Spirit Aerosystems, Inc.

The Boeing Company

Roger Edmund Kornfeld

Marlin D Breer

Aaron Rae Heitmann

Theodore J Eilert

Henry D Harkins

Mark Anthony Wadsworth

Rahbar Nasserrafi

Blaise Francis Bergmann

Amitabh Vyas

Darin Clay Wiley

Darrell A Wade

Dennis Lebeda

Scott E Graves

Scott Sellmeyer

Walter A Chappelle

A sealing structure seals a space between first and second parts of a fan duct and a fairing of an aircraft engine. The sealing structure comprises first and second seal portions for positioning between the first and second parts of the fan duct and the fairing. The first seal portion includes an elongated middle region and a first coupling mechanism. The elongated middle region can be secured to the first part of the fan duct and abutting the fairing and includes a forward end from which the first coupling mechanism extends. The second seal portion includes an elongated middle region and a second coupling mechanism. The elongated middle region can be secured to the second part of the fan duct and abutting the fairing and includes a forward end from which the second coupling mechanism extends. The second coupling mechanism is operable to couple to the first coupling mechanism.

Aircraft duct assembly and sealing structure

A monolithic skin for an aerodynamic structure is provided. The skin comprises a root end defining a root opening; a tip end opposite to the root end; a trailing-edge portion defining a slot opening extending from the root opening toward the tip end; a leading-edge portion extending spanwise from the root end to the tip end; and a middle portion extending between the trailing edge and the leading-edge portion and at least partially defining an open slot in fluid communication with the slot opening and root opening. The middle portion comprises an interior surface facing the open slot that is graded so that the middle portion decreases in thickness spanwise toward the root end. The middle portion also comprises a first integrated spar section extending from the interior surface to the tip end.

Composite aerodynamic structure

An aircraft nacelle and method of fabricating a monolithic lipskin of the nacelle. The nacelle may include a fan cowl, a bulkhead, and the monolithic lipskin. The lipskin may be formed by spin-forming or explosive forming an annularly-shaped plate onto a mandrel, and machining or chemically-milling integrated stiffeners or other protrusions and attachment tabs into an inner mold line (IML) of the lipskin. The machining or chemical milling may occur before or after the spin-forming or explosive forming. The stiffeners may have a spiral or circumferential configuration. An attachment tab extending from the IML may attach to the bulkhead, such that an outer mold like (OML) of the lip-skin is not disrupted by mechanical fasteners attaching the lipskin to the bulkhead.

Monolithic lipskin and method of fabrication

A preform for forming a structural assembly that defines a complex contour is provided. The preform and, hence, the structural assembly includes first and second skin members and a cellular core member between the first and second skin members. The skin members and/or the core member can be formed to a shape that corresponds to the desired contour of the structural member before the preform is assembled, e.g., by superplastic forming. That is, the first skin member can be disposed against a contour surface of a die to restrain the preform to the contour defined by the surface. A pressurized fluid is provided against the second skin member to urge the preform against the contour surface. A pressurized fluid is also injected in the first chamber to support the cellular core member. The preform is heated to a bonding temperature before or after being disposed against the contour surface so that the core and skin members are bonded to form the structural assembly.

Preform for forming complex contour structural assemblies

A method and associated preform for forming a structural assembly that defines a complex contour are provided. The preform and, hence, the structural assembly includes first and second skin members and a cellular core member between the first and second skin members. The skin members and/or the core member can be formed to a shape that corresponds to the desired contour of the structural member before the preform is assembled, e.g., by superplastic forming. That is, the first skin member can be disposed against a contour surface of a die to restrain the preform to the contour defined by the surface. A pressurized fluid is provided against the second skin member to urge the preform against the contour surface. A pressurized fluid is also injected in the first chamber to support the cellular core member. The preform is heated to a bonding temperature before or after being disposed against the contour surface so that the core and skin members are bonded to form the structural assembly.

Method and apparatus for forming complex contour structural assemblies

Growing community of inventors

Whitewater, KS, United States of America

Roger Edmund Kornfeld