The Boeing Company

John G Barnes

Patrick B Stone

James M Cobb

Alan K Jones

Brian K Sollenberger

Douglas Wilson

Stephen A Walls

Timothy W Purcell

Dean A Hawkinson

A system for assembling aircraft is disclosed. An example system for moving components of an airplane into assembly alignment includes a jacking system including assembly jacks for supporting and moving components of the airplane into assembly alignment; a measurement system independent of the jacking system for determining locations of a plurality of features the components of the airplane while the components are supported on the assembly jacks; and a computer system for determining the relative positions of the components in a coordinate system of the airplane and for controlling the movement of the assembly jacks to bring the components into assembly alignment.

System for assembling aircraft

A system automatically moves large scale components of a vehicle such as an airplane, into final assembly alignment. A noncontact measurement system determines the locations of aerodynamically significant features on each of the components. The measured locations of the components are used to control an automated jacking system that includes assembly jacks for individually moving the components into assembly alignment. A system is provided for calculating the cruise configuration of the vehicle 'as-built' and for transferring the cruise configuration into the vehicle where it is recorded in the form of a physical monument.

Illustrative computer-executable methods, systems, and computer software program products predict cruise orientation of an as-built airplane. In illustrative embodiments, nominal orientation of an as-built airplane is input. Deviation from the nominal orientation of the as-built airplane is automatically computed, and the computed deviation from the nominal orientation of the as-built airplane is applied to the nominal orientation of the as-built airplane.

System, method, and computer program product for predicting cruise orientation of an as-built airplane

Growing community of inventors

Mukilteo, WA, United States of America

John G Barnes