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APPARATUS, AIRCRAFT AND METHOD FOR MOVING A WING TIP DEVICE AWAY FROM A LOAD-ALLEVIATING CONFIGURATION

  • US 20200130816A1
  • Filed: 10/29/2019
  • Published: 04/30/2020
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2018
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An aircraft comprising a wing, the wing having a fixed wing and a wing tip device moveably mounted to the fixed wing, wherein the wing tip device is movable from:

  • (a) a load-alleviating configuration in which the wing tip device is oriented relative to the fixed wing such that at least one of an upper surface and a lower surface of the wing tip device is positioned away from a corresponding upper or lower surface of the fixed wing, to(b) a flight configuration in which the upper and lower surfaces of the wing tip device are continuations of the upper and lower surfaces, respectively, of the fixed wing,wherein the wing tip device comprises an airflow channel extending between respective apertures on the upper surface and lower surface of the wing tip device, and wherein the airflow channel is configurable between;

    an open state which is configured to allow airflow through the channel from one of the upper surface or the lower surface of the wing tip device to the respective one of the upper surface or the lower surface of the wing tip device, via the apertures, and(ii) a closed state in which the airflow through the channel, via the apertures, is blocked,the channel being configured such that when the wing tip device is in the load-alleviating configuration and the channel is in the open state, the aerodynamic loading on the wing tip device in flight urges the wing tip device towards the flight configuration.

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