The Boeing Company

Spirit Aerosystems, Inc.

Spirit Areosystems, Inc.

John Michael Welch

Thomas D Popp

Brian R Kitt

Michael Patrick Urban

Matthew Tymes

Henry Arnold Schaefer

David W Hackler

Phillip E Kenney

John L Burnett

Robert F Wikstrom

Leroy J Fulbright

Mitchel B Granger

Barry B Craig

Leo B Hoadley

Terry W Stratton

Timothy C Wilson

Christopher S Sawyer

Randall Ray West

Clint Allen Luttgeharm

George Larimore Huggins

John Thomas Strunk

David Michael Gayle

Darrell Clyde Jundt

Leonard Lloyd Baca

Michael R Lobsinger

William E Benton

Marty J Todd

Richard Todd Briscoe

Christopher Steven Sawyer

Russell A Barrett

Kenneth E Garrett

Timothy L Holdeman

Donald D Ruebke

Kenneth C Stewart

Thomas Scott

Sandra L Jansen

Brett E Russell

Jon J Fischer

An aircraft nacelle comprising an outer cowl having an inner wall and an outer wall surrounding the inner wall. The inner wall may have an inner opening formed therethrough and the outer wall may have an outer opening formed therethrough at an aft end of the nacelle. The nacelle may further comprise a translating panel configured to cover the inner and outer openings in a stowed position and to translate aft to a deployed position. The translating panel may be fixed to cascade guide vane panels which rest between the inner and outer wall in the stowed position and are exposed to airflow via the inner and outer openings when translated aft to the deployed position, thereby increasing a nozzle area of the nacelle. Guide vanes of the cascade guide vane panels are angled slightly aftward to direct the nacelle's airflow outward and aftward.

Cascade-style variable area fan duct nozzle

A heat-resistant apparatus comprising a plurality of rigid, fireproof panels mounted to an inner surface of an inner fixed structure (IFS) of an aircraft thrust reverser. The plurality of panels may include fixed panels and floating panels, with the fixed panels fastened directly to the IFS and the floating panels fastened to the fixed panels in a substantially checkered arrangement along the inner surface of the IFS. The fixed and floating panels may each comprise a rigid core surrounded by various fireproof or heat resistant materials. The fixed and floating panels may be configured and affixed to the IFS such that air from an engine's fan may flow through a space between the panels and the IFS, providing additional cooling and heat resistance.

Apparatus and method for shielding a thrust reverser structure from engine heat

A translating sleeve assembly for use with an aircraft engine thrust reverser broadly comprises a slider track, a lifting bolt, and a hinge. The slider track may include a tubular sidewall and a guide channel formed therein that follows a curved path along a length thereof. The lifting bolt may be slidably positioned within the slider track. The hinge may include a first hinge element with a base coupled to an outer cowl shroud, a second hinge element with a hinge rod slidably positioned within the guide channel, and a pin about which the first hinge element and the second hinge element pivot. During deployment of the thrust reverser, the lifting bolt slides aftward and the hinge rod slides within the guide channel, urging the lifting bolt to pivot and the hinge to open, thereby lifting the outer cowl shroud away from the center of the aircraft engine.

Thrust reverser translating sleeve assembly

A duct having a continuous C-shaped cross section slidably attached to a strut supporting an aircraft engine. The duct may comprise an inner wall, an outer wall, a first end wall, a second end wall, at least one slider, a thrust reverser, and an outer cowl panel of a thrust reverser. The inner wall may comprise a forward section and an aft section. The aft section may be integral with the first end wall, the second end wall, the outer wall, and the at least one slider. The forward section may comprise a right half and a left half which may be pivotally attached to the strut and may pivot to an open position when the rest of the fan duct is slid aftward away from the engine. The duct, excluding the forward section of the inner wall, may slide aftward on its at least one slider, providing engine access.

Continuous composite fan duct and thrust reverser

Latch beams and hinge beams of an aircraft thrust reverser and a method for manufacturing the beams. The latch and hinge beams may comprise a plurality of hollow composite tubes joined with a plurality of machined metal fittings in alternating succession. The metal fittings may comprise at least one of hinge fittings and latching fittings. The latch and hinge beams may further comprise slider tracks configured to slidably attach to a translating sleeve of the thrust reverser. The hinge beams may each be rotatably attached to an engine strut or pylon of the aircraft, and the latch beams may each be mechanically latched with each other. Each of the latch and hinge beams may also be fixedly attached to an inner engine cowling of the thrust reverser.

Hybrid beam for a thrust reverser unit

A hybrid torque box comprising a plurality of composite tubes and metal fittings attached together in alternating succession and configured to attach a thrust reverser to an engine fan case of an aircraft. The hybrid torque box may be substantially hollow and may comprise two V-blades for attaching the torque box to the engine fan case. The hybrid torque box may also be attached to or integral with a bull nose fairing configured for attachment with a cascade of the thrust reverser. Furthermore, the hybrid torque box may comprise and/or attach to a cowl interface flange configured for interfacing with an outer cowl of the thrust reverser.

Hybrid torque box for a thrust reverser

A method for splicing honeycomb core together to form a core structure, such as an acoustic panel for an aircraft. The core structure may comprise a first honeycomb core, a second honeycomb core, and an intermediate bonding part disposed between the first and second honeycomb cores. The intermediate bonding part may comprise a syntactic core wrapped with or sandwiched between a non-foaming film adhesive. The syntactic core sandwiched between a first and second layer of film adhesive and a first and second honeycomb core is then compressed by vacuum and cured to bond the honeycomb cores together, forming the core structure.

Method for bonding honeycomb cores

A load-bearing structure, such as a pylon or strut, having a monolithic tubular-shaped first central structure composed of composite material and a plurality of metal fittings for supporting an engine on an airframe structure of an aircraft, such as a wing. Most of the fittings are integrated into the load-bearing structure through bonding. The metal fittings carry the high bearing loads that are transmitted into the pylon at the engine-pylon and wing-pylon interfaces. The load-bearing structure may also include a second central structure of a tubular shape composed of composite material and integrated with one end portion of the first central structure by bonding and/or mechanical fasteners.

Engine pylon made from composite material

A slider apparatus integral with a slidable member and a method for integrating the slider apparatus with the slidable member. The slider apparatus integrated with the slidable member may be configured to slidably couple with and be structurally supported by a fixed structure. The slider apparatus may comprise a primary slider component made of composite material and at least one chamfered element bonded to the primary slider component. The slidable member may comprise the slider apparatus, a core assembly, a plurality of composite material plies wrapped around the slider apparatus and core assembly and cured therewith, and at least one low-friction slider shoe removably attached to the primary slider component outward of the plurality of composite material plies.

Integral composite slider for aircrafts

A method of constructing, assembling and disassembling a mandrel for fabricating a monolithic composite nacelle panel for use on an airplane comprises attaching a first fairing bar including an exposed ball roller assembly to a tilting plate; attaching a first outer section to said first fairing bar; attaching a second outer section to said first fairing bar; attaching a center section to said first outer section and said second outer section; attaching a nozzle section to said first fairing bar and positioned adjacent an inner wall of said first outer section, an inner wall of said center section, and an inner wall of said second outer section; attaching a second fairing bar to said first outer section, said center section, and said second outer section; and attaching a cavity section to said second fairing bar.

Method of constructing a mandrel for fabrication of a monolithic nacelle composite panel

A mandrel is disclosed for fabricating a monolithic composite nacelle panel for use on an airplane. Also disclosed is the method of constructing the mandrel, the method of assembling the mandrel, and the method of disassembling the mandrel.

Mandrel for fabrication of a monolithic composite nacelle panel

A pinmat () for perforating a composite laminate sheet (). The pinmat () includes a mat portion () and a series of pins () extending from the mat portion (). Each pin () has a shank portion () extending from the mat portion () and a tip portion () extending from the shank portion (). The tip portion ()includes a base portion () extending from the shank portion (), an accelerating portion () extending from the base portion (), and a piercing portion () extending from the accelerating portion (). The piercing portion () is utilized for penetrating the composite laminate sheet () within a substantially low range of applied pressure for forming a hole within the composite laminate sheet (). Moreover, the accelerating portion () is utilized for penetrating the composite laminate sheet () at a substantially high speed for forcing the base portion () into the composite laminate sheet () within the substantially low range of applied pressure. The base portion () enlarges the hole formed by the piercing portion ().

Enhanced pinmat for manufacturing high-strength perforated laminate sheets

A computer-implemented method for providing on-line ultrasonically scanned images of composite parts for immediate feedback in a manufacturing environment is discussed. The scanned images are edited to indicate each deficiency that has been repaired on a previously assembled composite part. Quality assurance personnel enter data associated with each composite part and verify the data content. Repair personnel enter data associated with correcting an identified deficiency of the composite part. Historical data suitable for developing statistics and trends are stored for each type of composite part. When queries are launched, the statistical and trend data is filtered to produce reports that are displayed. That is, reports are generated that identify particular statistics and trends. The scan image and data associated with a composite part are linked together for cross-referencing and stored in a database that is accessible by client and server computers on a network. Images produced by an ultrasonic scanner(s) coupled to the network are stored for retrieval.

Method and system for providing feedback from a non-destructive inspection of a composite part

A method of forming a composite acoustic panel (,). The method begins by arranging a perforated sheet (,) on a convex lay-up mandrel (,), arranging a core material (,) on the perforated sheet (,), and curing the perforated sheet (,) and the core material (,) to form a composite acoustic core (,) having a lay-up mandrel side and an opposite upper side. Composite sheets (,) are then arranged on a concave lay-up mandrel. The composite acoustic core (,) is arranged on the composite sheets (,) with the opposite upper side of the acoustic core (,) against the composite sheets (,). The composite acoustic core (,) and the composite sheets (,) are then cured so as to form the acoustic panel (,). A sacrificial sheet (,) can be added to upper side of the core material (,) prior to curing the perforated sheet (,) and the core material (,). The sacrificial sheet (,) preferably has a low coefficient of thermal expansion. The sacrificial sheet (,) is machined off as the upper side of the core material (,) is shaped. The use of the sacrificial sheet (,) permits the acoustic core (,) to maintain its shape during curing without warpage from residual thermal stresses (R). The perforated sheet (,) thus maintains a contour that is substantially matched to the outer surface of the convex lay-up mandrel (,).

Method for forming a composite acoustic panel

An acoustic panel (,) for the nacelle (,) of a high bypass jet engine. The acoustic panel (,) has a perforated composite inner sheet (,), an outer composite sheet (,), and a honeycomb-core material (,) sandwiched therebetween. The acoustic panel (,) includes an integral forward ring (,) and integral wedge fairings (,).

Growing community of inventors

Wichita, KS, United States of America

John Michael Welch