Patent ID: 8567726

Claim:
A method for controlling a surface of an aircraft, comprising: moving an intermediate control surface trailing edge device, the control surface trailing edge device including a control surface, from a stowed position to a deployed position by rotating the trailing edge device about a hinge line located forward of an intersection point between an upper surface of the trailing edge device and the control surface so as to open an airflow gap between a leading edge of the trailing edge device and the control surface; allowing freestream air to pass through the gap while the trailing edge device is in the deployed position, wherein the trailing edge device has a trailing edge, a chord length C between the leading edge and the trailing edge, and an external surface that includes the upper surface and a lower surface, and wherein the intersection point between the trailing edge device and the surface results when the trailing edge device is in the stowed position; and moving an inboard trailing edge device located at a portion of the wing that has a minimal sweep angle and an outboard trailing edge device located at a portion of the wing having a significant sweep angle with the intermediate control surface, the moving including a stowed position, a partially deployed position, and a fully deployed position, wherein the intermediate trailing edge device, the inboard trailing edge device, and the outboard trailing edge device comprise a composite trailing edge and a composite leading edge, the moving configured such that as the intermediate trailing edge device, the inboard trailing edge device, and the outboard trailing edge device move from the stowed position to the partially deployed position to the fully deployed position, the composite trailing edge becomes successively more stepped and the composite leading edge becomes successively less stepped.