Patent ID: 7500641

Claim:
An aerospace vehicle system, comprising: a first flow body coupleable to an aerospace vehicle; a second flow body having a first portion rigidly connected to a second portion, the second portion of the second flow body being laterally disposed from the first portion of the second flow body, the first portion having a first chord line and being rotatably coupled to the first flow body at a first hinge point positioned away from the first chord line, the first hinge point having a first hinge axis, the second portion having a second chord line and being rotatably coupled to the first flow body at a second hinge point positioned away from the second chord line, the second hinge point having a second hinge axis, the second flow body being rotatable about a hinge line between a stowed position and a deployed position, the hinge line being positioned to be swept relative to a longitudinal axis of the aerospace vehicle when the first flow body is coupled to the aerospace vehicle, the hinge line being nonparallel with the first hinge axis; and at least one self-aligning mechanism coupled between the first flow body and the second flow body at the first hinge point, the at least one self-aligning mechanism including a non-cylindrical interface between a first surface connected to the first flow body and a second surface connected to the second flow body, at least one of the first and second surfaces being rotatable relative to the other to allow the second flow body to rotate about the hinge line and the first and second hinge axes along a generally conical motion path between the stowed position and the deployed position.