Patent ID: 8876044
Filing Date: 2014-11-04
Classification: B64C,Y02T

Abstract:
1. An aircraft comprising: a fuselage; at least a first essentially horizontal lifting surface extending on a first side of a vertical frame of reference of the aircraft, and at least a second essentially horizontal lifting surface extending on a second side of the vertical frame of reference of the aircraft, wherein the vertical axis passes through a center of gravity G of the aircraft to determine a yaw axis GZ, and first and second winglets fastened to the first and second lifting surfaces at a non-zero distance from a vertical plane of symmetry XZ of the aircraft, respectively, each of the first and second winglets comprising a first surface extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge and a second surface, opposite to the first surface, extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge, each winglet comprising a through opening delimited between the leading and trailing edges of the winglet and extending between the first and second surfaces of the winglet, the opening substantially occupied by a movable flap having an axis of rotation in a first position thereof, wherein the movable flap extends substantially throughout the through opening in the first position such that a first surface of the movable flap is flush with the first surface of the winglet and a second surface of the movable flap is flush with the second surface of the winglet such that dimensions of the movable flap substantially correspond to dimensions of the through-opening, the movable flap rotatable to extend from a first side of the winglet and a second side of the winglet; wherein each movable flap is operable to generate controlled drag to produce a different aerodynamic drag on each side of the vertical plane of symmetry XZ of the aircraft, so as to generate a yaw torque on the aircraft around the yaw axis GZ.