초록 ▼

A subsonic aircraft having backswept lifting wings is equipped with individually rotatable winglets at the wing tips thereof, in order to reduce drag during cruise flight, to minimize the dangers posed by wing tip vortices to following aircraft during take-off and landing, and to minimize the total

A subsonic aircraft having backswept lifting wings is equipped with individually rotatable winglets at the wing tips thereof, in order to reduce drag during cruise flight, to minimize the dangers posed by wing tip vortices to following aircraft during take-off and landing, and to minimize the total wingspan during ground operations, with respective different positions of the winglets. A streamline-shaped rotation body made up of at least two individually rotatably supported rotation segments is mounted on the wing tip of each lifting wing. A respective winglet is mounted on each respective rotation segment. Each rotation segment with its associated winglet is individually rotatable about a rotation axis of the rotation body extending substantially parallel to the aircraft lengthwise axis. Thereby, each winglet is individually pivotable to any selected pivot angle relative to a horizontal plane extending through the rotation axis. Each winglet and its associated rotation segment is rotatable through an angular range between maximum end limits of at least +90.degree. (vertically upward) and at least -90.degree. (vertically downward) relative to the horizontal plane.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A wing tip winglet arrangement for a subsonic aircraft comprising:a lifting wing of an aircraft, having a wing tip; a rotation body mounted on said wing at said wing tip, wherein said rotation body has a streamline-shaped outer contour and comprises at least two rotation segments that are each in

1. A wing tip winglet arrangement for a subsonic aircraft comprising:a lifting wing of an aircraft, having a wing tip; a rotation body mounted on said wing at said wing tip, wherein said rotation body has a streamline-shaped outer contour and comprises at least two rotation segments that are each individually rotatably supported relative to said wing so that each one of said rotation segments is rotatable about a rotation axis extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft; a plurality of winglets of which at least one respective winglet is mounted respectively on each one of said rotation segments so as to protrude outwardly away from said rotation axis; a plurality of actuators respectively coupled to said rotation segments and respectively adapted to selectively impart a selected rotation individually on said rotation segments; and a computer controller connected for control signal transmission to said actuators; wherein each respective one of said rotation segments with said at least one respective winglet mounted thereon is rotatable individually and independently of each other one of said rotation segments about said rotation axis in a range of a pivot angle (.gamma.) relative to a horizontal plane passing through said rotation axis, wherein said pivot angle (.gamma.) ranges from at least +90.degree. with said respective winglet extending vertically upward to at least -90.degree. with said respective winglet extending vertically downward; and wherein said computer controller is programmed and adapted to control said actuators to carry out a first regulation mode during take-off and landing of the aircraft with minimized wing tip vortex generation by positioning said rotation segments and said winglets so as to maximize the generation of a winglet counter vortex, a second regulation mode during cruise flight of the aircraft by positioning said rotation segments and said winglets so as to minimize the induced wing tip drag, and a third regulation mode during ground operation and parking of the aircraft by positioning said rotation segments and said winglets so as to minimize a total wing span of the aircraft.