Airbus Operations Gmbh

John David Randall

Stuart Strachan Alexander

Norman Wood

Matthew Harding

Ian Roy Whitehouse

Philip John Templeton Bradshaw

Krzysztof Jerzy Skirkowski

A folding wing having a wing tip device () rotatable between flight and ground configurations, about an Euler axis of rotation (). The wing tip device () and a fixed wing () are separated along an oblique cut plane () passing through the upper and lower surfaces of the folding wing. A rotational joint () for coupling the wing tip device () to the fixed wing () during rotation between the ground and flight configurations. The rotational joint includes a follower () and a guide (), one which being fixed relative to the wing tip device and the other being fixed relative to the fixed wing. The follower and guide interlock such as by interlocking rings. The follower is received in the guide such that during rotation between the ground and flight configurations the follower moves along the arcuate path defined by the guide.

Rotational joint for an aircraft folding wing

A method of manufacturing a foldable aerodynamic structure, such as a wing, for an aircraft. The wing () including an inner region () and an outer region () rotatable relative to the inner region between a flight configuration and a ground configuration. The method includes designing the foldable aerodynamic structure by determining the location and orientation of an Euler axis of rotation () about which the outer region rotates to achieve the ground configuration and determining a cut plane (), perpendicular to that Euler axis, separating the inner and outer regions; and iteratively repeating this process until a preferred cut plane () is obtained that satisfies at least one design criteria.

Aircraft comprising a foldable aerodynamic structure and a method of manufacturing a foldable aerodynamic structure for an aircraft

An aircraft including a wing, the end of the wing having a wing tip device, wherein the wing tip device includes a moveable region that is rotatable, about an axis of rotation extending out of the plane of the wing tip device, between: (i) a high-altitude cruise configuration in which the moveable region extends downwardly below the wing; and (ii) a ground-operating configuration in which the moveable region extends rearwardly behind the wing such that the ground clearance of the wing tip device is increased.

Growing community of inventors

Bristol, United Kingdom

John David Randall