Jul 22 2010
Lam Aviation, Inc., announced today the launch of the Lam Aileron™, the first major change in aileron design since the original implementation of the aileron. Incorporation of the Lam Aileron into wing designs that might otherwise use traditional ailerons and flaps offers improvements in fuel efficiency, high-speed cruise performance, range, useful load and slow flight.
Left wing-lower Lam Aileron auxiliary flap panel(yellow) deployed in combination with main conventional flap(red) to form full span flap with upper Lam Aileron panel(green) deflected upward for a left turn.
Renowned aerospace engineer, designer and builder, Greg Cole of Windward Performance, has retrofitted a Lancair Columbia 300 airframe (now Cessna Corvalis) with a new wing equipped with the Lam Aileron. Following initial test flight and evaluation in Bend, Oregon, highly regarded general aviation test pilot, former Naval aviator and US Navy test pilot Len Fox, will fly the Lam Aileron-equipped Columbia to Oshkosh, Wisconsin where the inventive aileron will be on display at the 2010 EAA AirVenture Convention July 26-August 1, 2010.
"We believe that the Lam Aileron system will be the next evolutionary step in aircraft lateral control and high-lift device configurations. It couples the functions of high-speed ailerons with powerful, low-speed lateral control, while improving the maximum lift coefficient of the wing by 16%. This has heretofore been a battle for aircraft designers," said Greg Cole of Windward Performance. "The Lam Aileron may also offer improved low-speed stall departure resistance. This system has application in small General Aviation aircraft and STOL bush planes, as well as larger aircraft such as business jets and even large transport category aircraft."
The Lam Aileron uncouples the traditional relationship between flaps and ailerons, allowing wings to be equipped with both flaps and ailerons of any span, including full span without the use of spoilers or flaperons. The Lam Aileron enables aircraft to use a smaller wing allowing for higher cruise speeds, lower fuel consumption, and better ride comfort through turbulence while also improving slow-speed flight handling. The Lam Aileron allows the usual separate functions of flaps and ailerons to be mixed for additional operations such as speed brakes or drag rudders.
"The Lam Aileron expands the range of variable geometries for aircraft utilizing a conventional wing and tail configuration. Anyone seeking to maximize the benefits and operations of trailing-edge devices like flaps and ailerons should consider the Lam Aileron," said Michael Lam, Lam Aviation CEO.