The Boeing Company

James Miller Wheaton

Stephen Roger Amorosi

Seiya Sakurai

Stephen John Fox

Gregory M Santini

Gary D Oakes

Douglas S Lacy

Jack S Noble

Lawrence D Smith

Sharon Xiangdong Che

Gregory S Benn

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

An aircraft flap actuator assembly includes at least one fixed support, at least one track having a curvilinear track surface connected to the fixed support, at least one flap support adapted to traverse the curvilinear track surface, a trailing edge flap connected to the at least one flap support and a flap actuator engaging the at least one flap support.

Aircraft flap actuator assembly

A trailing edge flap mechanism incorporates a support beam, a flap carrier beam supporting an aerodynamic flap, a first link interconnecting a first and second rotation points and a second link interconnecting third and fourth rotation points. The support beam has a ground connection on a first fixed axis of rotation. A connecting link has a ground connection on a second fixed axis of rotation and is connected to the first link intermediate the first and second rotation points. An actuator is connected with a drive link pivotally engaged to the first link for initial forward and aft movement of a nose profile of the Fowler flap substantially parallel to the wing lower surface with extending aft movement providing a rapidly changing angle of the flap with respect to the wing upper surface.

Aircraft flap mechanism having compact large fowler motion providing multiple cruise positions

A method of reducing drag of a leading edge device having first and second flow surfaces includes coupling the first flow surface to an airfoil and coupling the second flow surface to the first flow surface. The leading edge device may be moved between a retracted position and an extended position. The second flow surface may be positioned generally behind the first flow surface during at least a portion of the movement of the leading edge device between the retracted and extended positions.

Leading edge flap method

The present invention is directed generally toward leading edge flap apparatuses and corresponding methods. One aspect of the invention is directed toward an aircraft system having an airfoil, an actuator driver, and a leading edge device with two flow surfaces and six links. In a further aspect of the invention, the flow surfaces of the leading edge device are at least approximately located in the same position when the actuator driver is in two different positions. Another aspect of the invention is directed toward an aircraft system having an airfoil and a leading edge device movable between at least a retracted position and an extended position along a motion path having two segments. The second flow surface can be positioned generally behind and/or generally above the first flow surface when the first and second flow surfaces are located in the first segment of the motion path.

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Collierville, TN, United States of America

James Miller Wheaton