The Boeing Company

Brett D Whitmer

William H Graham

Justin D Cottet

Richard Bruce Tanner

Dan Dresskell Day

Donald T Powell

Ian E Schroeder

James Robert Schnelz

Michael J Meneghetti

Kristopher William Talcott

Kenneth M Harrison

Tyler W Downey

Jason H Inouye

Jean R Paillant

Glen C Rockwell

Evelyne Van Ingelghem

Thanh Quach

An assembly that comprises a first part and a second part. The second part comprises a non-faying surface facing the base surface, a plurality of faying surfaces manifested at bosses that are shimmed if and as required, and a plurality of second through-holes. A width of each one of the plurality of bosses is equal to or greater than 2(r+T tan &#x3b8;), where r is a maximum radial dimension of an outermost peripheral portion of a fastener in contact with the first part or the second part, T is the distance from the point of contact, between a fastener and the first part or the second part, and a faying surface of a corresponding boss, and &#x3b8; is an angle between a central axis of the corresponding second through-hole and an outermost load vector initiating at the point of contact between the fastener and the first part or the second part.

Joint assembly having shimmed bosses and associated method of making the joint assembly

Examples include an apparatus configured for attaching a rib of an aircraft wing to a panel of the aircraft wing, the apparatus including: an insert that is configured to be attached, via an interference fit, to a hole in the rib; a shear tie including a socket at a first end of the shear tie, where the shear tie is configured to be attached to the panel at a second end of the shear tie; a ball stud including a shaft and a ball that is opposite the shaft, where the shaft is configured to be attached to the insert and the ball is configured to be positioned within the socket; and a fastener that is configured to secure the ball within the socket, thereby attaching the ball stud to the shear tie.

Apparatus for attaching aircraft wing structural components

A system and methodology for controlling structural type integration to major fittings requires creating a geometrical set of objects identified here as basic starting geometry which consist of external references and relationships to a main component structure. Structural interface detail characteristics and hardware components are identified that make up a major fitting integration connection between the main component structure and a second component structure. Parametric sets and associated geometrical sets containing sketches and geometry objects are identified and created, the parametric sets and associated geometrical sets being associated to a particular hardware component used in the integration connection between the main component structure and the second component structure and used to defined and control the integration connection between the main component structure and the second component structure with respect to fit, form and function. The parameters and geometry objects are published for review by all companies involved in the integration.

System and method for controlling structural type integration

Apparatuses and methods for attaching jet engines and other external structures to aircraft wings are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an aircraft system includes a wing and a unitary fitting fixedly attached to the wing. The unitary fitting can include a first portion having at least a first attach feature and a second portion having at least a second attach feature. The aircraft system can further include an engine or other external structure positioned proximate to the wing and coupled to the unitary fitting. The unitary fitting can be configured to transfer at least approximately all of the flight loads from the external structure to the wing.

Apparatuses and methods for attaching engines and other structures to aircraft wings

Aircraft engine nacelles and methods for structurally attaching them to aircraft structures, such as aircraft wings. In one embodiment, an aircraft engine nacelle is attached to a wing between a trailing edge region of the wing and an aft deck region of the wing. In one aspect of this embodiment, the engine nacelle includes a forward portion having first and second structural attach points offset from each other in a first direction at least generally perpendicular to a central axis of the engine nacelle. The first and second structural attach points can be configured to fixedly attach the engine nacelle to the wing at least proximate to the trailing edge region. In another aspect of this embodiment, the engine nacelle includes a side portion having at least a third structural attach point offset from the first and second structural attach points in a second direction at least generally parallel to the central axis. The third structural attach point can be configured to fixedly attach the engine nacelle to the wing at least proximate to the aft deck region.

Apparatuses and methods for attaching engine nacelles to aircraft

Landing gear support assemblies and associated methods of installation. In one embodiment, a landing gear support assembly usable with an aircraft wing includes an aft trunnion support beam having a base portion, an aft trunnion support spaced apart from the base portion, and a shear center axis extending from the base portion toward the aft trunnion support. The aft trunnion support can be at least approximately vertically aligned with the shear center axis. The base portion can be configured to be attached at least proximate to the rear wing spar with a plurality of fuse pins configured to fail and release the aft trunnion support beam from the rear wing spar when the landing gear exerts a preselected force against the aft trunnion support.

Aircraft landing gear support assemblies and associated methods of installation

Growing community of inventors

Kenmore, WA, United States of America

Brett D Whitmer