The Boeing Company

Intel Corporation

Jan A Kordel

Michael Albert Balzer

Seiya Sakurai

Mark Steven Good

Neal Van Huynh

Gregory M Santini

Douglas S Lacy

Jacob Virnig

Bryan Gruner

Matthew August Lassen

John V Dovey

Ross Westermeier

Stephen John Fox

Paul W Dees

Wendell C K Choy

Mark M Bleazard

Steven Paul Walker

Richard Bruce Tanner

Stephen T Brown

Mark John Gardner

Bruce R Detert

Mark A Leonov

Kevin W Beyer

Kyle J Johnson

Clayton A Prow

Bruce Robert Fox

Keith Townsend

David Douglas Boes

Donald Drew Reinhart

Warren H Steyaert

Emanuel Rizal Setiawan

Matthew D M Fevergeon

Robert Douglas Maclean

Christopher G Glassmoyer

Kelly Thomas Jones

Bret Alan Bowers

Victor D Liu

Ian C Burford

Victor A Munsen

Rickie Hansken

Quentin Theodor Pietersen

Stephen J Fox

Scott N Rampton

Emily Georgia Rayner

Daniel E McGinty

Calvin Kao

Matthew D Fevergeon

Darren B Williams

James M Kelly

Miles O Johnson

Peter Schupp

Adam Charles Jones

Matthew A Lassen

Jacob D Virnig

Victor Liu

Jacob Daniel Virnig

Bruce Detert

John Barry Saunders

Jeffrey Burton

Neal V Huynh

Michael A Balzer

Mark S Good

A high-lift device surface and associated method of designing the high-lift device surface is described. Methods include entering one or more flight conditions, and receiving aerodynamic forces at a wing, the wing comprising a fixed portion, a seal coupled to and extending from the fixed portion of the wing, and a high-lift device surface having an as-built shape determined based on an anticipated deformation during flight. Methods also include deforming the high-lift device surface based, at least in part, on the received aerodynamic forces, contacting, based on the deforming, the high-lift device surface with the seal, wherein the deforming causes the high-lift device to deform from the as-built shape to a second shape, and wherein the contacting causes the high-lift device to fully contact the seal to prevent air flow between the seal and the high-lift device surface due to the received aerodynamic forces.

Wing flap deflection control removal

An apparatus for supporting a wing flap of an aircraft includes a support fitting configured to be coupled to a wing of the aircraft. The apparatus also includes a first link, pivotably coupled to the support fitting and configured to be pivotably coupled to the wing flap, and a second link, separably coupled to the support fitting and configured to be pivotably coupled to the wing flap.

Apparatus, system and method for supporting a wing flap of an aircraft

Structural composite airfoils include a primary structural element and a secondary structural element defining the trailing edge of the structural composite airfoil. The primary structural element includes an upper skin panel, a lower skin panel, and a middle C-channel spar that is coupled to the upper skin panel and the lower skin panel. The upper skin panel extends from an upper leading edge end to an upper trailing edge end, and the lower skin panel extends from a lower leading edge end to a lower trailing edge end. The lower leading edge end of the lower skin panel is coupled to the upper leading edge end of the upper skin panel within the leading edge region of the primary structural element.

Structural composite airfoils with a single spar, and related methods

Structural composite airfoils include a primary structural element, a secondary structural element defining the trailing edge of the structural composite airfoil, and a discrete leading edge structure defining the leading edge of the structural composite airfoil. The primary structural element includes an upper skin panel, a lower skin panel, and a middle C-channel spar that is coupled to the upper skin panel and the lower skin panel. The discrete leading edge structure is coupled to the upper leading edge end of the upper skin panel and to the lower leading edge end of the lower skin panel. The upper skin panel may include a first panel bend adjacent the discrete leading edge structure, and the lower skin panel may include a second panel bend adjacent the discrete leading edge structure.

Structural composite airfoils include a front C-channel spar having an upper flange coupled to an upper skin panel, and a lower flange coupled to a lower skin panel. The lower skin panel includes a joggle adjacent a lower leading edge end, with the joggle being positioned forward of the front C-channel spar. An upper skin surface of the lower leading edge end faces an internal volume defined between the upper skin panel and the lower skin panel. A lower skin surface of the lower leading edge end faces an internal surface of the upper leading edge end of the upper skin panel, and the lower leading edge end of the lower skin panel is coupled to the upper leading edge end of the upper skin panel forward of the front C-channel spar. The leading edge has a bullnose shape defined by the upper skin panel.

Structural composite airfoils with an improved leading edge, and related methods

Structural composite airfoils include a primary structural element and a secondary structural element defining a trailing edge of the structural composite airfoil. The primary structural element includes an upper skin panel, a lower skin panel, and a middle C-channel spar that is coupled to the upper skin panel and the lower skin panel. An upper flange of the middle C-channel spar is coupled to the upper skin panel, while a lower flange of the middle C-channel spar is coupled to the upper skin panel and the lower skin panel. An internal volume is defined by the upper skin panel and the lower skin panel aft of the middle C-channel spar, and is defined by the upper skin panel forward of the middle C-channel spar. The leading edge region of the primary structural element defines the leading edge of the structural composite airfoil.

A wing flap includes a flap body and a torque member. The torque member is integrally formed with at least a portion of the flap body.

Wing flap with torque member and method for forming thereof

A wing flap includes a flap body. The flap body includes an upper skin, a lower skin opposite the upper skin, and a plurality of spars that extend between the upper skin and the lower skin. The wing flap also includes a torque member that is coupled to the flap body. A portion of the torque member is contiguous with at least one of the upper skin and the lower skin.

This disclosure is directed to a methodology for designing spoilers or droop panels and aerodynamic systems including the designed spoilers or the designed droop panels. The spoilers and the droop panels can be deployed on a wing with a flap system, which provides for trailing edge variable camber (TEVC) system. During flight, the fixed portions of the wing, the flaps, the spoilers and droop panels can all deform. The spoilers or the droop panels can each be pre-deformed to a first shape on the ground such that in flight the spoilers or the droop panels deform to a second shape under aerodynamic loads. In the second shape, the spoilers or the droop panels are configured to seal better against the flaps. The spoilers or the droop panels can be configured to seal to the flaps during all of the positions the flaps take as part of the TEVC system.

Pre-deformed aircraft spoilers and droop panels designed to seal with flap in deflected state

A wing assembly comprises a raked wing tip having an outboard portion hinged to one of a main wing having at least one moveable control surface and an inboard raked wing tip portion. The outboard portion of the raked wing tip does not carry any moveable flight control surfaces.

Hinged raked wing tip

A high-lift device surface and associated method of designing the high-lift device surface is described. The flap can be attached to a wing on aircraft. The method can involve determining a manufactured shape of the flap. The manufactured flap shape can be deflected in some manner, such as bent or twisted, so that under selected flight conditions, such as cruise, the manufactured flap shape morphs into a second desired shape that satisfies specified constraints, such as geometric and sealing constraints. An advantage of the approach is that the flap doesn't have to be mechanically forced, using mechanical elements, into the second desired shape. The elimination of the mechanical elements results in weight and cost savings to aircraft on which the flap is deployed.

Methods and apparatus to control a gap between movable aircraft wing components are disclosed. An example apparatus includes spoiler including a first panel and a second panel, a flexible tip extending from an intersection of the first and second panels; and a rub block coupled to a surface of the second panel, the rub block positioned to engage a flap to maintain a distance between the spoiler and the flap and to enable the flexible tip to perform deform to change aerodynamic properties of the spoiler.

Methods and apparatus to control a gap between movable aircraft wing components

An apparatus and method of a wing fold system may include a latch assembly rotating an unfixed portion of a wing, with respect to a fixed portion of the wing, between a flight position of the wing and a folded position of the wing. A first portion of the wing may hold a rotating portion of the latch assembly. A second portion of the wing may hold a secured portion of the latch assembly. The rotating portion of the latch assembly may rotate between an open position and a closed position. A slot in the rotating portion may receive the secured portion of the latch assembly. A securing portion of the rotating portion may secure a secured portion of the latch assembly. The latch assembly may prevent rotation of the second portion when the wing may be in the flight position.

Wing fold system rotating latch

A bell crank mechanism is configured to at least indirectly link movement of an aircraft wing spoiler-like hinge panel to the movement of a primary flight control device on an aircraft wing trailing edge. The aircraft wing is configured to be fixed to and to extend from an aircraft fuselage, the wing including a leading edge and a trailing edge. The primary flight control device is attached to the trailing edge, and any movement of the control device is directly subject to an aircraft input controller by a linear actuator. The moveable aerodynamic hinge panel, a secondary control device, is situated proximally to the primary flight control device, and the hinge panel is separately attached to the trailing edge. The bell crank mechanism slaves any hinge panel motion to movements of the primary control device.

Trailing edge device with bell crank mechanism

Growing community of inventors

Redmond, WA, United States of America

Jan A Kordel