Patent ID: 8733696
Filing Date: 2014-05-27
Classification: B64C

Abstract:
1. A method for enhancing the aerodynamic efficiency of a vertical tail of an aircraft comprising a vertical stabilizer and a control surface able to pivot with respect to said vertical stabilizer around a hinge axis, the method comprising: varying the ratio between a control surface local chord and a vertical stabilizer local chord as a function of a height of the vertical tail so as to bring a local value of the side lift coefficient applied to the vertical tail closer to a maximum acceptable value, the control surface local chord being the distance between a trailing edge of the control surface and the hinge axis and the vertical stabilizer local chord being the distance between the hinge axis and a leading edge of the vertical stabilizer, wherein the maximum acceptable value of the side lift coefficient is the value beyond which, for a given angle between the control surface and the vertical stabilizer, a detachment of the aerodynamic flow is observed on the surface of the vertical tail.