IP Library Granted Patent US 8,496,203
Granted Patent B2
US 8,496,203 · App. 12/913,463 · Granted Jul 30, 2013

Aircraft with vertical stabilizers arranged on a central fuselage body and method, as well as control unit, for compensating a negative pitching moment

Inventors: Malte Schwarze (Hamm, DE); Andreas Westenberger (Buxtehude, DE)
Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,496,203
App. No.
12/913,463
Granted
Jul 30, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

An aircraft includes, but is not limited to a central fuselage body without horizontal stabilizer, at least one high-lift control surface, at least one vertical stabilizer that is arranged on the central fuselage body and at least one extendable compensation control surface. The compensation control surface may be moved independently of the high-lift control surface of the aircraft and generates a positive tail-heavy pitching moment when it is moved into the flow against the aircraft. Due to this measure, a negative pitching moment during the actuation of high-lift control surfaces may be at least partially eliminated without influencing the high lift. Rudder segments that may be moved opposite to one another on two vertical stabilizers that are arranged mirror-symmetrical referred to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft preferably are used for this purpose.

Claims (30)

1. An aircraft, comprising:

a central fuselage body without horizontal stabilizer;

at least one high-lift control surface;

at least one vertical stabilizer arranged on the central fuselage body;

at least one movable compensation control surface; and

a control unit connected to the at least one movable compensation control surface and the at least one high-lift control surface;

wherein the at least one movable compensation control surface is movable independently of the at least one high-lift control surface of the aircraft and generates a positive tail-heavy pitching moment when moved into a flow against the aircraft, and the control unit is adapted for moving the at least one high-lift control surface and the at least one movable compensation control surface.

2. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the at least one movable compensation control surface is arranged on an upper side of the at least one vertical stabilizer.

3. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the at least one movable compensation control surface is movable symmetrically referred to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft in order to prevent an additional yaw moment.

4. The aircraft of claim 1 , furthermore comprising a second compensation control surface, wherein the at least one movable compensation control surface and the second compensation control surface are arranged mirror-symmetrical referred to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft and are movable opposite to one another.

5. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the at least one vertical stabilizer comprises a segmented rudder and the at least one movable compensation control surface is realized in a form of at least one rudder segment.

6. The aircraft of claim 5 , comprising a second vertical stabilizer, wherein the at least one vertical stabilizer and the second vertical stabilizer are arranged mirror-symmetrical referred to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft and respectively provided with a segmented rudder, wherein at least one rudder segment respectively forms a compensation control surface.

7. The aircraft of claim 5 , wherein the segmented rudder is a split rudder.

8. The aircraft of claim 5 , wherein the segmented rudder is a double-hinge split rudder.

9. A method for compensating a negative pitching moment of an aircraft with a central fuselage body without a horizontal stabilizer, with at least one high-lift control surface, with at least one vertical stabilizer that is arranged on the central fuselage body, at least one movable compensation control surface and a control unit connected to the at least one movable compensation control surface and the at least one high-lift control surface, the method comprising:

moving the at least one high-lift control surface with the control unit in order to generate a high lift; and

moving the at least one movable compensation control surface with the control unit into a flow against the aircraft in order to generate a positive pitching moment.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the moving the at least one movable compensation control surface comprises moving in a respective opposite movement of an at least one rudder segment on two vertical stabilizers that are arranged mirror-symmetrical referred to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

11. An apparatus, comprising: at least one high-lift control surface;

at least one compensation control surface adapted to deflect into an aerodynamic flow against an aircraft in order to generate a positive pitching moment; and

a control unit connected to the at least one compensation control surface and the at least one high-lift control surface, the control unit adapted to:

move the at least one high-lift control surface in order to generate a high lift; and

move the at least one compensation control surface to deflect into the aerodynamic flow against the aircraft in order to generate the positive pitching moment.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one compensation control surface is arranged on an upper side of an at least one vertical stabilizer.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one compensation control surface is movable symmetrically referred to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft in order to prevent an additional yaw moment.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , furthermore comprising a second compensation control surface, wherein the at least one compensation control surface and the second compensation control surface are arranged mirror-symmetrical referred to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft and the control unit is adapted to move the at least one compensation control surface and the second compensation control surface opposite to one another.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the at least one vertical stabilizer comprises a segmented rudder and the at least one compensation control surface is realized in a form of at least one rudder segment.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , comprising a second vertical stabilizer, wherein the at least one vertical stabilizer and the second vertical stabilizer are arranged mirror-symmetrical referred to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft and respectively provided with a segmented rudder, wherein at least one rudder segment respectively forms a compensation control surface.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the segmented rudder is a split rudder.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the segmented rudder is a double-hinge split rudder.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2010
From: SCHWARZE, MALTE; WESTENBERGER, ANDREAS
To: AIRBUS OPERATIONS GMBH
Reel/Frame 025483/0903 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2009 050 748 · Oct 27, 2009 · national
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61255392 · Oct 27, 2009
Related Publication 20110095136A1 · Apr 28, 2011