NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

WASHINGTON.D.C. 20546

REPLY TO
ATTN OF: GP October 16, 1970

TO: ~ ~ I / ~ c i e n t i f&
i cTechnical Information Division
Attention: Miss Winnie M. Morgan
FROM: ~ ~ / ~ f f iof
c eAssistant General
Counsel for Patent Matters
SUBJECT: Announcement of NASA-Owned
U.S. Patents in STAR

In accordance with the procedures contained in the Code GP

to Code US1 memorandum on this subject, dated June 8, 1970,
the attached NASA-owned U.S. patent is being forwarded for
abstracting and announcement in NASA STAR.
The following information is provided:
U.S. Patent No.
Corporate Source : Lanqley Research Center
Supplementary
Corporate Source .
NASA Patent Case No. : XLA-06958

W L Gayle Parker
- 7-iili--0 $-*
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P( (THRU)
Enclosure : 0 (ACCESSION NUMBER)
Copy of Patent a9 b /d I
(PAGES)
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2 (NASA CR OR TMX OR AD NUMMR)
2 (CATEGORY)

NASA-HQ
March 21,1967 F. M. ROGALLO tz'tAL
COHTROL FOR FLlXIbLE PARAWING

Original Filed Jan, J'7, 1964

FIG. I

FIG. 2

FRANCIS M. ROGALLO
WILLIAM C. SLEEMAN, JR.
 F. M. ROSALLB EP AL 3,3 10,261
CONTROL FOR FLEXIBLE PARAWING
O r i g i n a l F i l e d Jan. 19, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet %

,/
30
FIG, 3

United States Paten
3,310,%61
CONTROK., FOR FLEXIBLE PARAWING
Francis M, Ropallo anal William C. Sleenton, Jn, both
of Sewpa& News, Va., assigno~sto the United Stales
OF America as represehfe@by the Adminis&ator of the
National Aeronautics and Soace Administration
Continuation of aeplication Ser. No. 338,535, Jan. 17,
1964. This application Feb. 9, 1966, Sea No. 551,815
10 Claims. (Cl. 2 4 6 4 4 )
The invention described herein may be manufactured
and used by o r for the Government of the United States
of America for governmental purposes without the pay-
ment of any royalties thereon or therefor.
Thi5 application is a continuation of patent applica-
tion Ser. No. 338,535,filed Jan. 17, 1964, entitled, Con-
trol for Flexible Parawing. now abandoned.
This invention relates t o a control for a flexible wing
vellicle, and more particularly to a boltrope control for
a flexible wing aircraft.
Due to the increased use o f the flexible wing as an
aerodynamic lift 5urFace for variour types of air vehicles,
5uch as gliders, powered drones. aircraft, and wings for
the recovery of rocket boosters and space capsules, it has
become necesary to provide an effective means for con-
trolling the flexible wing. 7i'o date, the principle tech-
nique of control for a vehicle having a flexible wing lift
wrface is to shift the center of gravity of the payload with
re5pect to the flexible wing wrface. Although this type
of control is satirfactory lo a degree, it has been found to
have many dkadvantages. With this type of control the
forces required t o shift the payload with respect to the
wing for trim over an :~ppreciable\peed range may be
large and not have a stable variation with speed. Aha,
response of the vehlcle may be blow due to the shifting
o f the Iat-ge load. Furthermore, with the increa\ing size
o f vehicle3 utilizing the flexible wing, it has become im-
practical to shift the relative position of the wing of the
vehicle center of gravity due to the weight and complex it)^
of the mechani\rn necessary to accomplish the shift.
The use of the boltrope control, on the other hand,
overcomes many of the above difficulties. It greatly re-
duces the control forces required, Control is accom-
plinhed by merely shortening and lengthening the boltrope
in the trailing edge of the flexible wing membrane. Thus,
as the boltrope i\ shorteded and lengthened the wing
men~hraneis ~hortenedand lengthened the same amount
to prov~deconflol of the vehicle. By changing the wing
configuration symmetrically pitch control i~ provided for
whereas asymmetrical variation of the wing planform
will provide ro!l control. Response of the vehicle i\ de-
pendent only upon the rate at which the boltrope is
\hortened and lengthened. this speed being readily deter-
minable by conventional servo mechanism.
It i3, therefore, an object of the present invention to
provtcle <I control for a flcxihle wing vehicle by use of a
hotrropc
Strii allother c>hjrct of ( h i \ invention is to prov~de:I
conirr)l for :I tlextble wing vehicle which will give rapid
cehic'e rc\pon\e
Y c l : ~ n o t h c robject ctf thi4 invention is to provide a
cr~rrrrol for a flexihle wrng vehicle w h ~ c hrequire\ mini-
iriurn controi force\
Antrtlier ohjest of thi\ gnventiun is lo provide a coniloi
for flexible wing vehicle which is of a simple engineer-
GI
ing deirgn, economrc:~l to m:tnuf<rcture and maintein and
i \ highly rclinble
Yet another object of thi\ invention is to provide a
flexible wing control system for utilizing a boitrope with
' 1 simple x r v o sy.item.
A Further object of the invention is to provide a con-
trol of the boltrope type for a flexible wing vehicle where-
"
d p ~ * ""A
~%vi,
--- Patented Mar, 29, 96i p
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a
2
in the length of the boltrope may vdlied by rhlj7:
rng the position of a portion of the tvirig super.fsuctuic
Yet another object of the invention 13 to prc @:,$, *
control of the boltrope type Ear a flexible wing ueh!c:s
wherein symmetrical variation of the boltropes provide
pitch control and asymmet~icalvariation of the bolirape*
provide roll control.
These and other objects and advantages of the inven-
tion will become mote apparent upon reading the specifi-
cation in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle wherein the
pay!oad is \lung below the flexible wing stlucture baviilg
:r boltrope control:
FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the flexible wing of the
vehicle partially cut away to reveal the position of the
boltrope relative to the flexible wing membrane;
FIG. 3 is a side elevationnl view showing diagram-
m:ttically the mechanism utilized to vary the length of the
boltrope;
FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a section of i-ie
flexible wing structure showing a section of the keel of
the flexible wing u n i v e ~ ~ a l lconnected
y to the relnaiuder
of the keel, and servo means for displacing the b i ~ g e d
section to vary the length of the boltropes and
FIG. 5 is an end view of the vehicle utilizing ?he
control nlechankrn of FIG. 4, showing the various con-
figurations the wing membrane assumes to provide con-
trol of the vehicle.
B;l\ically, {hi\ invention relates to a control of tile
boltrope type a\ applied to the flexible wing of a flexible
wing vehicle. Generally \peaking, the flexible wing would
include n slcper\t~ucti~re of c keel and leirding edge alert,-
her5 connected (o an extremity thereof and projectif.ig
:I( an angle the~efroni\o a\ to generally fotm a n overnil
triangular configurat~on. A flexible membrane is call-
nected to the leading edge members and keel, and bolt-
ropes pasjed through enclosures formed i n the trailirrp
edge of the flexible m e m b ~ane arid fixed to rtlech:~rzi~r~r
for varying (he length of the boltropes. Pitch cotiii~,:
of the vehicle i\ accomplished by shortening and fenpi!)-
ening the boltrope\ syn~metrically and by varying the
length of the boltropei asymmetrically the roll of t!~c
vehicle can he controlled.
Referring now more specifically to the details of' the
invention, the flexible uing vehicle i\ designated generally
hv the reference numberal 10.
In the vehicle shown in FIG. 1 the wing 18 is connected
to a payload 12 by shlould lines 13. T h e payload 12
i\ thus suspended below the wing: however, it should
be understood that it is within the broadest aspect of the
invention to conilruct the flexible wing vehicle such that
the payload i\ an integral part of the wing superst~uc-
lure. The payload 12 may he mo\t any item which is
capable of being airliflctl, for example, a hoonter, \pace
cap\ule, a cargo carricl and many other item5
The wing 18 of the flcxihlc wrng vehide ha5 super..
\tructure which incllttfc., :I kccl BB :tnd lcatllrrg cdgc n-eirnl
hers 20 ant1 21 The Iclctlinl: edae rnemhe~q20 :ti-id 2%
: I I ~conneciect :(; rhe fo! ward extremity of the keei 19 r r i
:t ~nnventionaimmnet :ind dispmecl at :in angle tilereto
as clearly shoun In FIG, 1. The kcer and 1e:iiling cripc
menhers may he conitrijclcd from varioir5 n>ateriStj4r i t c j i
lib metal, plaittc, ;\nd/or cloth The mcmbcrs n r d i ai,o
fake vartous conligoriit~ona s,ucii ,jc; 2% oi.c-p;cic~ t ~ a 9 . l
construct~nn,a t~tl>trlnrrnernher. a t r r i c 5 ari,ingelnenr i n ~ ~ i f i
:I \tiitable covcrtns or may he inll,rlahle.
The flexible wing mcmh~;trrc24 i4 fixed to tile ieadrrli:
edge member5 20 and 21 and to a comnlon 11ne aioilg
!he keel 19. The menrbfane may be Constructed frurfi
various material\. may of the lorrgh, iighlweight, cojrr-
mercially available plastics being pi~rlicularlysuited for
 3,9%0,2EiE
3 4
!hi\ pnipo\e. st\ t ~ e l i,is \ome of the h ~ g hstrength cloths the length of the Fabric at the tratbhg edp:, the b?Qi-q 6
i I AS vieveil tn Flb. 1, it is read~iyappa- has to be driven in only one direction, that IS, f o piti8 :!
I C I I ~ that thc v,sng I \ d:\td~d illto panel5 or sections, the in. The leading edge members 20 and 21 we atrgulnrly
nlenlhrdnr vonncztcd i x t w e t n the heel 19 and the leading r~gidwtth respect to the keel 99; thus, the itexihle mem-
edge member 2O forming one pane1 and the membrane 5 brane is drawn in the halure of a draw string ou d s6tc;,,
connected between the Lee1 19 and leading edge member By operating the corrtrof fi~oicrlg32 and 36 asyfimatrrcafiy
21 another panel. The left panel, as viewed in FIG. I , the b o l t r o p 27 is shortened and the boltrope 264 le~igsl.
or the lower pancl a5 vicwetl In FIG. 2, i5 provided with ened or vise versa and the wing is caused to loll.
a boltrope enclo\ure or channel 29. This channel is
fotmed in thc trailing edge of the wins membrane and ,,, Control is accomplished in much the same man~rrel-Iry
[he control mechanism $5 wherein a payload 86 i s sag-
may he constrirctcd by n~erclyturning over the edge of flended from a flexibfe wihg having a wing membrane; 46
the malerial and fixing il irpon itself in a well known jn this atrangenleht the actuator cables $2, in the vsvtical
manner. The enclosure nioy albo be ~uperimposed on plane, are taken in and played aut to move coillrol alin
the membrane a11d 5ecuied thereto by known techniques. 49 u p and down. With this movement, the boltropes are
he other panel has a wnilar enclosure 26. A left 1; sinlultaneously shortened, relative to the distance between
boltrope 27 is threaded through the enclosure 25 and the leading edge member and keel proper, thereby pa-
housed therein. A right boitrope 28 is located within the viding for pitch control, When the keel control arm 49
enclosuie 26. The boltrope may be constructed from is displaced sideways by taking in and playinlg out, the
materials such as nylon cord or wile. One end of the actuator cables in the horizontal plane one of the bole-
boltrope 27 is fixed to the leading edge member 20 and ropes is shortened and the other lengthened relatrvel~
the one end of the boltlope 28 iq fixed to the leading edge providing for roll control. This is believed clearly illux-
member 21. The other end of the boltropes are secured trated in FIG. 5 wherein four possible positions the.
to the control m e c h a n i ~ nnow ~ to be described. keel control arm 49 are shown together with the cone-
One form of control mechanim is illustrated in FIG. spending position of the wing shown in dotted lines.
3 and designated generally by the reference numeral 30. 25 From the above description, it is believed clear that
The control nlechanisnl 30 is shown housed within the the invention herein disclosed provides an imprsverneslk
keel 19; however, it is to be undetstood that the boltropes in the control of flexible wing vehicles, ~h~ control is
might be controlled from the leading edge members or entirely independent of the position of the payload. Use
the payload. The control mechanisn~30 includes a left
of the boltrope to change the wing planform is a n ex-
boltrope control motor 32 which has a shaft 33 and a SO tremely silnple device to provide control the
%Inding drum 34 the 'haft 33. The boltrope 26 Obvion\[y, the forces necessary to shorten the boltrope are
i\ fixed lo thc tllum 31 and wound thereabout. A right in5ignificant compared to the forces necessary to shift
boltrope control motor 36 h;,viny drive shaft 37 a n d as is done in prio'
a winding tlrunl 38 arc concctl(rjcal~y disposed ;,bout the p"I0ad with respect to lhe
:wt arrangements. The control mechanism used for short-
[he \h;lfl 33. T h e bostlopc 28 is
about the drun, 38.
to and :'*'
wound
concei,,ric arrangement of the ening the boltrope is also of simple design and a fraction
right boltrope control nlolor 36 and ik components i 5 of the weight of previously utilized equipment. Since the
nece\sary only v,heil keel $ 9 i> of very limited diam- h o l t r o ~ sare directly connected t o the control necha-
eler, ~ t h e r w i ~ite ,may be placed adjacetlt [he left boltrope "isms, the control is rapid and response immediate. 'The
control motor and be of design, ~h~ motors 32 411 boltrope control is adaptable to the flexible willg cofifig-
and 36 are reverjible to provltie for lengthening or short- "ration regardless of the size or configuration of the wing.
ening the boltrope?. Thc motors may be controlled from While a preferred embodiment of this invention and a
the payload, fronl a cockpit if the is manned, modification thereof has been described, it will be UIKYJ -
or zemotely by conventionaf equipment (not stood that other modifications and improvemefits x!ny 1 7 -
sho%n). ~ b ~ d l r ~l m windings
~ ~ could
~ ~be done
l ~ made
, thereto. Such of these modifications and imprwi*
manually, 4s ments as incorporate the principles of this irlverltion a l e
FIG. 4 sho\\s a nlodified flexible wing control desig- to he considered as included in the hereinafter a p p n d e d
nated generally by the reference llumeral 45. In this claims unless these claims by their language exprcssIy
arrangement the keel 17 is jointed having a trailing edge state otherwise.
section or heel control arm 49 connected together by a What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by
universal hinge or joint 48 (shown diagramnlatically). " Letters Patent of the United States is:
The portion 49 of the keel i \ tle5igned to have freedom of We claim:
movement in at least the vertical direction as uell as in 1. A control for a n aerodynamic vehicle or the like
the horizontal direction. comprising: a winged vehicle havihg structural members;
Horn5 50 are fixed to !he heel control arm at 90 degree 5 j flexible wing membrane being secured to said structural
intervals thereabout. 3 wo of the horns are in a vcrtic:iI members; a tensionable member guided by arid coi~form-
plane pas\ing throtlgh the heel and the other two in ;t ing substantially to the shape of said flexible ~nembrane
horizontal plane p:t\sing through the kcel. Actuator and being movable with respect thereto; ~ n dmeans for
cables 52 are connectccl to the horns and to winding drum\ varying the tenrion on said tensionable member to altel
54 located f o ~ w a r d on the beel or jn the payload, the shape of raid wing membrane and thereby proviije a
Manual control could be readlly accomplished by fixing " flight ~ o n t r o for l the vaMck.
the cables l o convcntron:rS ltnhagc (not shown). 2. A control for an aerodynamic vehicle or the like au
QI>C~I(li;oll
in claim L wherein the tensioaable member i.: a boltropc
carried by said flexible membrane; and said milenas fur
Fronr the :)bow description the opgration of the con- 65 va~yingthe tension is means for changing the lengfb of
lrol is now bel~evcdto he read11y apparent. Considering said boltrope.
f i the~ control ~liechan~sr~l 30. \i-hereln the boltrope con- 3. A control for aerodynamic vehide or 1I.c tikc, r, ir,
lrol moton are actuated stich Ih'it the boltropes 27 and ciarm 2 wherein said bottrope is carried by rhe irailril;:
28 arc simultaneori\ly sl~ortenedto the same degrce, it edge of saidflex~blemembrane.
I \ clear !hat the configuratron of both panels of the flexible 4. A control for an aerodynamic vehicle or the Bike oe
wiclg woitlcl be changed to the s'inie dcgree. This would in claim 2 wherein the means for changing th@ length of
cause the wing to pitch downwald. Conversely, sirnul- the boltrope is a motorized dmm,
laneously lengthcning the boltrope would cause the wing 9. A control for an aerodynamic vehicle or the like as
lo pitch upward from a trimrncd conditiod, Inasmuch as in cklirn 2 wherein said means for changing the ie~lgllaof
the boltrope 15 in tens~onunt~lthc boltrope length exceeds 75 the boltrope i5 a n~ovableportion of at lcast one 01 said
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