TEPZZ 

44_67ZB_T
(19)

(11) EP 2 441 670 B1

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION

(45) Date of publication and mention (51) Int Cl.:

of the grant of the patent: B64C 23/06 (2006.01)
24.07.2019 Bulletin 2019/30

(21) Application number: 11183673.0

(22) Date of filing: 03.10.2011

(54) Forward swept winglet

Nach vorne geneigter Winglet
Ailette entraînée vers l’avant

(84) Designated Contracting States: (72) Inventors:

AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB • Rawdon, Blaine K
GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO San Pedro, CA California 90731 (US)
PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR • Vassberg, John C
Long Beach, CA California 90803 (US)
(30) Priority: 15.10.2010 US 905382
(74) Representative: Boult Wade Tennant LLP
(43) Date of publication of application: 5th Floor, Salisbury Square House
18.04.2012 Bulletin 2012/16 8, Salisbury Square
London EC4Y 8AP (GB)
(73) Proprietor: The Boeing Company
Chicago, IL 60606-1596 (US) (56) References cited:
EP-A1- 1 493 660 WO-A2-2010/116018
GB-A- 2 130 159 US-A1- 2009 039 204
EP 2 441 670 B1

Note: Within nine months of the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent in the European Patent
Bulletin, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to that patent, in accordance with the
Implementing Regulations. Notice of opposition shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been
paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention).

Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR)

 1 EP 2 441 670 B1
Description
FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to aircraft, and
more particularly to a forward swept winglet for an aircraft
wing.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The higher the lift-to-drag ratio (L/D ratio) of the
wings of an aircraft, the more efficiently the aircraft may
fly with less fuel consumption. One method to improve
the L/D ratio of an airplane is to use a wing of greater
span or length and shorter chord or distance from a lead-
ing edge of the wing to a trailing edge of the wing. In other
words a wing with greater aspect ratio will have a higher
L/D ratio and will be more efficient. Aspect ratio is defined
as the wing span squared divided by the wing area. Sev-
eral practical considerations may limit the degree to
which aspect ratio may be increased. One limitation may
be airport compatibility. Airports may be designed for air-
planes with a certain maximum wing span. To operate
at an airport, each airplane must have a wing span that
is less than or equal to the maximum for the particular
airport.
[0003] Another possible limitation may be wing weight.
The use of a high aspect ratio wing can increase the
airplane’s L/D ratio but may not result in lower drag and
may not result in less fuel consumption. Because the
wing is a structural element, increasing its length increas-
es the bending load the wing must resist. Accordingly the
wing structure must be stronger or more robust to resist
the bending load. The increased structure increases the
wing’s weight. Thus, a higher aspect ratio may result in
a heavier airplane. Because drag is equal to airplane
weight divided by the L/D ratio, a higher airplane weight
may result in increased drag even if the L/D ratio is in-
creased. In practice, wing aspect ratios are set to a value
that results in minimum drag, or the aspect ratios are set
to lower values that result in a significantly lighter airplane
with drag that is slightly greater than minimum.
[0004] Another limitation to designing an aircraft wing
with a higher L/D ratio or a higher aspect ratio may be
wing flutter. Wing flutter is a dynamic phenomenon in
which an approximately vertical (flapping) motion of the
wing couples with a torsional mode (wing twist), resulting
in unacceptable shaking in the wing that can cause struc-
tural damage. Wings can become more limber at higher
aspect ratios which can lead to greater flutter suscepti-
bility. This relationship sometimes limits the wing aspect
ratio.
[0005] One existing method to alleviate the limitations
discussed above is the use of a winglet at each wing tip.
Figure 1 illustrates an aircraft 100 including wings 102
and an aft-swept winglet 104 attached to a wing tip of
each wing 102. The winglet 104 may provide the benefit
of increased wing span without actually increasing the
2
wing span. Winglets 104 may also reduce the bending
load on the wing 102 compared to a conventional wing
having an equivalent L/D ratio, thereby reducing the
weight penalty of a wing with a larger span. However,
5 especially for higher aspect ratio wings, aft-swept win-
glets 104 may result in increased flutter susceptibility.
The aerodynamic benefit of winglets 104 is increased
with increased winglet span, "S," or distance from a root
106 of the winglet 104 to a tip 108 of the winglet 104, but
10 the structural and especially flutter susceptibility increas-
es rapidly with winglet span. Thus flutter concerns tend
to limit winglet span.
[0006] One factor affecting wing flutter susceptibility is
reduction of the natural twisting frequency of the wing.
15 The wing may be considered to be a torsional pendulum.
Resistance to torsion is typically provided by the box or
tube-like structure of the wing. Given the torsional rigidity
provided by this structure, the frequency is primarily de-
termined by the polar distribution of mass about a tor-
20 sional axis 110 of the wing structure as well as a spanwise
distribution of this mass. As an analogous example, con-
sider a special clock that uses a torsional pendulum con-
sisting of a thin vertical rod fixed to the clock at the top
and free at the bottom. At the bottom of this rod a small
25 dumbbell is attached. When this dumbbell is rotated
about the axis of the rod, the rod provides torsional re-
sistance. When the dumbbell is released, the dumbbell
oscillates at a certain frequency according to its polar
moment of inertia about the rod’s axis and the rigidity of
30 the rod. An increase in inertia reduces the frequency.
Moving the dumbbell to a point midway on the rod will
result in an increased frequency because of the higher
effective rigidity of the rod. Longer winglets tend to have
greater polar moment of inertia by virtue of their greater
35 weight and greater length.
[0007] Another factor affecting wing flutter susceptibil-
ity is the rearward offset of the wing’s mass with respect
to the torsional axis 110 of the wing’s structure. As the
wing flies through the air, it makes lift that is proportional
40 to its angle of attack. Increased lift tends to drive the wing
upward, especially the outer portion of the wing. For in-
stance, flying into an upward gust of air directly increases
the wing’s angle of attack which increases its lift which
results in an upward acceleration, resulting in an upward
45 deflection. If the center of mass of the wing is behind the
torsional axis of the wing, then this upward gust will result
in the wing twisting to a higher angle of incidence. This
increases the angle of attack beyond the additional in-
crement from the gust, resulting in an increased deflec-
50 tion. As the wing approaches the top of the stroke, it be-
gins to decelerate. This tends to twist the wing to a re-
duced angle of attack, driving it downwards with in-
creased force. If the torsional frequency of the wing co-
incides (or nearly coincides) with the wing bending (flap-
55 ping) frequency, this oscillation can grow to a proportion
that may result in damage to the wing. In general, as
airspeeds increase, wing bending frequencies may tend
to increase and torsional frequencies may decrease. At
2
 3 EP 2 441 670 B1
some speed these frequencies may coincide, leading to
flutter. Wing flutter may also be influenced by fore and
aft motions of the wing that are tied to the vertical motions.
This type of motion is more likely in slender, high aspect
ratio wings.
[0008] Aft-swept winglets, such as winglets 104, may
increase flutter susceptibility because they may increase
the polar moment of inertia of the wing 102 about the
wing’s torsional axis 110 and the winglets 104 do this at
the wing tip, which may be the most undesirable location
for such forces. Additionally, aft-swept winglets 104 add
weight behind the wing’s torsional axis 110 and this
weight is also added at the wing tip. Increasing the span
of aft-swept winglets 104 may also increase the polar
moment of inertia and moves the wing’s center of mass
aft. Thus, longer winglets may further increase flutter by
the two mechanisms described above.
[0009] An additional factor that constrains the span of
the winglet pertains to ground clearance. Winglets may
sweep up from the wing tip or may sweep down, or both.
The aerodynamic benefit is approximately driven by the
distance from the top of the upper winglet to the bottom
of the lower winglet. From a flutter standpoint, the in-
crease in polar moment of inertia would benefit from the
upper and lower winglets having the same span. This
puts the center of mass of the upper and lower winglets
closer to the wing’s torsional axis 110. Also, the center
of mass of the winglets as a system is farther forward
than if only a single winglet of the same span is used.
Both the reduction in polar moment of inertia and forward
offset of the center of mass reduces flutter susceptibility.
However, the length of a lower winglet is limited by ground
clearance. It is important that the winglet not contact the
ground in any ordinary operation including landing and
takeoff. Roll clearance is usually most critical when the
airplane is pitched up for takeoff or landing. In this nose-
up position, a lower aft swept winglet, especially when
mounted on an aft swept wing, is closer to the ground by
virtue of its more aft location. This means that a lower
aft-swept winglet is relatively more constrained in span
than an unswept winglet.
[0010] Accordingly, there is a need to improve the L/D
ratio and performance of the wings of aircraft to improve
efficiency and reduce fuel consumption. As described
above, one technique to alleviate the limitations associ-
ated with a higher L/D ratio or a higher wing aspect ratio
is the use of winglets. However, any winglet configura-
tions need to avoid flutter susceptibility and other issues
similar to those described above.
[0011] In United States Patent Application Publication
US 2009/0039204, there is described aircraft wing tip
feathers, including forward swept wing tip feathers, and
associated aircraft systems and methods. A system is
disclosed as including an aircraft wing having an inboard
portion, an outboard portion, and a leading edge having
an aft wing sweep angle at the outboard portion. A first
feather is fixed relative to, and projects outwardly from,
the outboard portion of the wing and has a leading edge
4
with a first, forward sweep angle relative to a pitch axis
of the wing. A second feather is fixed relative to, and
projects outwardly from, the outboard portion of the wing
at least partially aft of the first feather, and has a leading
5 edge with a second, aft sweep angle relative to the pitch
axis.
SUMMARY
10 [0012] Various aspects and embodiments of the
present invention are set out in the appended claims.
[0013] In accordance with an example, an aircraft may
include a pair of wings. A forward swept winglet may be
attached proximate to a wing tip of each wing. The for-
15 ward swept winglet may include a leading edge and a
trailing edge. The leading edge of each winglet may ex-
tend from the wing at a predetermined forward sweep
angle relative to a line perpendicular to a chord of the
wing tip in a direction corresponding to a forward portion
20 of the aircraft.
[0014] In accordance with another example, an aircraft
may include a wing and a forward swept winglet attached
proximate to a wing tip of the wing. The forward swept
winglet may include an upper winglet portion extending
25 above the wing and a lower winglet portion extending
below the wing. A leading edge of at least the upper win-
glet portion may extend from the wing at a predetermined
forward sweep angle relative to a line perpendicular to a
chord of the wing tip in a direction corresponding to a
30 forward portion of the aircraft.
[0015] In accordance with another example, a method
to reduce wing flutter in an aircraft wing designed to pro-
vide a substantially increased lift-to-drag ratio may in-
clude attaching a forward swept winglet proximate to a
35 wing tip of each wing of the aircraft. The forward swept
winglet may include a leading edge and a trailing edge.
The leading edge of each winglet may extend at a pre-
determined forward sweep angle relative to a line per-
pendicular to a chord of the wing tip in a direction corre-
40 sponding to a forward portion of the aircraft.
[0016] In accordance with another example, there is
disclosed an aircraft, comprising: a wing; and a forward
swept winglet attached proximate to a wing tip of the wing,
the forward swept winglet comprising an upper winglet
45 portion extending above the wing and a lower winglet
portion extending below the wing, a leading edge of at
least the upper winglet portion extending from the wing
at a predetermined forward sweep angle relative to a line
perpendicular to a chord of the wing tip in a direction
50 corresponding to a forward portion of the aircraft.
[0017] Wherein the lower winglet portion includes a
leading edge and a trailing edge, the leading edge of the
lower winglet portion extending from the wing at a select-
ed forward sweep angle relative to the line perpendicular
55 to the chord of the wing tip in a direction toward the for-
ward portion of the aircraft.
[0018] Further comprising a mass balance of a chosen
weight positioned at a farthest forward position of each
3
 5 EP 2 441 670 B1
of the upper winglet portion and the lower winglet portion.
[0019] Other aspects and features of the present dis-
closure, as defined solely by the claims, will become ap-
parent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review
of the following non-limited detailed description of the
disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF
THE DRAWINGS
[0020] The following detailed description of embodi-
ments refers to the accompanying drawings, which illus-
trate specific embodiments of the disclosure. Other em-
bodiments having different structures and operations do
not depart from the scope of the present disclosure.
Figure 1 is an illustration of an example of an aircraft
including prior art aft swept winglets.
Figure 2 is an illustration of an aircraft including upper
forward swept winglets in accordance with an exem-
plary embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 3A is a detailed side elevation view of the
upper forward swept winglet of Figures 2 in accord-
ance with an exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure.
Figure 3B is a detailed side elevation view of an up-
per forward swept winglet in accordance with anoth-
er exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 3C is a detailed side elevation view of an up-
per forward swept winglet in accordance with a fur-
ther exemplary embodiment of the present disclo-
sure.
Figure 4 is a detailed front elevation view of the upper
forward swept winglet extending substantially per-
pendicular to the wing of the aircraft in accordance
with an exemplary embodiment of the present dis-
closure.
Figure 5 is a detailed front elevation view of the upper
forward swept winglet extending at a predetermined
angle relative to the wing of the aircraft in accordance
with another exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure.
Figure 6 is an illustration of an aircraft including for-
ward swept winglets including an upper forward
swept winglet portion and a lower forward swept win-
glet portion in accordance with another exemplary
embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 7A is a detailed side elevation view of the
forward swept winglet of Figure 6 including the upper
and lower winglet portions in accordance with an ex-
emplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 7B is a detailed side elevation view of a for-
ward swept winglet including upper and lower winglet
portions in accordance with another exemplary em-
bodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 7C is a detailed side elevation view of a for-
ward swept winglet including upper and lower winglet
portions in accordance with a further exemplary em-
6
bodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 8 is a detailed front elevation view of the for-
ward swept winglet including upper and lower winglet
portions extending substantially perpendicular to the
5 wing of the aircraft in accordance with an exemplary
embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 9 is a detailed front elevation view of the for-
ward swept winglet including upper and lower winglet
portions extending at a predetermined angle relative
10 to the wing of the aircraft in accordance with another
embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 10 is a detailed side elevation view of a for-
ward swept winglet including upper and lower winglet
portions illustrating a comparison of ground clear-
15 ance for forward and aft swept lower winglet portions
in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the
present disclosure.
Figure 11 is a flow chart of an example of a method
to reduce wing flutter in an aircraft wing in accord-
20 ance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 12 is an example of an aircraft having a blend-
ed wing body configuration including forward swept
winglets in accordance with an embodiment of the
present disclosure.
25 Figure 13 is an example of an aircraft having a flying
wing configuration including forward swept winglets
in accordance with an embodiment of the present
disclosure.
30 DESCRIPTION
[0021] The following detailed description of embodi-
ments refers to the accompanying drawings, which illus-
trate specific embodiments of the disclosure. Other em-
35 bodiments having different structures and operations do
not depart from the scope of the present disclosure.
[0022] Figure 2 is an illustration of an aircraft 200 in-
cluding upper forward swept winglets 202 in accordance
with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
40 In another embodiment, the aircraft 200 may also include
only lower forward swept winglets which may have similar
characteristics to those described herein. In a further em-
bodiment, the aircraft 200 may include a forward swept
winglet including both an upper winglet portion and a low-
45 er winglet portion. An exemplary embodiment of an air-
craft including a forward swept winglet including both up-
per and lower winglet portions will be described in more
detail with reference to Figures 6, 7A-7C and 10.
[0023] The aircraft 200 includes an elongate fuselage
50 204. The elongate fuselage 204 includes a nose or for-
ward portion 206 of the fuselage 204 or aircraft 200,
where a cockpit 208 is located, and an aft or tail portion
210 of the aircraft 200 where a vertical stabilizer and rud-
der flight control surface 212 are mounted and a horizon-
55 tal stabilizer and elevator flight control surface 214 are
mounted. The rudder 212 controls right and left motion
of the aircraft 200 and the elevator 214 controls up and
down or altitude of the aircraft 200.
4
 7 EP 2 441 670 B1
[0024] A wing 216 is attached to each side of the fu-
selage 204 and extends from the fuselage 204. The ex-
emplary aircraft 200 illustrated in Figure 2 has engines
218 mounted under each wing 216; although as known
in the art, the engines 218 may be mounted at other lo-
cations on the aircraft 200, such as proximate to the tail
section 210 above the wing 216 or other locations de-
pending upon the aircraft design. Each wing 216 may be
attached to the fuselage 204 at a wing root 220. Each
wing 216 includes a leading edge 222 and trailing edge
224 extending from the wing root 220 to a wing tip 226
opposite to the wing root 220.
[0025] A forward swept winglet 202 is attached proxi-
mate to the wing tip 226 of each wing 216. The forward
swept winglet 202 may be attached at the wing tip 226
as illustrated in the exemplary embodiment in Figure 2
or, in another embodiment, the winglet 202 may be at-
tached at a predetermined distance from the wing tip 226
toward the wing root 220.
[0026] Referring also to Figure 3A, Figure 3A is a de-
tailed side elevation view of the upper forward swept win-
glet 202 of Figure 2 in accordance with an exemplary
embodiment of the present disclosure. The forward
swept winglet 202 includes a leading edge 228 and a
trailing edge 230. The leading edge 228 and trailing edge
230 may extend from a root 232 of the winglet 202 to a
tip 234 of the winglet 202. The leading edge 228 and the
trailing edge 230 may have a selected taper from the
winglet root 232 to the winglet tip 234. The leading edge
228 of each winglet 202 may extend from the wing 216
or wing tip 226 at a predetermined forward sweep angle
θ relative to a line 235 perpendicular or normal to a chord
236 of the wing tip 226 or wing 216 in a direction corre-
sponding to the forward portion 206 of the aircraft 200.
The chord 236 may be defined as the distance between
the leading edge 222 and the trailing edge 224 of the
wing 216 or wing tip 226. The chord 236 is illustrated by
a broken or chain line in Figure 3A.
[0027] The trailing edge 230 of the winglet 202 may
also extend from the wing 216 or wing tip 226 at a selected
forward sweep angle Φ relative to another line 238 per-
pendicular to the chord 236 of the wing 216 or wing tip
226. The selected forward sweep angle Φ of the trailing
edge 230 of the winglet 202 may be greater than the
predetermined forward sweep angle θ of the leading edge
228 of the winglet 202 to provide the selected taper of
the winglet 202. In another embodiment, the selected
forward sweep angle Φ of the trailing edge 230 may be
less than the predetermined forward sweep angle θ of
the leading edge 228. The selected sweep angle Φ may
even sweep toward an aft or tail portion 210 of the aircraft
200 (Figure 2).
[0028] The predetermined forward sweep angle θ of
the leading edge 228 and selected forward sweep angle
Φ may vary. Considerations or parameters in determining
the forward sweep angles may include but is not neces-
sarily limited to a weight of the winglet; a wing span and
area of each wing and winglet; a cruise Mach number at
8
which the aircraft may be expected or designed to fly;
any balancing mass or balancing mass weight in the win-
glet 202; and reducing induced drag of the winglet 202
or wing system including the wing 216 and winglet 202.
5 In at least one embodiment, the predetermined forward
sweep angle θ of the leading edge 228 of the winglet 202
may be greater than about 15 degrees and less than
about 50 degrees.
[0029] The forward swept winglet 202 may be built us-
10 ing conventional methods to be of typically light weight.
The winglet 202 may also include discrete a weight 240
for mass balance. The mass balance weight 240 or
weights may be located at favorable locations in the win-
glet 202 for optimum distribution of mass balance. One
15 potentially favorable location may be proximate the lead-
ing edge 228 and proximate the tip 234 of the forward
swept winglet 202 similar to that illustrated in Figure 3A.
[0030] The weight of the forward swept winglet 202 is
located ahead or forward of the weight of a similar aft-
20 swept winglet, such as winglet 104 in Figure 1. This more
forward weight may reduce susceptibility to wing flutter
when compared to a wing with an equivalent aft-swept
winglet or a wing without a winglet. As discussed above,
the forward swept winglet 202 may be used to mount a
25 mass balance weight 240 at a favorable location such as
near the leading edge 228 and near the tip 234. This
mass balance 240 is well ahead or forward of the wing’s
torsional axis 242. This mass balance 240 further tends
to suppress susceptibility to wing flutter. A chord of the
30 forward swept winglet 202 may be substantially equal in
length and correspond or align with the chord 236 of the
wing 216 or wing tip 226.
[0031] Referring also to Figure 3B, Figure 3B is a de-
tailed side elevation view of an upper forward swept win-
35 glet 300 in accordance with another exemplary embod-
iment of the present disclosure. The upper forward win-
glet 300 may be substantially the same as the upper for-
ward winglet 202 in Figure 3A except that a leading edge
228 of the winglet 300 is offset a selected distance "DA"
40 from the leading edge 222 of the wing 216 or wing tip
226 in an aft direction. Described another way, a root or
root chord 302 of the winglet 300 is attached to the wing
tip 226 or wing 216 offset the selected distance "DA"
relative to the chord 236 of the wing tip 226 or wing 216
45 in the aft direction. The remaining chord distribution of
the winglet 300 may be determined by conventional aer-
odynamic considerations.
[0032] Figure 3C is a detailed side elevation view of
an upper forward swept winglet 301 in accordance with
50 a further exemplary embodiment of the present disclo-
sure. The upper forward winglet 301 may also be sub-
stantially the same as the upper forward winglet 202 in
Figure 3A except that a leading edge 228 of the winglet
301 is offset a selected distance "DF" from the leading
55 edge 222 of the wing 216 or wing tip 226 in an forward
direction. Described another way, a root or root chord
303 of the winglet 301 is attached to the wing tip 226 or
wing 216 offset the selected distance "DF" relative to the
5
 9 EP 2 441 670 B1
chord 236 of the wing tip 226 or wing 216 in the forward
direction. The remaining chord distribution of the winglet
301 may be determined by conventional aerodynamic
considerations.
[0033] Figure 4 is a detailed front elevation view of the
upper forward swept winglet 202 illustrating the winglet
extending from the wing tip 226 substantially perpendic-
ular to the wing 216 of the aircraft 200 in accordance with
an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0034] Figure 5 is a detailed front elevation view of the
upper forward swept winglet 202 extending from the wing
tip 226 at a chosen angle I relative to the wing 216 of the
aircraft in accordance with another exemplary embodi-
ment of the present disclosure. Figures 4 and 5 illustrate
that the forward swept winglet 202 may extend from wing
216 at a chosen angle I in a direction inboard toward the
fuselage 204 (Figure 1) or outboard away from the fuse-
lage. The chosen angle I may be between about 45 de-
grees and about 135 degrees.
[0035] Figure 6 is an illustration of an aircraft 600 in-
cluding a forward swept winglet 602 including an upper
forward swept winglet portion 604 and a lower forward
swept winglet portion 606 in accordance with another
exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The
aircraft 600 may be similar to the aircraft 200 in Figure
2. The aircraft 600 includes an elongate fuselage 608.
The elongate fuselage 608 includes a nose or forward
portion 610, where a cockpit 612 is located, and an aft
or tail portion 614 of the aircraft 600. A vertical stabilizer
and rudder flight control surface 616 and a horizontal
stabilizers and elevator flight control surface 618 are
mounted to the aft or tail portion 614 of the aircraft 600.
[0036] A wing 620 is attached to each side of the fu-
selage 608 and extends from the fuselage 608. The ex-
emplary aircraft 600 illustrated in Figure 6 has engines
622 mounted under each wing 220; although as known
in the art and as previously described, the engines 622
may be mounted at other locations on the aircraft 600.
Each wing 620 may be attached to the fuselage 608 at
a wing root 624. Each wing 620 includes a leading edge
626 and trailing edge 628 extending from the wing root
624 to a wing tip 630 opposite to the wing root 624. The
forward swept winglet 602 may be attached to the wing
tip 630 or to the wing 620 proximate to the wing tip 630.
[0037] Referring also to Figure 7A, Figure 7A is a de-
tailed side elevation view of the forward swept winglet
602 of Figure 6 including the upper and lower winglet
portions 604 and 606 in accordance with an exemplary
embodiment of the present disclosure. The upper winglet
portion 604 extends above the wing 620 or wing tip 630
and the lower winglet portion 606 extends below the wing
620 or wing tip 630. The upper winglet portion 604 in-
cludes a leading edge 632 and a trailing edge 634. The
lower winglet portion 606 includes a leading edge 636
and a trailing edge 638. The leading edge 632 of at least
the upper winglet portion 604 may extend from the wing
620 or wing tip 630 at a predetermined forward sweep
angle θ relative to a line 642 perpendicular to the chord
10
640 of the wing tip 630 in a direction corresponding to
the forward portion 610 of the aircraft 600.
[0038] The leading edge 636 of the lower winglet por-
tion 606 may also extend from the wing 620 or wing tip
5 630 at a selected forward angle ω relative to the perpen-
dicular line 642 to the chord 640 of the wing 620 in a
direction toward the forward portion 610 of the aircraft
600. The selected forward sweep angle ω of the leading
edge 636 of the lower winglet portion 606 may be different
10 than the predetermined forward sweep angle θ of the
upper winglet portion 604. While the lower winglet portion
606 is illustrated in the exemplary embodiment in Figure
7A as sweeping forward, in another embodiment, the low-
er winglet portion 606 may sweep aft or may not sweep
15 in either direction.
[0039] The trailing edge 634 of the upper winglet por-
tion 604 may sweep forward at a chosen sweep angle Φ
relative to another line 643 perpendicular to the chord
630 of the wing 620 or wing tip 630. The chosen sweep
20 angle Φ may be different from the predetermined sweep
angle θ of the leading edge 632 of the upper winglet por-
tion 604 and the selected sweep angle ω the leading
edge 636 of the lower winglet portion. The chosen sweep
angle Φ of the trailing edge 634 may be greater than the
25 predetermined sweep angle θ of the leading edge 632 of
the upper winglet portion 604 so that the upper winglet
portion tapers toward a tip 644 of the upper winglet por-
tion 604.
[0040] In another embodiment, the chosen sweep an-
30 gle Φ of the trailing edge 634 may be less than the pre-
determined sweep angle θ of the leading edge 632 of the
upper winglet portion 604 so that the upper winglet por-
tion widens toward a tip 644 of the upper winglet portion
604.
35 [0041] Similarly, the trailing edge 638 of the lower win-
glet portion 606 may extend from the wing 620 or wing
tip 630 at a predetermined angle m which may be less
than, equal to or greater than the chosen angle ω of the
leading edge 636.
40 [0042] The upper winglet portion 604 and the lower
winglet portion 606 may each include a mass balance
weight 646 and 648 respectively or only one of the winglet
portions may include a mass balance weight. The mass
balance weight 646 and 648 may be located at predeter-
45 mined favorable locations in each of the upper and lower
winglet portions 604 and 606. One potential favorable
location in each winglet portion 604 and 606 may be prox-
imate to the leading edge 632 and 636 and proximate to
the tip 644 and 650. Thus, a mass balance of a chosen
50 weight may be positioned at a farthest forward position
of each of the upper and lower winglet portions 604 and
606. The optimum amount of mass balance 646 and 648
in each winglet portion 604 and 606 may be different.
[0043] Figure 7B is a detailed side elevation view of a
55 forward swept winglet 700 including upper and lower win-
glet portions 702 and 704 in accordance with another
exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The
forward winglet 700 may be substantially the same as
6
 11 EP 2 441 670 B1
the forward winglet 702 in Figure 7A except that a leading
edge 632 of the upper winglet portion 702 and the leading
edge 636 of the lower winglet portion 704 are offset a
selected distance "DA" from the leading edge 626 of the
wing 620 or wing tip 630 in an aft direction. Described
another way, a root or root chord 706 of the winglet 700
is attached to the wing tip 630 or wing 620 offset the
selected distance "DA" relative to the chord 640 of the
wing tip 630 or wing 620 in the aft direction. The remaining
chord distribution of the winglet 700 may be determined
by conventional aerodynamic considerations. While the
leading edges 632 and 634 are illustrated in Figure 7B
as being offset by the same distance "DA" from the lead-
ing edge of the wing 620, the leading edges 632 and 634
may be offset by different distances. One or the other of
the leading edges 632 and 636 may even be forward of
the leading edge 626 of the wing 620 similar to that illus-
trated in Figure 7C.
[0044] Figure 7C is a detailed side elevation view of a
forward swept winglet 701 including upper and lower win-
glet portions 703 and 705 in accordance with a further
exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The
forward swept winglet 701 may also be substantially the
same as the forward swept winglet 602 in Figure 7A ex-
cept that the leading edges 632 and 636 of the upper and
lower winglet portions 703 and 705 are offset a selected
distance "DF" from the leading edge 626 of the wing 620
or wing tip 630 in an forward direction. Described another
way, a root or root chord 706 of the winglet 701 is attached
to the wing tip 630 or wing 620 offset the selected distance
"DF" relative to the chord 640 of the wing tip 630 or wing
620 in the forward direction. The remaining chord distri-
bution of the winglet 701 may be determined by conven-
tional aerodynamic considerations.
[0045] Figure 8 is a detailed front elevation view of the
forward swept winglet 602 including upper and lower win-
glet portions 604 and 606 extending substantially per-
pendicular to the wing 620 of the aircraft 600 in accord-
ance with an exemplary embodiment of the present dis-
closure.
[0046] Figure 9 is a detailed front elevation view of the
forward swept winglet 602 including upper and lower win-
glet portions 604 and 606 extending at predetermined
angles I and ϑ relative to the wing 620 of the aircraft 620
in accordance with another embodiment of the present
disclosure. Figures 8 and 9 illustrate that each of the win-
glet portions 604 and 606 of the winglet 602 may extend
from wing 620 at the same or a different predetermined
angles I and ϑ in a direction inboard toward the fuselage
608 (Figure 6) or outboard away from the fuselage 608.
The predetermined angles I and ϑ may be between about
45 degrees and about 135 degrees.
[0047] Figure 10 is a detailed side elevation view of
the forward swept winglet 602 including upper and lower
winglet portions 604 and 606 illustrating a comparison of
ground clearance for forward and aft swept lower winglet
portions in accordance with an exemplary embodiment
of the present disclosure. An aft-swept winglet 1000 is
12
shown by a dotted line and ground clearance is repre-
sented in Figure 10 by the chain line 1002. The ground
clearance 1002 is illustrated at an angle A relative to hor-
izontal to represent the orientation of the winglet 602 and
5 the aft-swept winglet 1000 when the aircraft 600 rotates
into a nose up position for take off or landing. As illustrated
in Figure 10, a forward swept lower winglet portion 606
may have a much longer span compared to the aft-swept
winglet 1000.
10 [0048] The structure of the forward swept winglet 202
and 602 as illustrated in Figures 3A and 7A function to
increase the aerodynamic efficiency of the wing 216 (Fig-
ure 2) and 620 (Figure 6). The winglet 202 and 602 in-
fluences a greater mass of air flowing over the wing 216
15 and 620. This reduces the downwash angle and induced
drag of the wing. This benefit is sensitive primarily to the
ratio of the height of the winglet (upper tip to lower tip) to
the wing span.
[0049] The forward swept winglets 202 and 602 also
20 serve to move the center of mass of the outer portion of
the wing forward. Moving the center of mass of the wing
forward is intended to reduce the wings susceptibility to
flutter as previously described. The winglets 202 and 602
add mass to the wing tip that is forward of the torsional
25 axis 242 (Figure 3A) and 650 (Figure 7A) of the wing 216
and 620. This may be accomplished by the weight of the
winglet itself being forward of the torsional axis 242 and
650 and a mass balance may be located in the winglet
202 and 602 as described herein to add additional mass
30 as far forward as possible from the wing torsional axis
242 and 650.
[0050] A center of gravity of the winglet 202 may be
adjusted or a center of gravity of each of the upper winglet
portion 604 and lower winglet portion 606 may be adjust-
35 ed vertically. In this way, the response of the wing may
be tuned to fore and aft motion of the wing and to reduce
susceptibility to wing flutter. The tuning may involve var-
ying the span of the upper and lower winglet portions. A
longer upper winglet portion span with a shorter lower
40 winglet span tends to move the entire winglet center of
gravity upwards. Tuning may also involve adjusting the
mass balance in the upper and lower winglet portions.
For example increasing the mass balance in the upper
winglet while reducing the mass balance in the lower win-
45 glet portion may move the entire winglet’s center of mass
upward.
[0051] In accordance with different embodiments, dif-
ferent combinations of forward swept and aft-swept up-
per and lower winglet portions similar to those described
50 herein may achieve different results. For example, only
a lower forward swept winglet may achieve the ground
clearance illustrated in Figure 10 along with the other
features describe herein. A forward swept lower winglet
could be used with an aft swept upper winglet to achieve
55 a larger winglet span. A forward swept upper winglet
could be combined with an aft swept lower winglet, es-
pecially when the upper winglet contains a mass balance
weight to provide some benefits of a forward swept win-
7
 13 EP 2 441 670 B1
glet with reduced yaw torque on the outer wing box or
structure resulting from an airplane side slip in flight.
[0052] Figure 11 is a flow chart of an example of a
method 1100 to reduce wing flutter in an aircraft wing in
accordance with an embodiment of the present disclo-
sure. In block 1102, a forward swept winglet may be at-
tached to each wing of an aircraft proximate to a wing tip
of each wing. The winglet may include a forward swept
upper winglet portion only, a forward swept lower winglet
portion only or a combination of a lower and upper winglet
portion. The combination of upper and lower winglet por-
tions may also include both portions being swept forward
or any one of the upper and lower portions being swept
forward and the other portion swept aft. Any of the winglet
portions may be offset either forward or aft relative to a
chord of the wing tip or wing similar to that previously
described herein to provide desired operating character-
istics, such as reduced wing flutter and increased ground
clearance.
[0053] In block 1104, the winglet or each winglet por-
tion may extend at a predetermined sweep angle relative
to the chord of the wing tip or wing. The winglet portion
may also extend at a selected angle in an inboard or
outboard direction relative to a fuselage of the aircraft
similar to that previously described herein.
[0054] In block 1106, a mass balance may be adjusted
in the winglet to substantially reduce wing flutter. The
mass balance may be adjusted in either an upper winglet
portion, lower winglet portion or both. The sweep angle
of the winglet or sweep angles of the winglet portions
may be adjusted along with the mass balance to deter-
mine the optimum configuration for substantially reduc-
ing wing flutter and improving aerodynamic operation of
the wing to reduce fuel consumption.
[0055] While the present disclosure has described ex-
amples of forward swept winglets in association with an
aircraft including an elongate fuselage configuration or
tube and wing configuration, the forward swept winglets
may also be applicable to other type aircraft configura-
tions. For example, Figure 12 is an example of an aircraft
1200 having a blended wing body configuration 1202 in-
cluding forward swept winglets 1204 in accordance with
an embodiment of the present disclosure. The blended
wing body configuration 1202 may include a fuselage or
body 1206 that basically forms an inner portion of the
wing and gradually transitions to a wing portion 1208.
The forward swept winglets 1204 may be similar to those
previously disclosed. While the forward swept winglet
1204 is illustrated as extending upward from the wing
1208, in other embodiments, the winglet 1204 could ex-
tend downward or could include both upper winglet por-
tions and lower winglet portions similar to that previously
described.
[0056] Figure 13 is an example of another aircraft 1300
having a flying wing type configuration 1302 including
forward swept winglets 1304 in accordance with an em-
bodiment of the present disclosure. The flying wing type
configuration may include a pair of wings 1306 and 1308
14
that may be joined to form a single wing structure similar
to that illustrated in Figure 13. The winglets 1304 are
illustrated in Figure 13 as including both an upper winglet
portion 1310 and a lower winglet portion 1312. In other
5 embodiments, the winglets 1304 may only have an upper
winglet portion 1310 or only a lower winglet portion 1312.
[0057] The terminology used herein is for the purpose
of describing particular embodiments only and is not in-
tended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein,
10 the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to in-
clude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly
indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the
terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this
specification, specify the presence of stated features, in-
15 tegers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components,
but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or
more other features, integers, steps, operations, ele-
ments, components, and/or groups thereof.
[0058] Although specific embodiments have been il-
20 lustrated and described herein, those of ordinary skill in
the art appreciate that any arrangement which is calcu-
lated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted
for the specific embodiments shown and that the embod-
iments herein have other applications in other environ-
25 ments. This application is intended to cover any adapta-
tions or variations of the present disclosure. The following
claims are in no way intended to limit the scope of the
disclosure to the specific embodiments described herein.
30
Claims
1. An aircraft (200), comprising:
35 a pair of wings (216); and
for each wing, a forward swept winglet (202) at-
tached proximate to a wing tip (226) of said wing,
said forward swept winglet including a leading
edge (222) and a trailing edge (224), the leading
40 edge of said winglet extending from said wing
at a predetermined forward sweep angle relative
to a line (235) perpendicular to a chord (236) of
said wing tip in a direction corresponding to a
forward portion (206) of the aircraft; the aircraft
45 characterised by further comprising, for said
each wing, at least one mass balance (240) in
said winglet forward of the torsional axis (242)
of said wing.
50 2. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein, for each wing, the
predetermined forward sweep angle of said winglet
is determined by a group of parameters comprising
a weight of said winglet, a wing span and area of
said wing, a cruise Mach number of the aircraft, bal-
55 ancing mass in said winglet and reducing induced
drag.
3. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein, for each wing, said
8
 15 EP 2 441 670 B1
forward swept winglet comprises a root chord that is
one of: substantially equal in length to the chord of
said wing tip, shorter than the chord of said wing tip,
or longer than the chord of said wing tip.
4. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein, for each wing, said
forward swept winglet comprises a root that is at-
tached to said wing tip offset a selected distance in
either a forward or aft direction relative to the chord
of said wing tip.
5. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein, for each wing, the
trailing edge of the forward swept winglet extends
from said wing at a selected forward sweep angle
relative to the line perpendicular to the chord of said
wing tip.
6. The aircraft of claim 5, wherein, for each wing, the
selected forward sweep angle of the trailing edge of
said winglet is greater than the predetermined for-
ward sweep angle of the leading edge of said winglet.
7. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein, for each wing, said
forward swept winglet extends above said wing.
8. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein, for each wing, said
forward swept winglet comprises a lower forward
swept winglet portion extending below said wing.
9. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein, for each wing, said
forward swept winglet comprises:
an upper winglet portion extending above said
wing at the predetermined forward sweep angle
of said winglet; and
a lower portion extending below said wing.
10. The aircraft of claim 9, wherein the at least one mass
balance comprises at least one mass balance of a
chosen weight positioned at a selected location in at
least one of said upper winglet portion and said lower
winglet portion.
11. The aircraft of claim 9, wherein the at least one mass
balance comprises a mass balance of a chosen
weight positioned at a farthest forward position of
each of said upper winglet portion and said lower
winglet portion.
12. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein, for each wing, said
forward swept winglet extends from said wing at a
chosen angle in a direction inboard toward the fuse-
lage or outboard away from the fuselage, the chosen
angle being between substantially vertical to an ex-
tent of the wing and about 45 degrees from substan-
tially vertical.
13. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the aircraft comprises
16
one of an elongated fuselage to which the wings are
attached, a blended wing body configuration and a
flying wing configuration wherein the pair of wings
are joined to form a single wing structure.
5
14. A method to reduce wing flutter in an aircraft wing
designed to provide a substantially increased lift-to-
drag ratio, the method comprising, for each wing of
the aircraft, attaching a forward swept winglet prox-
10 imate to a wing tip of said wing, said forward swept
winglet including a leading edge and a trailing edge,
the leading edge of said winglet extending at a pre-
determined forward sweep angle relative to a line
perpendicular to a chord of said wing tip in a direction
15 corresponding to a forward portion of the aircraft;
and, for said winglet, providing at least one mass
balance in the winglet forward of the torsional axis
of said wing.
20 15. The method of claim 14, wherein attaching the for-
ward swept winglet comprises:
attaching an upper winglet portion extending
above said wing at the predetermined forward
25 sweep angle of said winglet; and
attaching a lower winglet portion extending be-
low said wing.
30 Patentansprüche
1. Flugzeug (200) mit
einem Paar Flügel (216); und
35 für jeden Flügel einem nach vorne gekehrten
Winglet (202), das in der Nähe einer Flügelspit-
ze (226) des Flügels befestigt ist, wobei das
nach vorne gekehrte Winglet eine Vorderkante
(222) und eine Hinterkante (224) aufweist, wo-
40 bei sich die Vorderkante des Winglets von dem
Flügel in einem vorgegebenen Vorwärts-
Schwenkwinkel in Bezug auf eine zu einem Seh-
nenabschnitt (236) der Flügelspitze senkrech-
ten Linie (235) in einer Richtung erstreckt, die
45 einem vorderen Abschnitt (206) des Flugzeugs
entspricht;
wobei das Flugzeug dadurch gekennzeichnet
ist, dass es ferner für jeden Flügel mindestens
einen Masseausgleich (240) in dem Winglet vor
50 der Torsionsachse (242) des Flügels umfasst.
2. Flugzeug nach Anspruch 1, wobei für jeden Flügel
der vorgegebene Vorwärts-Schwenkwinkel des
Winglets durch eine Gruppe von Parametern be-
55 stimmt ist, die ein Gewicht des Winglets, eine Spann-
weite und Fläche des Flügels, eine Reisegeschwin-
digkeits-Machzahl des Flugzeugs, eine Ausgleichs-
masse in dem Winglet und eine Verringerung des
9
 17 EP 2 441 670 B1
induzierten Luftwiderstands umfassen.
3. Flugzeug nach Anspruch 1, worin das nach vorne
gekehrte Winglet für jeden Flügel eine Wurzelsehne
umfasst, der eines der folgenden ist: im Wesentli-
chen gleich lang wie die Sehne der Flügelspitze, kür-
zer als die Sehne der Flügelspitze oder länger als
die Sehne der Flügelspitze.
4. Flugzeug nach Anspruch 1, bei dem das nach vorne
gekehrte Winglet für jeden Flügel eine Wurzel um-
fasst, die an der Flügelspitze befestigt und um einen
ausgewählten Abstand in Bezug auf die Sehne der
Flügelspitze nach vorn oder nach hinten versetzt ist.
5. Flugzeug nach Anspruch 1, bei dem sich für jeden
Flügel die Hinterkante des nach vorne gekehrten
Winglet von dem Flügel in einem ausgewählten Vor-
wärts-Schwenkwinkel in Bezug auf die Linie senk-
recht zur Sehne der Flügelspitze erstreckt.
6. Flugzeug nach Anspruch 5, bei dem für jeden Flügel
der ausgewählte Vorwärts-Schwenkwinkel der Hin-
terkante des Winglets größer ist als der vorgegebene
Vorwärts-Schwenkwinkel der Vorderkante des Win-
glets.
7. Flugzeug nach Anspruch 1, bei dem sich das nach
vorne gekehrte Winglet für jeden Flügel über dem
Flügel erstreckt.
8. Flugzeug nach Anspruch 1, bei dem für jeden Flügel
das nach vorne gekehrte Winglet einen unteren nach
vorne gekehrten Wingletabschnitt umfasst, der sich
unter dem Flügel erstreckt.
9. Flugzeug nach Anspruch 1, bei dem für jeden Flügel
das nach vorne gekehrte Winglet umfasst:
einen oberen Winglet-Abschnitt, der sich unter
dem vorgegebenen Vorwärts-Schwenkwinkel
des Winglets über dem Flügel erstreckt; und
einen unteren Abschnitt, der sich unter dem Flü-
gel erstreckt.
10. Flugzeug nach Anspruch 9, bei dem der mindestens
eine Masseausgleich mindestens einen Masseaus-
gleich eines ausgewählten Gewichts umfasst, der
an einer ausgewählten Stelle in dem oberen Win-
gletabschnitt und/oder dem unteren Wingletab-
schnitt angeordnet ist.
11. Flugzeug nach Anspruch 9, bei dem der mindestens
eine Masseausgleich einen Masseausgleich eines
ausgewählten Gewichts umfasst, der an einer vor-
dersten Position des oberen Wingletabschnitts und
des unteren Wingletabschnitts positioniert ist.
18
12. Flugzeug nach Anspruch 1, bei dem sich das nach
vorne gekehrte Winglet für jeden Flügel von dem Flü-
gel unter einem ausgewählten Winkel in einer Ein-
wärtsrichtung in Richtung des Rumpfes oder einer
5 Auswärtsrichtung vom Rumpf weg erstreckt, wobei
der gewählte Winkel zwischen im Wesentlichen ver-
tikal zu einer Ausdehnung des Flügels und etwa 45
Grad von im Wesentlichen vertikal liegt.
10 13. Flugzeug nach Anspruch 1, bei dem das Flugzeug
einen langgestreckten Rumpf, an dem die Flügel be-
festigt sind, eine Blended Wing Body-Konfiguration
oder eine Nurflügel-Konfiguration aufweist, bei der
das Flügelpaar zu einer einzigen Flügelstruktur ver-
15 bunden ist.
14. Verfahren zum Reduzieren von Flügelflattern in ei-
nem Flugzeugflügel, der ausgelegt ist, um eine deut-
lich erhöhte Gleitzahl zu erreichen, wobei das Ver-
20 fahren für jeden Flügel des Flugzeugs das Anbringen
eines nach vorne gekehrten Winglets in der Nähe
einer Flügelspitze des Flügels umfasst, wobei das
nach vorne gekehrte Winglet eine Vorderkante und
eine Hinterkante umfasst, wobei sich die Vorderkan-
25 te des Winglets unter einem vorgegebenen nach
Vorwärts-Schwenkwinkel relativ zu einer zu einer
Sehne der Flügelspitze senkrechten Linie in einer
Richtung erstreckt, die einem vorderen Abschnitt
des Flugzeugs entspricht; und, für das Winglet, das
30 Bereitstellen mindestens eines Masseausgleichs in
dem Winglet vor der Torsionsachse des Flügels um-
fasst.
15. Verfahren nach Anspruch 14, bei dem das Anbrin-
35 gen des nach vorne gekehrten Winglet umfasst:
Anbringen eines oberen Winglet-Abschnitts, der
sich unter dem vorgegebenen Vorwärts-
Schwenkwinkel des Winglets über dem Flügel
40 erstreckt; und
Anbringen eines unteren Winglet-Abschnitts,
der sich unter dem Flügel erstreckt.
45 Revendications
1. Aéronef (200), comprenant :
une paire d’ailes (216) ; et
50 pour chaque aile, une ailette en flèche négative
(202) fixée à proximité d’un bout d’aile (226) de
ladite aile, ladite ailette en flèche négative com-
prenant un bord d’attaque (222) et un bord de
fuite (224), le bord d’attaque de ladite ailette
55 s’étendant depuis ladite aile selon un angle de
flèche négative prédéterminé par rapport à une
ligne (235) perpendiculaire à une corde (236)
dudit bout d’aile dans une direction correspon-
10
 19 EP 2 441 670 B1
dant à une partie avant (206) de l’aéronef ; l’aé-
ronef étant caractérisé en ce qu’il comprend
en outre, pour chacune desdites ailes, au moins
un équilibrage de masse (240) dans ladite ailette
en avant de l’axe de torsion (242) de ladite aile.
2. Aéronef selon la revendication 1, dans lequel, pour
chaque aile, l’angle de flèche négative prédéterminé
de ladite ailette est déterminé par un groupe de pa-
ramètres comprenant un poids de ladite ailette, une
envergure d’aile et une surface de ladite aile, un
nombre de Mach de croisière de l’aéronef, en équi-
librant la masse dans ladite ailette et en réduisant la
traînée induite.
3. Aéronef selon la revendication 1, dans lequel, pour
chaque aile, ladite ailette en flèche négative com-
prend une corde d’emplanture qui est une parmi :
d’une longueur sensiblement égale à la corde dudit
bout d’aile, plus courte que la corde dudit bout d’aile
ou plus longue que la corde dudit bout d’aile.
4. Aéronef selon la revendication 1, dans lequel, pour
chaque aile, ladite ailette en flèche négative com-
prend une emplanture qui est fixée audit bout d’aile
décalée d’une distance choisie dans une direction
vers l’avant ou vers l’arrière par rapport à la corde
dudit bout d’aile.
5. Aéronef selon la revendication 1, dans lequel, pour
chaque aile, le bord de fuite de l’ailette en flèche
négative s’étend à partir de ladite aile selon un angle
de flèche négative choisi par rapport à la ligne per-
pendiculaire à la corde dudit bout d’aile.
6. Aéronef selon la revendication 5, dans lequel, pour
chaque aile, l’angle de flèche négative sélectionné
du bord de fuite de ladite ailette est supérieur à l’an-
gle de flèche négative prédéterminé du bord d’atta-
que de ladite ailette.
7. Aéronef selon la revendication 1, dans lequel, pour
chaque aile, ladite ailette en flèche négative s’étend
au-dessus de ladite aile.
8. Aéronef selon la revendication 1, dans lequel, pour
chaque aile, ladite ailette en flèche négative com-
prend une partie d’ailette en flèche négative inférieu-
re s’étendant au-dessous de ladite aile.
9. Aéronef selon la revendication 1, dans lequel, pour
chaque aile, ladite ailette en flèche négative
comprend :
une partie d’ailette supérieure s’étendant au-
dessus de ladite aile au niveau de l’angle de
flèche négative prédéterminé de ladite ailette ;
et
20
une partie inférieure s’étendant au-dessous de
ladite aile.
10. Aéronef selon la revendication 9, dans lequel le au
5 moins un équilibrage de masse comprend au moins
un équilibrage de masse d’un poids choisi positionné
au niveau d’un emplacement sélectionné dans au
moins une de ladite partie d’ailette supérieure et de
ladite partie d’ailette inférieure.
10
11. Aéronef selon la revendication 9, dans lequel le au
moins un équilibrage de masse comprend un équi-
librage de masse d’un poids choisi positionné au ni-
veau d’une position avant la plus éloignée de cha-
15 cune de ladite partie d’ailette supérieure et de ladite
partie d’ailette inférieure.
12. Aéronef selon la revendication 1, dans lequel, pour
chaque aile, ladite ailette en flèche négative s’étend
20 à partir de ladite aile selon un angle choisi dans une
direction intérieure vers le fuselage ou extérieure loin
du fuselage, l’angle choisi étant entre sensiblement
vertical par rapport à une étendue de l’aile et environ
45 degrés par rapport à sensiblement vertical.
25
13. Aéronef selon la revendication 1, dans lequel l’aé-
ronef comprend un fuselage allongé auquel les ailes
sont fixées, une configuration de corps d’aile mélan-
gée et une configuration d’aile volante, dans lequel
30 la paire d’ailes est jointe pour former une structure
d’aile unique.
14. Procédé pour réduire des battements d’aile dans une
aile d’aéronef conçu pour fournir un rapport portan-
35 ce/traînée sensiblement accru, le procédé compre-
nant, pour chaque aile de l’aéronef, les étapes con-
sistant à fixer une ailette en flèche négative à proxi-
mité de l’extrémité de l’aile de ladite aile, ladite ailette
en flèche négative comprenant un bord avant et un
40 bord de fuite, le bord d’attaque de ladite ailette
s’étendant selon un angle de flèche négative prédé-
terminé par rapport à une ligne perpendiculaire à
une corde dudit bout d’aile dans une direction cor-
respondant à une partie avant de l’aéronef ; et, pour
45 ladite ailette, prévoir au moins un équilibrage de
masse dans l’ailette en avant de l’axe de torsion de
ladite aile.
15. Procédé selon la revendication 14, dans lequel la
50 fixation de l’ailette en flèche négative comprend les
étapes consistant à :
fixer une partie d’ailette supérieure s’étendant
au-dessus de ladite aile selon l’angle de flèche
55 négative prédéterminé de ladite ailette ; et
fixer une partie d’ailette inférieure s’étendant au-
dessous de ladite aile.
11
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EP 2 441 670 B1

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EP 2 441 670 B1

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EP 2 441 670 B1

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 EP 2 441 670 B1

REFERENCES CITED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader’s convenience only. It does not form part of the European
patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be
excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.

Patent documents cited in the description

• US 20090039204 A [0011]

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