GB511188A - Aeroplane - Google Patents

Abstract

511,188. Aeroplanes. COURTNEY, F. T. Jan. 13, 1938, No. 1107. [Class 4] In an aeroplane the wings are independently movable in a pitching direction about a single axis and each wing unit has aerodynamic means which act to stabilize the unit and to set the angle of incidence thereof under the influence of lift forces substantially independently of the effect of drag forces, central means being provided for adjusting all the aerodynamic means equally and simultaneously in the same sense only; longitudinal trim of the body is maintained by a vane arrangement and directional control is carried out by yaw-producing means In one form, wings 2, 3 are pivotally and independently mounted relatively to the fuselage 1 on spars 5. Each wing carries on outriggers 9, 10 a stabilizer comprising a fixed part 3 and an adjustable part 11. The fuselage carries a tail-unit 16 which may oe adjustable as a whole or may have a hinged part 17 in order to trim the body. The tail-unit includes a rudder or combined fin and rudder. The surfaces 11 are adjusted equally and simultaneously in the same direction through cables 20, 21 from a control 24. The wings may have sweep back and may be set at a dihedral angle. In a modification the engines of a twin-engine aircraft having pusher or tracter airscrews are mounted on lateral projections or stub-wings and the main wings are pivoted to the stub-wings. In a further form the stub-wings each carry two aero-engines and the roots of the main wings are recessed in plan to accommodate the stub-wings. In another form, the main wings . are divided transversely into two sections each having its own stabilizer ; all the stabilizers may be operated simultaneously, or separate controls may be provided for each correspondingly opposite pair of stabilizers. The outriggers may be replaced by extensions of the wings and the stabilizers may be disposed forwardly of the wings and may be built of more than one action. The wings may be fitted with lift-increasing devices the controls of which may be interconnected with those of the stabilizers. the fixed part of the stabilizers may be omitted and the rudder may be replaced by any yawproducing means. Provision for differential adjustments of the stabilizers may be made for trimming purposes. Fixed-wing tips and stops in the stabilizer controls may be provided and the invention may be .applied to a biplane or multiplane.