Spin resistant aircraft configuration
A configuration and system for rendering an aircraft spin resistant is disclosed. Resistance of the aircraft to spinning is accomplished by constraining a stall cell to a wing region adjacent to the fuselage and distant from the wing tip. Wing features that facilitate this constraint include but are not limited to one or more cuffs, stall strips, vortex generators, wing twists, wing sweeps and horizontal stabilizers. Alone or in combination, aircraft configuration features embodied by the present invention render the aircraft spin resistant by constraining the stall cell, which allows control surfaces of the aircraft to remain operational to control the aircraft.
1. A spin resistant aircraft wing, the wing comprising:
a first wing region of the spin resistant aircraft wing, wherein the first wing region includes a first airfoil shape and wherein the first wing region is adjacent to a fuselage of an aircraft at a wing root;
a second wing region of the spin resistant aircraft wing, wherein the second wing region includes a second airfoil shape and is adjacent to a wing tip of the aircraft, wherein the first wing region is contiguous with the second wing region and wherein the second wing region includes one or more flight control surfaces and wherein the wing root angle of incidence is modified along the wing such that at 0-19% semi-span, it is 5 degrees and changes to 2 degrees at 60% semi-span; and
a discontinuity in a leading edge of the spin resistant aircraft wing forming an aerodynamic barrier from the leading edge to a trailing edge of the spin resistant aircraft wing isolating airflow associated with the first wing region from airflow associated with the second wing region and wherein at high angles of attack a stall cell and associated separated airflow remains in the first wing region apart from the second wing region and apart from the one or more flight control surfaces so as to retain aircraft control with the presence of the stall cell in the first wing region.
2. The spin resistant aircraft wing of claim 1 , wherein the discontinuity is a delta vortex generator.
3. The spin resistant aircraft wing of claim 1 , further comprising an empennage coupled to the fuselage wherein the stall cell and associated separated airflow remains apart from the empennage.
4. The spin resistant aircraft wing of claim 1 , wherein the discontinuity is a wing cuff in the leading edge.
5. The spin resistant aircraft wing of claim 4 , wherein the wing cuff is positioned at 60% semi-span of the spin resistant aircraft wing.
6. The spin resistant aircraft wing of claim 4 , wherein the wing cuff is positioned at 50% semi-span of the spin resistant aircraft wing.
7. The spin resistant aircraft wing of claim 1 , further comprising a single stall strip located at 33-39% semi-span of the spin resistant aircraft wing.
8. The spin resistant aircraft wing of claim 7 , wherein the single stall strip is parallel to the leading edge.
9. The spin resistant aircraft wing of claim 1 , further comprising a one or more stall strips located on the leading edge of the first wing region and wherein an inboard most stall strip is angled downward 7 degrees and located.