초록 ▼

A small secondary leading edge device, called a compound Krueger vane, works in parallel with a primary device (e.g., a Krueger flap) to delay flow separation on an aircraft wing. The compound Krueger vane is deployed behind a gapped Krueger flap to turn flow ahead of the wing attachment region on t

A small secondary leading edge device, called a compound Krueger vane, works in parallel with a primary device (e.g., a Krueger flap) to delay flow separation on an aircraft wing. The compound Krueger vane is deployed behind a gapped Krueger flap to turn flow ahead of the wing attachment region on the underside of the wing. The compound Krueger vane turns flow that moves forward from the wing lower surface attachment region toward the leading edge of the wing, thereby delaying flow separation on the aircraft wing.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An aircraft comprising: a wing having a leading edge including a leading edge spanwise section formed by an upper surface and a lower surface;a leading edge flap coupled to said wing, said flap being disposed forward of the leading edge spanwise section of said wing and comprising a trailing edge

1. An aircraft comprising: a wing having a leading edge including a leading edge spanwise section formed by an upper surface and a lower surface;a leading edge flap coupled to said wing, said flap being disposed forward of the leading edge spanwise section of said wing and comprising a trailing edge, said trailing edge of said leading edge flap and said leading edge of said wing forming a slot; anda vane coupled to said wing,wherein said vane comprises an inner aerodynamic surface that is separated from said wing and an outer aerodynamic surface that is separated from said leading edge flap, andwherein as some air flows between said outer aerodynamic surface of said vane and said leading edge flap and then through said slot, other air flowing in a forward direction underneath said wing is deflected by said inner aerodynamic surface of said vane toward said slot. 2. The aircraft as recited in claim 1, wherein said vane directs air flow forward from an attachment region of said wing lower surface toward said leading edge of said wing. 3. The aircraft as recited in claim 1, wherein said vane is pivotably coupled to said wing and moveable between stowed and deployed positions. 4. The aircraft as recited in claim 3, further comprising moveable linkages mounted to said wing, wherein said vane is attached to said linkages, each of said linkages having a first position when said vane is in its stowed position and a second position when said vane is in its deployed position. 5. A leading edge assembly for an airplane wing having upper and lower surfaces that meet at a leading edge, said assembly comprising: a leading edge flap coupled to the wing, said flap being disposed forward of a leading edge of a spanwise section of the wing and comprising a trailing edge, said trailing edge of said leading edge flap and the leading edge of the spanwise section of the wing forming a slot; anda vane coupled to the wing,wherein said vane comprises an inner aerodynamic surface that is separated from the wing and an outer aerodynamic surface that is separated from said leading edge flap, andwherein as some air flows between said outer aerodynamic surface of said vane and said leading edge flap and then through said slot, other air flowing in a forward direction from the flow attachment region to the wing leading edge, is deflected by said inner aerodynamic surface of said vane toward said slot. 6. The assembly as recited in claim 5, wherein said vane directs air flow forward from an attachment region of the wing lower surface toward the leading edge of the wing. 7. The assembly as recited in claim 5, wherein said leading edge flap and said vane are disposed on a spanwise section of the wing. 8. The assembly as recited in claim 5, wherein said vane is coupled to the wing and moveable between stowed and deployed positions. 9. The assembly as recited in claim 8, further comprising moveable linkage mounted to the wing, wherein said vane is attached to said linkage, which has a first position when said vane is in its stowed position and a second position when said vane is in its deployed position. 10. A method of directing air flow relative to a leading edge of a wing, the method comprising: (a) moving a leading edge flap from a stowed position to a deployed position, the flap being disposed forward of and separated from a leading edge of a spanwise section of the wing with a slot therebetween when in its deployed position and forming part of a lower surface of the spanwise section of the wing when in its stowed position; and(b) moving a vane from a stowed position to a deployed position, the vane being disposed below the slot and separated from the spanwise section of the wing when in its deployed position and being disposed inside the wing in its stowed position,wherein when the flap and the vane are in their respective deployed positions, and air is flowing between the deployed flap and vane and toward the slot, other air flowing in a forward direction underneath the wing is deflected toward the slot by the vane. 11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the vane directs air flow forward from an attachment region of the wing lower surface toward the leading edge of the wing when the flap and the vane are in their respective deployed positions. 12. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the flap and the vane are disposed on a spanwise section of the wing. 13. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the vane comprises an outer aerodynamic surface that faces the leading edge flap when the flap and the vane are in their respective deployed positions. 14. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the vane comprises an inner aerodynamic surface that deflects air flow toward the leading edge of the wing when the vane is in its deployed position. 15. An aircraft wing comprising a leading edge and first and second leading edge airfoil-shaped bodies having respective stowed and deployed positions, the first and second leading edge airfoil-shaped bodies being disposed inside the wing envelope when in their respective stowed positions and being spaced apart from each other and spaced apart from the leading edge when in their respective deployed positions, the spacing between the leading edge and the first leading edge airfoil-shaped body forming a slot, wherein the first and second leading edge airfoil-shaped bodies are configured and positioned relative to the leading edge so that when air is flowing between the deployed first and second leading edge airfoil-shaped bodies and toward the slot, other air flowing in a forward direction underneath the wing is deflected toward the slot by the second leading edge airfoil-shaped body. 16. The aircraft wing as recited in claim 15, wherein each of the first and second leading edge airfoil-shaped bodies has a generally elongated shape, the first and second leading edge airfoil-shaped bodies being positioned substantially parallel to each other and to the leading edge.