Patent ID: 8196863

Claim:
A horizontal stabilizer to be used in an aircraft, said horizontal stabilizer comprising: a fixed intermediate part secured to a structure of said aircraft and at least one mobile edge part configured to slide with respect to said fixed intermediate part, transversely to a length of said fixed intermediate part, said mobile edge part being configured to adopt at least: a deployed position, for which said horizontal stabilizer has a first surface area used during takeoff and landing phases of said aircraft, and a retracted position for which said horizontal stabilizer has a second surface area, smaller than said first surface area, used when said aircraft is in cruising flight; and mobile flaps configured to provide aerodynamic continuity of a suction face and of a pressure face of said horizontal stabilizer, between said mobile edge part and said fixed intermediate part when said mobile edge part is in the deployed position, said mobile flaps being elastically loaded so that the mobile flaps are configured to move spontaneously: from a retracted position when said horizontal stabilizer is in the retracted position into a deployed position that provides said aerodynamic continuity of the suction face and of the pressure face of said horizontal stabilizer when the horizontal stabilizer is in the deployed position; and from said deployed position that provides the aerodynamic continuity to said retracted position when said horizontal stabilizer moves from the deployed position into the retracted position, wherein in the retracted position, the mobile flaps are housed within a recess of the horizontal stabilizer.