The Boeing Company

Gary D Oakes

Remmelt Andrew Staal

Steven Paul Walker

Patrick Bickford Stickler

Arne Kenneth Lewis

Jack S Noble

Narbeh Nersessian

Seiya Sakurai

Jeffrey Lawrence Miller

Gregory M Santini

Forouzan Behzadpour

Steven Donald Blanchard

Ian E Schroeder

Pradeep Krishnaswamy

James Miller Wheaton

Stephen J Dostert

Scott M Spencer

Larry Dean Ridgeway

Jason H Inouye

Kee How Tan

Philip Belanger

The present disclosure provides a method of repairing a hat stringer. The method includes arranging a repair stringer in a mounting location that is one of a plurality of possible mounting locations along a cross section of a hat stringer. In each of the plurality of possible mounting locations, at least a portion of an internal profile of the repair stringer matches at least a portion of a profile of an internal cavity defined by the hat stringer. A cross-sectional area of the repair stringer as viewed along a first direction is less than a total cross-sectional area of the hat stringer as viewed along the first direction. The method also includes coupling the repair stringer with a stringer of the hat stringer in the mounting location. Repair stringers and repaired hat stringers are also provided.

Repairing a hat stringer

A skin panel configured for attachment to an aircraft structure is constructed of a composite material and has a continuous, smooth outer surface; a continuous, smooth inner surface that is configured for attachment to an aircraft structure; a peripheral edge that extends entirely around the skin panel and has a continuous, smooth surface and a plurality of cavities inside the material of the skin panel. The cavities reduce the weight of the skin panel without significantly detracting from the compression strength and tensile strength of the skin panel.

Skin panel of composite material having an internal grid

Disclosed herein is a method of repairing damage to a fuselage barrel, having a one-piece construction, of an aircraft. The method includes determining at least a first virtual splice line and a second virtual splice line along the fuselage barrel in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the fuselage barrel. The method also includes detecting damage in a first section of the fuselage barrel between the first virtual splice line and the second virtual splice line. The method further includes cutting through the fuselage barrel along the first virtual splice line and the second virtual splice line to physically separate the first section from a main section of the fuselage barrel. The method also includes removing the first section from the main section of the fuselage barrel, and splicing a new section to the main section of the fuselage barrel in place of the first section.

Method of repairing damage to fuselage barrel and associated apparatus and system

A method of bonding composite structures includes positioning a second structure at a bonding site on a first structure and coupling a first vacuum bag to the first structure such that the first vacuum bag covers the bonding site. The method also includes applying a vacuum to the first vacuum bag to induce a first mechanical force to the second structure via the first vacuum bag. A second vacuum bag is coupled to the first structure such that second vacuum bag covers the second structure and at least a portion of the first vacuum bag. The method further includes applying a vacuum to the second vacuum bag to induce a second mechanical force to the second structure via the second vacuum bag.

Methods and systems for repairing composite structures

Aircraft wings and aircraft including such aircraft wings are disclosed. An example apparatus includes an aircraft wing having a first panel; a second panel; ribs coupled between the first and second panels; and stiffeners coupled between the ribs in a spanwise direction and to the first panel, the coupling between the stiffeners and the first panel to deter axial loads from being received by the stiffeners, the stiffeners to increase a compressional stability of the first panel, wherein the coupling between the stiffeners and the first panel are indirect couplings formed via clips, the couplings formed via the clips deter the axial loads from being received by the stiffeners while increasing the compressional stability of the first panel.

Aircraft wings and aircraft including such aircraft wings

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for repairing a composite material in situ are disclosed including maintaining and controlling the temperature of a material adjoining a composite material in situ, while the composite material is being heating during a composite material repair, such repair accomplished by positioning a heat source proximate to a first side of the composite material and positioning a thermoelectric device proximate to a structure located proximate to the second of the composite material, and substantially maintaining the temperature of the structure at a temperature that is different than a temperature of the composite material.

Methods and apparatuses for maintaining temperature differential in materials using thermoelectric devices during hot bonded repair

An apparatus is provided for analysis of a repair for a structure by identifying component parts of the structure that have common material properties and geometric constraints, and based thereon determining a generic repair component for the component parts that also have the common material properties and the geometric constraints. A set of loads are extracted from a loads model of the undamaged structure and redistributed in a loads redistribution model at a damaged or defective portion of the component part. The set of redistributed loads indicate loading incurred by the generic repair component under an external load. The apparatus then uses the redistributed loads to perform an analysis to determine a margin of safety of the generic repair component and, in instances in which the margin of safety is positive, outputs the material properties and geometric constraints of the generic repair component to a fabrication system for production thereof.

System for analysis of a repair for a structure

A device is used to plug an opening in a structure having a front side and a back side. The device includes a removable plug body for plugging the opening, and a retainer that is expandable into engagement with the back side of the structure to retain the plug in the opening. Means coupled with the retainer and the plug is provided for expanding the retainer.

Opening plug and method of installing the same

A randomly damaged area of a one-piece composite component of an aircraft is repaired according to a method herein. The damaged area covers skin and underlying stiffening substructure of the component. The method includes generating a design of a customized composite replacement panel for replacing the damaged area. The design includes replacement skin and underlying co-cured replacement stiffening substructure. The method further includes fabricating the composite replacement panel according to the design.

Large area repair of composite aircraft

According to an embodiment, a flap malfunction indicator assembly for notifying an observer making a walk-around inspection of an aircraft of a malfunction of one or more connection points coupling a flap assembly to an aircraft wing includes a support mounted to the flap assembly having a perimeter defining an area, an indicator arm pivoted to the support and movable between a first stowed position in which a major portion of the arm is arranged substantially entirely within the area and a second deployed position in which a major portion of the arm is arranged substantially outside the area, a frangible pin or fastener securing the indicator arm to the support in the first stowed position, a trigger element mounted for rotation about a first pivot, an elongated pull linkage coupling the trigger element with a flap assembly, the pull linkage being supported for movement relative to the first pivot to cause rotation of the trigger element when malfunction of a flap assembly occurs, and a spring assembly at the support having one portion exerting a biasing force against a portion of the indicator arm located outside of the area, the spring assembly driving the indicator arm into the second deployed position when the frangible pin or fastener is broken.

Growing community of inventors

Renton, WA, United States of America

Gary D Oakes