US 12,434,818 B2
Tandem split divergent winglet
Gonzalo Eduardo Mendoza, Wichita, KS (US); Corey Wailes Hagemeister, Wichita, KS (US); and Kelly Ray Laflin, Andover, KS (US)
Assigned to Textron Innovations Inc., Providence, RI (US)
Filed by Textron Aviation Inc., Wichita, KS (US)
Filed on Jun. 19, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/337,130.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/353,260, filed on Jun. 17, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0406484 A1, Dec. 21, 2023
Int. Cl. B64C 23/06 (2006.01)
CPC B64C 23/069 (2017.05) 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A tandem split divergent winglet for an aircraft, comprising:
a forward sail having a leading edge that extends outboard and upwards from a leading edge of a wing of the aircraft and the leading edge curves aft directly from the wing leading edge with a smaller radius of curvature near an outboard end of the wing and an increasing radius of curvature to a tip of the forward sail,
wherein the wing is a low wing extending from a lower portion of a fuselage of the aircraft, and
wherein the forward sail comprises a positive cant angle with a continuous concave curvature facing the fuselage;
an aft sail having a trailing edge that extends linearly outboard from a trailing edge of the wing before curving aft and extending downwards beneath the wing,
wherein the aft sail comprises a negative cant angle such that an outboard portion of the aft sail substantially faces the fuselage;
an overlap region in which a leading edge of the aft sail partially extends from a bottom surface of the forward sail; and
an integrated light formed within the aft sail, wherein the forward sail comprises a geometry and an orientation configured to block light emitted from the integrated light from reaching a cockpit window of the aircraft; wherein the integrated light extends from a leading edge of the aft sail to a trailing edge of the aft sail on an outboard side.