The Boeing Company

John Scott Kruse

Jonathan David Embler

Thomas R Pinney

Timothy James McMahon

Adam L Kehrer

John Cleveland Waldrop, Iii

Michael J Best

John Hershey Fogarty

Daniel C Stanley

Drew L Smallwood

Jeremy Nicholas O'Hara

Jeremy N O'HARA

A fairing assembly for an aerial vehicle having a tank that forms a body of the vehicle and a wing coupled to the tank is provided. The fining assembly includes a substructure configured to couple with a tank skin of the tank, a thermal protection system coupled to the substructure, and a seal assembly coupled to the substructure, the seal assembly being configured to overlap at least a portion of an edge of the wing.

Fairing assembly and method therefor

A joint for coupling a wing tip to a wing base includes a linking member that extends from a first end to a second end. The linking member first end is coupleable to the wing base, and the linking member second end is coupleable to the wing tip. The linking member defines first second hinge lines that are substantially parallel. The joint also includes at least one actuator. A first end of each at least one actuator is coupled to the linking member, and a second end of each at least one actuator is coupleable to one of the wing base and the wing tip. The at least one actuator is operable to rotate the wing tip about the first and second hinge lines between a first orientation and a second orientation relative to the wing base.

Rotatable wing tip joint and method of making same

There is provided a leading edge system for an aerospace vehicle. The leading edge system has at least one structural member. The leading edge system further has a plurality of removable modules removably attached to the at least one structural member. Each removable module has a hollow box substructure and at least one flange portion disposed along a first end of the hollow box substructure. The leading edge system further has a plurality of first attachment elements configured for attaching the at least one flange portion of the removable module to a first end portion of the at least one structural member. The leading edge system further has a plurality of second attachment elements configured for attaching a second end of the hollow box substructure opposite the flange portion, to a second end portion of the at least one structural member opposite the first end portion.

Leading edge systems and methods for aerospace vehicles

A joint for coupling a wing tip to a wing base includes a linking member that extends from a first end to a second end. The linking member first end is coupleable to the wing base, and the linking member second end is coupleable to the wing tip. The linking member may be curved and may extend for a fixed distance between the wing tip and the wing base. The linking member defines first second hinge lines that are substantially parallel. The joint also includes at least two actuators. A first end of each actuator is coupled to the linking member, and a second end of each actuator is coupleable to one of the wing base and the wing tip. The actuators are operable to rotate the wing tip about the first and second hinge lines between a first orientation and a second orientation relative to the wing base.

An aerial vehicle includes at least one antenna configured to at least one of transmit and receive a signal and a radome assembly at least partially covering the antenna. The radome assembly includes a shell having an inner surface that defines an opening therein and a tip comprising an extension portion coupled to the shell. The radome assembly also includes a component that engages a portion of the extension portion such that the extension portion is impeded from exiting the opening.

Aerial vehicle radome assembly and methods for assembling the same

An aircraft wing includes a rib attached by a joint to a tubular spar that varies in cross sectional shape during flight. The joint includes a ring attached to the tubular spar, and pivot pins connecting the ring with the rib. The pivot pins allow relative movement between the rib and the tubular spar as the tubular spar varies in cross sectional shape.

Attachment of aircraft ribs to spars having variable geometry

Methods and apparatuses described herein provide for the attachment of solar collectors to a structural framework in a solar array assembly. A flexible clip is attached to either end of each solar collector and utilized to attach the solar collector to the structural framework. The solar collectors are positioned to allow a member of the framework to engage a pair of flexible clips attached to adjacent solar collectors during assembly of the solar array. Each flexible clip may have multiple frame-engaging portions, each with a flange on one end to cause the flexible clip to deflect inward when engaged by the framework member during assembly and to guide each of the frame-engaging portions into contact with a surface of the framework member for attachment.

Growing community of inventors

Florissant, MO, United States of America

John Scott Kruse