Patent GB-191303848-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Aeroplanes and the like.
Inventor: WALKDEN SAM LEONARD
IPC: B64C3/54
Filed: 1913-02-14
Granted: 1914-02-12
Abstract: 3848. Walkden, S. L. Feb. 14. Aerial machines without aerostats; steering and balancing planes, arrangement of.-The lateral balancing-planes or the warpable tips of the main planes are provided with a rearwardly-directed frame or lever carrying at its end an auxiliary surface or elevator which tilts or warps the corresponding balancing or main plane when a change occurs in the air pressure upon the auxiliary surface. The elevator may be controlled manually or automatically, and the elevators at the two sides may be interconnected in order to equalize the pressure thereon. The main plane a, Fig. 1, in one form is formed with warpable extremities a<1> from which extends a frame o carrying a pivoted plane h. The tillers n of the planes h are connected by cords j to a band-lever l universally mounted at b. When the plane h is tilted upwards the air pressure acting on its upper face warps the corresponding surface a<1> downwards. Lateral movement of the lever l adjusts the planes h oppositely, and fore and aft movement moves them in the same direction. The frames o and planes h may be dispensed with and replaced by adjustable rearward extensions of the main plane. In a further form, the centre of mass e, Fig. 7, of the aeroplane is arranged forwards of the planes so as to tend to cause the machine to tilt downwards at the front. This tendency is counteracted by pivoted up-steering planes h carried on frames o at the rear of the warpable extremities a' of the plane. In one form (not shown) these planes are connected together and to a control lever l by cords as shown in Fig. 1. In this case the lift on the warpable extremities is determined by the pressures on the upper face of the planes h. When the lever is uncontrolled the pressures on the two planes h will be balanced by the interconnecting cords so that the lifts on the planes a<1> will also be equal. A diminished lift effect may be obtained on the side subjected to a head gust by forming the planes h or the hinged or warpable planes a' so greatly cambered that the centre of pressure retreats from the hinge with a decrease in incidence. In the form as shown in Fig. 7, the planes h are controlled automatically by fans i corresponding in function and character to the fans i described in Specification 8531/09. The cord j interconnecting the planes h equalizes the pressures on them so that the lifts of the two extremities of the plane are also equalized. On any or all of the fans winding up its or their respective cord or cords, both of the planes hare adjusted equally and the longitudinal pose of the machine is controlled. In anot6er arrangement, down-steering surfaces h', Fig. 3, are secured to the arms o attached to the warpable extremities a' of the main plane, and their effect is modified or counteracted by an adjustable up-steering plane m<1>. This plane m<1>, in a modified form, may be replaced by an adjustable up-steering plane carried by an arm extending rearwardly from each of the planes h<1>. In another arrangement, each lateral up-steering surface h, Fig. 8, is controlled by a fan m, of the kind described in Specification 6051/10, which turns the elevating-surface h downwards in accordance with the strength of the relative wind. In order to prevent both fans m from operating simultaneously to cause the machine to dive forwardly, a more powerful but slower acting fan i is provided to wind up its cord and oppose the action of the fans m. Fig. 9 shows the devices applied to a biplane. The adjustable upsteering plane h is arranged at the rear of the down-steering plane h<1> carried by the arms o from the warpable extremity a<1> of the upper main plane a. The elevators h<2> are controlled by oppositely-rotating gyroscopes e'.