Aircraft wing vortex deflector

Claim 1

In an aircraft, in combination, wings each having a continuous uninterrupted leading edge and a tip portion, each wing producing a lifting airfoil reaction during flight and each tip portion being characterized by flow of air therearound in a spiral path defining vortices in the wake of the wing tip during flight, and deflector means located at the tip portion of each wing and effective to intercept and receive at least a part of the vortex-tending air flow as it occurs at the wing tip during flight and divert the received air flow rearwardly of the direction of flight, said deflector means being confined within the wing and including a chamber within the tip portion of each wing, said chamber being elongated substantially in the direction of flight, air inlet means at each wing tip portion rearwardly of said leading edge occurring along the length of and communicating with said chamber, said inlet means being located below the top surface of the wing to intercept and receive some of said air vortices occurring at each wing tip, and air outlet means at each wing communicating with said chamber and discharging rearwardly during flight, said deflector means functioning to intercept some air from said air vortices for flow through said inlet means and chamber for discharge at said outlet means only in response to the angular momentum and velocity of said wing tip vortices occurring at each wing tip and to the flow of air over each wing during flight.