US 11,814,162 B2
Rotatable winglets for a rotary wing aircraft
Albert G. Brand, N. Richland Hills, TX (US); Michael S. Seifert, Southlake, TX (US); Andrew Thomas Carter, Richland Hills, TX (US); and Aaron Alexander Acee, Flower Mound, TX (US)
Assigned to TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC., Providence, RI (US)
Filed by Bell Textron Inc., Fort Worth, TX (US)
Filed on Jun. 18, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/905,558.
Prior Publication US 2021/0394894 A1, Dec. 23, 2021
Int. Cl. B64C 27/26 (2006.01); B64C 27/04 (2006.01); B64C 3/38 (2006.01); B64C 27/82 (2006.01)
CPC B64C 27/26 (2013.01) [B64C 3/385 (2013.01); B64C 27/04 (2013.01); B64C 27/82 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A rotary aircraft, comprising:
a main drive rotor;
an aircraft body mechanically coupled to the main drive rotor;
first and second flight assist wings passively rotatably coupled to the aircraft body via first and second pylons, wherein the first and second pylons maintain the first and second flight assist wings at a distance d from the body of the rotary aircraft;
pivot arms directly connected to the flight assist wings; and
dampers, wherein each of the dampers comprises a first end directly connected to one of the pivot arms and a second end connected to an airframe of the rotary aircraft and wherein the dampers provide greater stiffness when the rotary aircraft is in a cruise condition than when the rotary aircraft is in a hover condition.