High-lift device for aircraft

Abstract

High lift producing apparatus for an aircraft includes a pair of foreplanes, one for each side of the aircraft, each foreplane extending between a root end at the fuselage and a distant tip end. Wings are mounted on the fuselage aft of the foreplanes and, intermediate the wings and the foreplanes, are a pair of strakes which are generally coplanar with their associated foreplanes and strakes, a leading edge of each strake being substantially coincident with a trailing edge of its associated foreplane, and a trailing edge of each strake being substantially coincident with a leading edge of its associated wing. The span of the strakes is smaller than the span of the foreplanes at the location of intersection of said strake and said foreplane. Each foreplane may be pivotally mounted on the fuselage at its root end on a stationary hinge axis which is substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. The foreplanes are thereby movable between inactive positions flush with a contoured outer surface of the fuselage and deployed positions at which tip ends are distant from the fuselage. The foreplanes may also be pivotally mounted on lateral axes for control purposes. In one instance, the foreplanes can be simultaneously moved in the same direction about their associated lateral axes to achieve pitch control of the aircraft; in other instances, they can be independently moved about their associated lateral axes to achieve either yaw control or roll control.