Textron Innovations Inc.

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Bell Helicopter Rhode Island Inc.

David Gordon Carlson

Douglas K Wolfe

John R McCullough

George Ryan Decker

Paul K Oldroyd

John Richard Mccullough

James Everett Kooiman

Andrew G Baines

Joseph Richard Carpenter, Jr

Carl A May

James A Cordell

James Donn Hethcock, Jr

Karl Schroeder

Jonathan Alexander Freeman

Doug K Wolfe

Brent Chadwick Ross

William Anthony Amante

Jeffrey Matthew Williams

Timothy Brian Carr

David Russell Bockmiller

Phillip Anthony Kendrick

Keith Alan Stanney

Tjepke Heeringa

Charles David Hogue

Steven Allen Robedeau, Jr

Christopher Marion Johnson

Kevin Stump

James Donn Hethcock

James E Kooiman

Keith A Stanney

An aircraft is described and includes a fuselage; wings attached to the fuselage; and a torque box within the fuselage, the torque box including a side panel, the side panel comprising a composite laminate material including a plurality of stiffening beads integrated therewith.

Beaded composite structural web

A method of preparing a composite article including providing a first bias assembly with a first bias roll; providing a first non-bias assembly with a first non-bias roll; positioning the first bias assembly to a dispensing position; dispensing a bias ply from the first bias roll along a bias path on a mold; cutting the bias ply; positioning the first non-bias assembly to a dispensing position; dispensing a non-bias ply from the first non-bias roll; and cutting the non-bias ply; wherein the bias path and the non-bias path are substantially parallel.

Material dispensing systems

In one embodiment, a method includes fastening a plurality of components of a composite structure in an assembly fixture, wherein the assembly fixture comprises a plurality of strands of a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material, wherein the fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material comprises a thermoplastic embedded with a plurality of reinforcement fibers, wherein the plurality of reinforcement fibers is aligned within each strand of the plurality of strands, and wherein the assembly fixture further comprises an anisotropic thermal expansion property based on an orientation of the plurality of reinforcement fibers within the assembly fixture; and heating the assembly fixture in an autoclave to bond the plurality of components of the composite structure.

Method of manufacturing an assembly fixture and a composite product

A method of fabricating a panel includes laying up a first laminate on a tooling surface, laying a first layer of thermoplastic on an inner surface of the first laminate, laying a large cell carbon core on the first layer of thermoplastic, laying a second layer of thermoplastic across the large cell carbon core, laying a second laminate on the second layer of thermoplastic, creating a sealed core pocket by bonding the edges of the first and second layers of the thermoplastic surrounding a perimeter of the core, increasing pressure within the core pocket, increasing pressure on the outer surface of the second laminate, heating the panel to a desired curing temperature, and maintaining the increased pressures and temperature for a desired curing duration.

Large cell carbon core sandwich panel and method of manufacturing same

In one aspect, there is a composite skin for a tiltrotor aircraft including a first skin having a periphery defined by a forward edge, an aft edge, and outboard ends; a second skin; and a honeycomb core disposed between the first skin and the second skin, the honeycomb core comprised of a plurality of honeycomb panels positioned along the longitudinal axis of the first skin, the plurality of honeycomb panels having an array of large cells, each cell having a width of at least 1 cm; wherein the second skin and the honeycomb core have an outer perimeter within the periphery of the first skin.

Composite wing structure and methods of manufacture

One embodiment is an apparatus including a mold configured to manufacture a composite structure at a heated temperature. The mold includes a first mold tool configured to mold a first portion of the composite structure, wherein the first mold tool comprises a plurality of strands of a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material, wherein the fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material comprises a thermoplastic embedded with a plurality of reinforcement fibers, wherein the plurality of reinforcement fibers is aligned within each strand of the plurality of strands; and an anisotropic thermal expansion property, wherein the anisotropic thermal expansion property is based on an orientation of the plurality of reinforcement fibers within the first mold tool; and a second mold tool configured to mold a second portion of the composite structure.

Mold tools with anisotropic thermal properties and aligned carbon-reinforced thermoplastic fibres

A duct for a ducted-rotor aircraft may include an internal structure and an aerodynamic exterior skin that is adhesively bonded to the internal structure. The skin may include a leading-edge portion disposed at an inlet of the duct and an inner portion disposed along an interior of the duct. The inner portion of the skin may be bonded to the internal structure with a first bondline of adhesive and the leading-edge portion of the skin may be bonded to the inner portion of the skin with a second bondline of adhesive. One or both of the first and second bondlines of adhesive may be of non-uniform thickness to take up tolerance stackups between the inner portion of the skin, the leading-edge portion of the skin, and the internal structure.

Bonded skins for ducted-rotor aircraft

A hub assembly for a ducted-rotor aircraft includes a plurality of stator supports, a first integral fitting that attaches to first ends of the stator supports, and a second integral fitting that attaches to second ends of the stator supports. The first fitting includes a plurality of motor attachment portions configured to locate and support a motor of the ducted-rotor aircraft, a plurality of fairing mounts configured to support attachment of an aerodynamic fairing to the hub assembly, and a plurality of stator locators configured to locate respective ones of the plurality of stator supports for attachment to the hub assembly. The first fitting has a body portion with an annular wall that supports the motor attachment portions, the fairing mounts, and the stator locators. The first fitting may be fabricated as a monolith that includes the body portion, motor attachment portions, fairing mounts, and stator locators.

Fitting providing motor structure and stator support

A wing assembly for an aircraft includes a torque box sleeve having an open end and a plurality of integral sides including leading, aft, top and bottom sides that jointlessly form a continuous surface having a generally airfoil shape. The wing assembly includes an internal support subassembly having a plurality of ribs coupled to a central spar. The internal support subassembly is formed into a single component outside the torque box sleeve and inserted into the open end of the torque box sleeve as the single component. The internal support subassembly is coupled to an interior of the torque box sleeve.

Torque box sleeves for aircraft wing assemblies

A material dispensing system including a first frame and a first application head. The first application head supported by the first frame including a first bias ply assembly comprising a bias ply roll supported on a bias ply dispenser unit, the first bias ply assembly configured to pass bias ply material along a bias path; and a first non-bias ply assembly comprising a non-bias ply roll supported by a non-bias ply dispenser unit, the non-bias ply assembly configured to pass non-bias ply material along a non-bias path; wherein the bias path and the non-bias path are substantially parallel. Another aspect provides a material dispensing system including a first frame and a first application head supported thereby; and a second frame and a second application head supported thereby; wherein the first frame and the second frame move in an X direction during operation. Another aspect includes preparing a composite article.

In one embodiment, a method may comprise heating a composite material into a viscous form, wherein the composite material comprises a thermoplastic and a plurality of reinforcement fibers, wherein the plurality of reinforcement fibers is randomly arranged within the thermoplastic. The method may further comprise extruding a plurality of strands of the composite material, wherein extruding the plurality of strands causes the plurality of reinforcement fibers within each strand to align. The method may further comprise arranging the plurality of strands of the composite material to form a mold tool, wherein the mold tool is configured to mold a composite structure at a heated temperature, and wherein the mold tool comprises an anisotropic thermal expansion property, wherein the anisotropic thermal expansion property is based on an orientation of the plurality of reinforcement fibers within the mold tool.

Mold tool with anisotropic thermal properties

In one embodiment, an assembly fixture may include a base structure including a plurality of strands of a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material comprising a thermoplastic embedded with a plurality of reinforcement fibers, wherein the plurality of reinforcement fibers is aligned within each strand of the plurality of strands, and wherein the base structure further comprises an anisotropic thermal expansion property based on an orientation of the plurality of reinforcement fibers within the base structure, The assembly fixture may further include a plurality of fastening structures coupled to the base structure, wherein the plurality of fastening structures is configured to fasten a plurality of components of a composite structure for assembly using a heated bonding process.

Assembly fixture with anisotropic thermal properties

A torque box rib includes an upper rib cap configured to be coupled to an upper skin of a wing, a lower rib cap configured to be coupled to a lower skin of the wing, a forward post configured to be coupled to a forward spar of the wing, an aft post configured to be coupled to an aft spar of the wing, and a rib web configured to be coupled to the upper rib cap, the lower rib cap, the forward post, and the aft post.

Torque box rib and method for installation thereof

In one aspect, there is a method of making a composite skin for a tiltrotor aircraft including providing a first skin in a mold, the first skin having a periphery defined by a forward edge, an aft edge, and outboard ends; providing a plurality of honeycomb panels having an array of large cells onto the first skin, each cell having a width of at least 1 cm; assembling the plurality of honeycomb panels along the longitudinal axis of the first skin to form a honeycomb core having an outer perimeter within the periphery of the first skin; positioning a second skin onto the honeycomb core, the second skin having an outer perimeter within the periphery of the first skin; and curing an adhesive to create a bond between the first skin, the honeycomb core, and the second skin to form a composite skin.

Methods of manufacture of a composite wing structure

In one aspect, there is a method of making a pre-cured laminate having a total number of plies in a mold, the mold having a cavity with a periphery defined by a forward edge, an aft edge, and outboard ends. The method includes selecting a first plurality of resin impregnated plies that continuously extend beyond the periphery of the cavity, the first plurality of resin impregnated plies includes at least 50 percent of the total number of plies; laying the plies in a mold; compacting the plies in a mold; and pre-curing the plies to form a pre-cured laminate, which can extend beyond the periphery of the cavity. In an embodiment, a pre-cured laminate includes a first plurality of resin impregnated plies that continuously extend beyond the periphery of the cavity.

Growing community of inventors

North Richland Hills, TX, United States of America

David Gordon Carlson