Aileron Droop Mechanism for the Clipper Spirit Seaplane

When at rest on the water, the Clipper Spirit seaplane has one wing buoyed and the other suspended in air, which requires additional roll authority to stabilize the aircraft during takeoff and landing. The project goal is to design a mechanism that droops or retracts the ailerons during takeoff and landing, creating more lift at the wing tips, where the ailerons are located, which effectively adds roll authority. The droop mechanism must be purely mechanical, be independent from and not interfere with the aileron control system, retract or extend the bias linearly from 75 to 100 knots, and be free from pilot input. The design meets this requirement by using dynamic pressure to displace a piston. The piston linearly displaces a rack that turns a set of gears, the last of which is mounted on the aileron control shaft. When the gear rotates it will also rotate the shaft, which will effectively lengthen or shorten the control shaft depending on whether the ailerons are being drooped or retracted. Rotation changes shaft length by threading it into or out of the control horn, which translates into a droop or retraction of the aileron.