, the wing defining a wing plane, includes: an upper wing-like element projecting upwardly with respect to the wing plane and having a trailing edge; and a lower wing-like element fixed with respect to the upper wing-like element and having a root chord and a trailing edge, the lower wing-like element root chord intersecting with the upper wing-like element, and the lower wing-like element projecting downwardly from the intersection. The upper wing-like element is larger than the lower wing-like element and the trailing edge of the lower wing-like element is adjacent the trailing edge of the upper wing-like element at the intersection. An included angle between the upper and lower wing-like elements at the intersection is less than, or equal to, 160 degrees.

Components such as turbine shafts are maintained coaxial with each other by a coupling ring. The coupling ring includes a body which is cylindrical when unstressed, and which has two arrays of projections each array engaging a respective cylindrical surface of recesses in the components. The body is flexible, and so is resiliently deformed by contact between the projections and the respective cylindrical surface. The projections of the two arrays are angularly out of phase with each other.

Assembly comprising first and second components

A seal arrangement () for maintaining an axial pressure differential between relative high and low pressure stages along a rotating element (), the arrangement comprising:

Seal arrangement

An aircraft having a lift/propulsion unit which includes a power unit such as a turboshaft engine which drives a fan through a transmission mechanism. The fan discharges to vectoring nozzles which can be independently swivelled to provide lift or propulsion thrust. An output shaft of the transmission mechanism serves as the main shaft of a motor/generator of modular form. The motor/generator can act as a generator to charge an electrical storage device such as a battery, or as a motor to drive the fan, either alone or to supplement the output of engine. Reaction control nozzles are provided at extremities of the aircraft to provide stabilizing thrust. The aircraft is capable of vertical take off and hovering, with the vectoring nozzles swivelled to a lift position, and forward thrust with the vectoring nozzles swivelled to a propulsion position.

Aircraft having a lift/propulsion unit

A gapbetween a stationary componentand a rotating componentis sealed by means of a leaf seal comprising an array of leaves. The leavesare disposed in pairs, comprising a higher curvature leafand a lower curvature leafwhich contact each other resiliently at their tips. The contact at the tipsprovides a damping effect. As a result, the tipsof the leavesare relatively stable when subjected to an air flow F, enabling damaging flutter to be suppressed.

Sealing device

A pumped oil delivery system for delivering oil to moving parts of an aircraft jet engine includes a scoop delivery pump and an accumulator oil reservoir to maintain oil feed to the pump at all times. The system includes a first line to feed oil from the scoop pump to the oil reservoir, a second line to return oil from the oil reservoir to the scoop pump, and pressurized air for pressurizing the oil within the oil reservoir so as to maintain a continuous feed of oil to the pump. The system includes further lines for delivering oil from the scoop pump to the moving parts and for returning oil from the moving parts to the scoop pump. Moving parts include a self scavenging gear box utilizing the centrifugal pumping action of its gears to return oil to the scoop pump, and self scavenging bearing chambers using centrifugal effects of their rotating parts also to return oil to the scoop pump.

Relating to lubrication system for aircraft engines

The present invention provides a retaining washer for retaining threaded fasteners, such as bolts, that have been inadvertently loosened, in use. The invention finds particular application in gas turbine engines and in aircraft in general where wire locking of threaded fasteners has traditionally been employed. The washer () comprises a base member () having a plurality of apertures () each for receiving the shank of a respective bolt () or stud part of a threaded fastener, and engagement means () extending from the base member for engagement with respective bolt head or nut parts of the fasteners to retain the said head or nut parts with respect to the washer in the event of inadvertent loosening. The said engagement means is deformable between an open configuration which enables access to the bolt head or nut parts of the fasteners for tightening and/or removal thereof and a closed configuration in which the bolt head or nut part are captively retained with the washer.

Retaining washer for threaded fasteners

This invention provides a segmented annular seal () the sealing leakage gaps between relatively movable componentsbetween high and low pressure regions in a gas turbine engine, for example for sealing an engine shaft. The seal comprises an annular array of circumferentially spaced and radially movable arcuate seal segments () which extend in a continuous end to end relationship in annular housing () and project radially from the housing for effecting a seal against an engine shaft (), rotor or the like. The segments () are located in a channel () in the housing () sized such that the segments () are able to follow radial movements of the shaft (). In order to reduce an axial loading on the segments () that ends to cause them to seize a pressure balance region () vented to the upstream pressure region is formed on the downstream side of the segments (). A second pressure balance region () vented to the downstream pressure region may be formed on the upstream side of the segments () to relieve a twisting moment acting on the segments.

Growing community of inventors

Bristol, United Kingdom

Christopher Wright