Wing load alleviation methods and apparatus are disclosed. An example winglet system for an aircraft includes a first winglet including a body portion having a leading edge and a trailing edge, a base portion to be coupled to an outboard end of a wing such that the body portion projects at an upward
Wing load alleviation methods and apparatus are disclosed. An example winglet system for an aircraft includes a first winglet including a body portion having a leading edge and a trailing edge, a base portion to be coupled to an outboard end of a wing such that the body portion projects at an upward angle from the wing during all modes of airplane operation, a control surface coupled to the body portion proximate to the trailing edge, and at least one of a spoiler and an aileron coupled to the outboard end of the wing; and a processor to, in response to at least one input signal indicative of one of a subset of flight conditions, command actuated deflections of both the control surface of the first winglet and the at least one of the spoiler and the aileron to create an incremental pressure field in an airflow region inboard of the first winglet.
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1. A winglet system for an aircraft, comprising: a first winglet, comprising: a body portion having a leading edge and a trailing edge;a base portion to be coupled to an outboard end of a wing such that the body portion projects at an upward angle from the wing during all modes of airplane operation
1. A winglet system for an aircraft, comprising: a first winglet, comprising: a body portion having a leading edge and a trailing edge;a base portion to be coupled to an outboard end of a wing such that the body portion projects at an upward angle from the wing during all modes of airplane operation; anda control surface coupled to the body portion proximate to the trailing edge;at least one of a spoiler and an aileron coupled to the outboard end of the wing; anda processor to, in response to at least one input signal indicative of one of a subset of flight conditions, command actuated deflections of both the control surface of the first winglet and the at least one of the spoiler and the aileron to create an incremental pressure field in an airflow region inboard of the first winglet. 2. The winglet system of claim 1, wherein the control surface is to be coupled to the body portion of the first winglet via at least one hinge and fitted with at least one actuator configured to deflect the control surface relative to the body portion. 3. The winglet system of claim 2, wherein the at least one actuator comprises at least one of a hydraulic actuator, an electric actuator, an electrohydraulic actuator, an electromechanical actuator, a pneumatic actuator, a shape-memory alloy actuator, or a motor-driven actuator. 4. The winglet system of claim 1, further comprising one or more sensors to collect data related to the at least one input signal. 5. The winglet system of claim 4, wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one of an air speed sensor, a gust sensor, an inertial load sensor, an inertial reference system, an air data system, an integrated air data and inertial reference system, a look-ahead sensor, an accelerometer, a rate gyro, an angular rate sensor, a pitot tube, a static pressure sensor, a dynamic pressure sensor, an impact pressure sensor, an altimeter, a Mach sensor, a fuel flow sensor, a weight estimation system, a drag estimation system, a force sensor, a stress sensor, or a strain gage. 6. The winglet system of claim 1, wherein the at least one input signal comprises data related to at least one of a maneuver load condition parameter, an anticipated maneuver load condition parameter, a gust load condition parameter, an anticipated gust load condition parameter, an altitude parameter, an airspeed parameter, a pressure parameter, a Mach parameter, a flight path parameter, a position parameter, an orientation parameter, an angular velocity parameter, an aerodynamic parameter, an inertial parameter, or an angular rate parameter. 7. The winglet system of claim 1, wherein the subset of flight conditions includes a non-cruise flight condition, and wherein the actuated deflections and the incremental pressure field reduces a drag acting on the aircraft in the non-cruise flight condition. 8. The winglet system of claim 1, wherein the subset of flight conditions includes a non-cruise flight condition, and wherein the actuated deflections and the incremental pressure field improves fuel efficiency of the aircraft in the non-cruise flight condition. 9. The winglet system of claim 1, wherein the subset of flight conditions further includes at least one of a current or anticipated high wing bending moment condition at an inboard end of the wing, and wherein the actuated deflections and the incremental pressure field reduces a wing bending moment acting at the inboard end of the wing. 10. The winglet system of claim 1, further comprising a second winglet, wherein the first winglet and the second winglet are coupled to outboard ends of opposing wings of the aircraft, wherein the subset of flight conditions comprises an undesirable wing loading condition such that the deflection of the control surfaces of the first and second winglets is to redistribute wing loads. 11. The winglet system of claim 10, wherein the undesirable wing loading condition comprises a high G condition. 12. The winglet system of claim 11, wherein the deflection of the control surfaces of the first and second winglets comprises an inward deflection of anterior portions of each of the control surfaces toward a fuselage of the aircraft to decrease outboard wing lift. 13. The winglet system of claim 1, further comprising a second winglet, wherein the first winglet and the second winglet are coupled to outboard ends of opposing wings of the aircraft, wherein the deflection of the control surfaces comprises providing separate winglet control signals to the first winglet and the second winglet such that the deflection of the control surfaces of the first winglet and the second winglet is non-collinear. 14. The winglet system of claim 1, wherein the control surface includes a tip horn. 15. A method for adapting an aircraft to a plurality of flight conditions, comprising: determining when a wing load parameter exceeds a threshold value during flight operations; andin response to determining that the wing load parameter exceeds the threshold value, generating a signal to cause actuators to redistribute wing loads inboard by deflecting control surfaces of first and second winglets and at least one of a spoiler or an aileron of corresponding wings, the deflecting of the control surfaces creates incremental pressure fields in airflow regions inboard of the first and second winglets and above an upper surface of the corresponding outboard ends of each wing, the first and second winglets being coupled to an outboard end of the corresponding wing and including a body portion having a deflectable control surface, the first and second winglets including a base portion to attach to the outboard end of the corresponding wing such that the body portion projects at an upward angle from the wing during all phases of aircraft operation. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining when the wing load parameter exceeds the threshold value includes at least one of analyzing input signals from at least one sensor using a Kalman filter algorithm, using of a time jerk algorithm, using of a proportional control algorithm, using an integral-proportional control algorithm, or scaling and limiting the signal to the actuators. 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the generating of the signal comprises providing separate signals to the first and second winglets to create an asymmetric deflection of the deflectable control surfaces to augment at least one of a rolling moment acting on the airplane and a yawing moment acting on the airplane. 18. The method of claim 15, wherein generating the signal comprises providing the signal to the first and second winglets, the signal to deflect anterior portions of each of the deflectable control surfaces toward a fuselage of the aircraft such that outboard wing lift is decreased. 19. The method of claim 15, further comprising incremental winglet modification signals for differential actuation of the deflectable control surfaces on the first winglet and the second winglet respectively, to augment at least one of the rolling moment and yawing moment acting on said airplane. 20. An aircraft comprising: a fuselage;a pair of wings operatively coupled to the fuselage;a winglet coupled to an outboard end of each wing, each winglet including a base portion to couple to the outboard end of the corresponding wing such that a body portion of the winglet projects at an upward angle from the wing during all flight conditions;a control surface coupled to the body portion proximate to a trailing edge of each winglet;at least one of a spoiler and an aileron coupled to the outboard end of each wing; anda control system to detect a flight condition and, in response to the flight condition, deflect both the control surface of each winglet and the at least one of the spoiler and the aileron, wherein the deflections create incremental pressure fields in airflow regions inboard of each winglet and above each upper surface of the corresponding outboard end of the wing, and wherein the deflections are to: reduce lift on each of the outboard ends of the wings and reduce an inboard wing bending moment; andreduce drag acting on the aircraft in the detected flight condition. 21. The aircraft of claim 20, wherein the control system comprises: an input component to obtain sensor data from one or more sensors, the one or more sensors to collect at least one of air speed data, gust data, inertial load data, look-ahead data, accelerometer data, dynamic pressure data, impact pressure data, altimeter data, Mach sensor data, and fuel flow data;an analysis component to analyze the collected data to generate one or more control signals; andan output component to provide the one or more signals to at least one actuator acting on the control surface. 22. The aircraft of claim 20, wherein the pair of wings includes at least one of a pair of dihedral wings, a pair of anhedral wings, a pair of polyhedral wings, a pair of aft-swept wings, a pair of forward-swept wings, a pair of aerodynamically-twisted wings, or a pair of blended wings.
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