The Boeing Company

Eric G Gruner

Eric Sean Kamila

Eric Dwight Blohm

Matthew Scott Elenbaas

David Douglas Boes

Renato S Felicio

Jeffrey Michael Olds

Steven Paul Walker

Paul W Dees

Daniel Justin Cox

Ian C Burford

Danilo Vukosav

Billy Punlap Tung

Keith Townsend

Rickie Hansken

Warren H Steyaert

Charuhas M Soman

Ryan Matthew Slater

Evgeniy M Potupchik

Daniel E McGinty

Mark John Herzberg

Ryan A Fear

Michael Addington

Matthew S Elenbaas

Renato Felicio

Charuhas Soman

Daniel E Mcginty

David D Boes

Apparatus and methods for limiting trailing edge deflection in aircraft folding wing tips are disclosed herein. An example aircraft wing disclosed herein includes a fixed wing portion. The fixed wing portion includes an outboard rib. The aircraft wing also includes a wing tip moveably coupled to the fixed wing portion. The wing tip is moveable between an extended position and a folded position. The wing tip includes an inboard rib that is disposed in a trailing edge section of the wing tip. The wing tip includes a stop plate coupled to the inboard rib. The stop plate extends inboard from the inboard rib such that when the wing tip is in the extended position, the stop plate is disposed below a portion of the outboard rib of the fixed wing portion to limit upward deflection of the trailing edge section of the wing tip relative to the fixed wing portion.

Apparatus and methods for limiting trailing edge deflection in aircraft folding wing tips

Embodiments for aircraft keel beam assembly. One embodiment is a keel beam assembly of an aircraft. The keel beam assembly includes a keel attach chord to connect to a wing center section of the aircraft, the keel attach chord extending in a longitudinal direction between a rear spar and front spar of the aircraft. The keel beam assembly also includes a lower chord disposed underneath the keel attach chord and extending in the longitudinal direction between an aft wheel well bulkhead and a forward bulkhead of the aircraft. The keel beam assembly further includes a forward web to couple the keel attach chord and the lower chord, the forward web including a front edge extending in a diagonal direction from the keel attach chord that is downward and aft toward the lower chord to create an open area forward from the front edge.

Aircraft keel beam assembly

Foldable aircraft wings are disclosed. An example aircraft includes a foldable wing having a fixed wing portion, a foldable wing portion and a hinge to pivotally couple the foldable wing portion relative to the fixed wing portion. The hinge includes a wing transition portion including wing hinge ribs and wing stub ribs, respective ones of the wing hinge ribs coupled to corresponding respective ones of the wing stub ribs. The hinge also includes a tip transition portion including tip hinge ribs, where respective ends of the tip hinge ribs positioned between corresponding respective ones of the wing hinge ribs and the wing stub ribs.

Foldable aircraft wings

Stop pads for aircraft folding wing tips are described herein. An example aircraft wing includes a fixed wing portion and a wing tip moveably coupled to the fixed wing portion about a hinge axis. The wing tip is moveable between an extended position and a folded position. The aircraft wing also includes a first stop pad coupled to the fixed wing portion, the first stop pad having a first contact surface, and a second stop pad coupled to the wing tip, the second stop pad having a second contact surface. The first and second contact surfaces are to engage each other when the wing tip is in the extended position. A contact plane between the first and second contact surfaces is coplanar with the hinge axis.

Stop pads for aircraft folding wing tips

A folding wing hinge for a wing having a fixed wing portion and a folding wing portion, the folding wing hinge including a hinge pin including a hinge pin spline and having a first longitudinal axis, an input fitting coupled to one of the fixed wing portion and the folding wing portion, the input fitting including an input fitting spline and a second longitudinal axis, and a spline coupling member having a coupling spline configured to couple with the hinge pin spline and the input fitting spline so that the first longitudinal axis moves relative to the second longitudinal axis by a first predetermined amount of movement.

Folding wing hinge, aircraft and method therefor

Hinge pins for foldable aircraft wings are described. An example apparatus includes a hinge pin to rotatably couple a foldable tip of an aircraft wing to a fixed structure of the aircraft wing. The hinge pin includes a first flange, a second flange spaced apart from the first flange along a central axis of the hinge pin, and a through hole oriented along the central axis.

Hinge pins for foldable aircraft wings

A method for repairing damage caused to a curved composite-material panel may include removal of a sector including through-thickness damage, installation of a patch performed from an exterior side of the panel, buildup of the void caused by removal of the sector, and installation of one or more composite repair plies.

Repairing a contoured composite panel

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

Eric G Gruner