The Boeing Company

David Scott Eberhardt

Roy Anthony Eggink

A method and apparatus for manufacturing and installing a fairing on an aircraft. In one advantageous embodiment, a composite fairing is installed on the aircraft. A composite sheet having a form of the composite fairing is formed. A plurality of cured composite tiles is created from the composite sheet, wherein spaces are present between the plurality of composite tiles. The plurality of composite tiles is cured to form the composite fairing. The composite fairing is attached to a surface of the aircraft. The spaces between the plurality of composite tiles are filled with a flexible filler.

Method for manufacturing and attachment of wing fairings

Apparatus and methods provide for the use of retractable aircraft wing tips to increase the wingspan of an aircraft to decrease drag and increase fuel efficiency. According to various embodiments, a flexible lifting envelope is attached to an outboard end of an aircraft wing. Upon receiving pressurized air, the flexible lifting envelope extends outward to a lift-producing configuration that extends the span of the aircraft wing to which it is attached. When deflated, the flexible lifting envelope retracts into a stowed configuration to decrease the wingspan of the aircraft to allow for parking at airport gates or to alleviate flight loads. Various implementations provide for a telescoping wing tip and for a rolled wing tip.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

David Scott Eberhardt