Airbus Operations Gmbh

Stuart Strachan Alexander

Mark Shaun Kelly

Norman Wijker

Julien Chaussee

Camille Paumes

Peter Kelly

John David Randall

Tony Fong

Norman Wood

Matthew Harding

Timothy Axford

Ian Roy Whitehouse

Christopher Perkins

Nick White

Philip John Templeton Bradshaw

Tim Axford

Krzysztof Jerzy Skirkowski

John Randall

An aircraft wing section assembly is disclosed having a structural spine, a movement mechanism including a support rodextending through the structural spine, a first lever, for connection to and for moving a first moveable control surface, pivotally mounted to the support rod, a second similar lever for connection to and for moving a second moveable control surface, and a connection mechanism for connecting the first and second levers such that pivotal movement of the first lever causes pivotal movement of the second lever, and an actuation mechanism for actuating pivotal movement of the first lever, such that, in use, when the actuation mechanism actuates pivotal movement of the first lever, the second lever also pivotally moves, thus causing movement of both the first and second moveable control surfaces. Also disclosed is an aircraft wing assembly, an aircraft and a method of operating an aircraft.

Aircraft wing section assembly

An aircraft wing trailing edge section assembly is disclosed having an upper skin structure providing an upper external aerodynamic trailing edge surface, a lower skin structure providing a lower external aerodynamic trailing edge surface, and a movement mechanism including a first portion attached to an internal surface of the upper skin structure, a second portion attached to an internal surface of the lower skin structure, and a rotationally mounted connector member connected between the first and second portions, such that rotational movement of the connector member causes simultaneous movement of both first and second portions and therefore both upper and lower skin structures, such that the camber of the trailing edge section is changed. An aircraft wing section assembly, an aircraft and methods of operating an aircraft are disclosed.

Aircraft wing trailing edge section assembly

An aircraft wing section assembly is disclosed having a structural spine, a movement mechanism including a support rod extending through the structural spine, a first lever, for connection to and for moving a first moveable control surface, pivotally mounted to the support rod, a second similar lever for connection to and for moving a second moveable control surface, and a connection mechanism for connecting the first and second levers such that pivotal movement of the first lever causes pivotal movement of the second lever, and an actuation mechanism for actuating pivotal movement of the first lever, such that, in use, when the actuation mechanism actuates pivotal movement of the first lever, the second lever also pivotally moves, thus causing movement of both the first and second moveable control surfaces. Also disclosed is an aircraft wing assembly, an aircraft and a method of operating an aircraft.

An aircraft wing subassembly including: a wing skin defining a first outer surface, and, a structural reinforcement member, the structural reinforcement member defining a second outer surface, wherein the structural reinforcement member is arranged within the wing such that the first outer surface and the second outer surface form part of an outer wing surface.

Wing tip device attachment apparatus and method

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

An aircraft including a wing and a wing tip device is disclosed. The wing tip device is moveable between a flight configuration for use during flight and a ground configuration for use during ground-based operations. In the ground configuration the wing tip device is folded inwardly from the flight configuration such that the span of the aircraft is reduced. The wing tip device is connected to the wing along a hinge axis by spar beams of the wing tip device, one of the beams being mounted for pivoting about a fixed axis and the other beam being mounted on a spherical bearing to provide greater freedom of movement. Various actuator arrangements may be provided to pivot the wing tip device.

Aircraft with a foldable wing tip device

An aircraft wing having a fixed wing with a wing tip device. The wing tip device is movable between a flight configuration for use during flight, and a ground configuration for use during ground-based operations. The wing has a master flight control surface associated with the fixed wing and a slave flight control surface associated with the wing tip device. An interface between the master flight control surface and the slave flight control surface is arranged to provide a rigid connection between the master flight control surface and slave flight control surface when the wing tip device is in the flight configuration. Moving the master control surface about a control axis causes the slave control surface to be moved about the control axis. The interface is arranged to de-couple the slave and master control surfaces when the wing tip device is moved from the flight configuration into the ground configuration.

Aircraft wing with aileron

A method of assembling a wing tip device to a wing of a powered aircraft including: providing a wing tip, providing a wing tip device, pivotably attaching the wing tip device to the wing at a first position, pivoting the wing tip device about the first position, and attaching the wing tip device to the wing at a second position spaced from the first position.

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 () and a wing tip device (). The wing tip device () is moveable between a flight configuration for use during flight and a ground configuration for use during ground-based operations. In the ground configuration the wing tip device is folded inwardly from the flight configuration such that the span of the aircraft is reduced. The wing tip device () is connected to the wing along a hinge axis () by spar beams (and) of the wing tip device, one of the beams being mounted for pivoting about a fixed axis and the other beam being mounted on a spherical bearing () to provide greater freedom of movement. Various actuator arrangements may be provided to pivot the wing tip device.

A wing tip device for attachment to a wing tip of a powered aircraft including: a first mounting formation, a second mounting formation spaced apart in a spanwise direction relative to the first mounting formation, a third mounting formation spaced apart in a chordwise direction relative to the first and second mounting formations, wherein each of the first, second and third mounting formations are configured for attachment to at least one of a wing spar and a wing rib, and, at least one of the mounting formations is configured to permit movement of a portion of the wing tip device in the spanwise direction relative to a portion of the wing tip.

A steering device for an aircraft landing gear leg including a main fitting has a steering collar for rotatably mounting on the outside of the main fitting; an actuator having an actuator body; and an actuator arm arranged to move between an extended position and retracted position with respect to the actuator body. The actuator arm is pivoted to the main fitting, and a bracket is pivoted to the main fitting; a second pivot location pivoted to the actuator body; and a third pivot location pivotally connected to one end of a steering arm. The steering arm is pivoted at its other end to the steering collar. Also, an aircraft landing gear with the steering device and aircraft having the landing gear.

Steering device 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.

Wing tip device having configurations for flight and ground-based operations

A winglet () is attached to a wing tip () by a main beam () which extends into the wing tip () and is attached to the rear spar (). A canted spar () also extends to be attached proximate the forward spar ().

Growing community of inventors

Bristol, United Kingdom

Stuart Strachan Alexander