The Boeing Company

Jordan Charles

Jason Hamada

Gregory M Santini

Kenneth D Cominsky

Wendell C K Choy

William M Sampedro-Thompson

Jessica Lynn Watkins

Tyler W Downey

Ryan Christopher Roache

Michael John Gamble

Jessica L Watkins

Wendell C Choy

A wing may include a wing skin, a laminate composite first stringer, a rib, and at least one fastener. A majority of the first stringer may be characterized by a stacked plurality of generally planar plies of reinforcement material structurally joined as a stack to an interior surface of the wing skin and extending generally parallel to the interior surface and a span-wise direction of the wing along a substantial portion of the interior surface. The first stringer may have a generally solid trapezoidal cross section when viewed in a plane that is generally perpendicular to the span-wise direction. The rib may be positioned adjacent the interior surface, and may extend generally perpendicular to the span-wise direction. The trapezoidal cross section may be interfaced with the rib flange. The fastener may extend through the wing skin, the trapezoidal cross section, and the rib flange.

Laminate composite wing structures

A wing structure for use with an aircraft is provided. The wing structure includes at least one wing section including an inboard portion, an outboard portion angled rearward from said inboard portion, and at least one stringer including a curved portion that extends across an interface defined between the inboard portion and the outboard portion. The curved portion has a radial curvature such that the at least one stringer extends continuously along the inboard portion and the outboard portion.

Wing structure, stringer structure, and related apparatus and methods of assembly

A stiffenercomprises a first stiffener portion (), having a first cross-sectional profile () that is constant along the first stiffener portion (). The stiffeneralso comprises a second stiffener portion (), having a second cross-sectional profile () that is constant along the second stiffener portion (). The second cross-sectional profile () of the second stiffener portion () is different from the first cross-sectional profile () of the first stiffener portion (). The stiffeneradditionally comprises a transition stiffener portion () tapering from the second stiffener portion () to the first stiffener portion ().

Methods of making and structures containing stiffeners having transition portions

Structures containing stiffeners having transition portions

A method () of making charges () comprises forming a combined perimeter shape () having no circumferentially enclosed openings by geometrically combining primary perimeter shapes (), corresponding to perimeter shapes of the charges (), and secondary perimeter shapes (), such that symmetry axes () of the primary perimeter shapes () are parallel to each other, lateral edges () of the primary perimeter shapes (), adjacent to each other, are at least partially contiguous, and all boundary edges of the combined perimeter shape () are either parallel or perpendicular to the symmetry axes () of the primary perimeter shapes (). The method also comprises contiguously depositing prepreg tows () to form prepreg composite plies () and laminating the prepreg composite plies () together to form a precursor sheet () having a precursor combined perimeter shape () that circumscribes the combined perimeter shape (). The method additionally comprises cutting the precursor sheet ().

Methods of making composite charges

An upper joint of a wing assembly of an aircraft includes an outboard upper wing panel, a center upper wing panel, a rib, and an upper joint assembly operatively interconnecting the outboard upper wing panel, the center upper wing panel, and the rib. For a substantial fore/aft span of the upper joint, a first subset of a plurality of center upper stringers is operatively coupled to the upper joint assembly, and a second subset of the plurality of center upper stringers terminates without being directly coupled to the upper joint assembly.

Upper joints between outboard wing boxes and wing center sections of aircraft wing assemblies

An upper joint of a wing assembly of an aircraft includes an outboard upper wing panel, a center upper wing panel, a rib, and an upper joint assembly operatively interconnecting the outboard upper wing panel, the center upper wing panel, and the rib. In some embodiments, outboard upper stringers may be configured differently than center upper stringers. In some embodiments, a subset of the center upper stringers may not directly oppose the outboard upper stringers. In other embodiments, for at least a substantial fore/aft span of the upper joint, each of the center upper stringers may directly oppose an outboard upper stringer.

Lower joints of aircraft wing assemblies are disclosed. In some embodiments, a lower joint includes an outboard lower wing panel, a center lower wing panel, a rib, and a lower joint assembly that includes two outboard flanges operatively coupled to the outboard lower wing panel, an inboard flange operatively coupled to the center lower wing panel, and an upper flange operatively coupled to the rib. In some embodiments, a lower joint assembly includes one or more splice plates, an upper T-fitting, and one or more intermediate plates. In some embodiments, the outboard lower wing panel, the center lower wing panel, and the lower joint assembly are constructed substantially of different materials.

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

Jordan Charles