| 摘要 |
A trailing edge flap 240, eg a dropped hinge flap, is rotatably coupled to an aircraft wing 220 at hinge points that are positioned away from, eg below, the chord line and lie on a swept hinge line HL. Each hinge point has an axis HA that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X of the aircraft. Self-aligning mechanisms 260b, 260c allow the flap 240 to rotate simultaneously about both the hinge axes HA and the non-parallel hinge line HL. The self-aligning mechanisms 260 may comprise joints that allow twisting about axes parallel to the longitudinal axis X of the aircraft. As a result, the flap 240 moves in a generally conical manner with the lateral clearances d1, d2 between the flap 240 and the wing cut-out 223 remain at least approximately unchanged, allowing the lateral clearances to be reduced for greater cruise fuel efficiency and reducing the gap between a swept flap 240 and an unswept flap 285 when they are deployed. |
