The Boeing Company

Scott M Spencer

Jiangtian Cheng

Kanna M Pham

Ian E Schroeder

Samuel Eric Cregger

Gary D Swanson

Frederick Theodore Calkins

Jeffrey Lawrence Miller

Joseph L Sweetin

Gary D Oakes

David H Leibov

Daniel Justin Cox

Jaime C Garcia

Stephen J Dostert

Jessica R Hughes

Cynthia G Feng

Ryan Scott Carruthers

Jeffery M Lazzaro

Jae Dong Hwang

Gregory P Freed

Roslyn Melookaran

Nicholas Joseph Dominski

A joint for connecting a center wing box to a bulkhead of an aircraft. The joint includes a flex angle member with a first section shaped to abut against and be connected to the center wing box, a second section shaped to abut against and be connected to a first side of the deck of the bulkhead, and an intermediate rounded corner positioned between the first and second sections. First support members are attached to the center wing box at first pins and support a first side of the second section of the flex angle member. Second support members are attached to the web of the bulkhead at second pins and support a second side of the second section of the flex angle member. The first support members are positioned on a first side of the deck of the bulkhead and the second support members are positioned on an opposing second side of the deck.

Joint for connecting a center wing box and bulkhead in an aircraft

A method of fabricating a plank stringer for use in an aircraft includes grouping a plurality of stacked plies of reinforcing material into a plurality of charges, where each charge in the plurality of charges includes a substack of plies. The method also includes grouping the plurality of charges into two or more groups such that, for each charge in a given group, a respective substack of plies includes a sequence of orientation angles with respect to a longitudinal axis of the plank stringer corresponding to the given group. The method also includes laying up each group of charges as a continuous blanket of plies, where each continuous blanket of plies includes the respective substack of plies for each charge in the respective group. The method also includes cutting each continuous blanket of plies into the respective group of charges and stacking the plurality of charges to form the plank stringer.

Fabrication of plank stringers

A solid laminate stringer includes a base segment that forms a first generally trapezoidal cross section. The solid laminate stringer also includes a transition segment abutting the base segment, with concave sides that are continuous with the sides of the base segment. The solid laminate stringer also includes a top segment abutting the transition segment, where the top segment forms a second generally trapezoidal cross section with sides that are continuous with the concave sides of the transition segment. The solid laminate stringer may also include a first overwrap layer covering the top segment, the transition segment, and at least a portion of the base segment. The solid laminate stringer may also include a second overwrap layer overlapping at least a portion of the first overwrap layer covering the base segment.

Solid laminate stringer

A solid laminate stringer includes a base segment that forms a first generally trapezoidal cross section. The solid laminate stringer also includes a transition segment abutting the base segment, with concave sides that are continuous with the sides of the base segment. The solid laminate stringer also includes a top segment abutting the transition segment, where the top segment forms a second generally trapezoidal cross section with sides that are continuous with the concave sides of the transition segment. The solid laminate stringer also includes a first overwrap layer covering the top segment, the transition segment, and at least a portion of the base segment. The solid laminate stringer also includes a second overwrap layer overlapping at least a portion of the first overwrap layer covering the base segment.

A randomly damaged area of a one-piece composite component of an aircraft is repaired according to a method herein. The damaged area covers skin and underlying stiffening substructure of the component. The method includes generating a design of a customized composite replacement panel for replacing the damaged area. The design includes replacement skin and underlying co-cured replacement stiffening substructure. The method further includes fabricating the composite replacement panel according to the design.

Large area repair of composite aircraft

Growing community of inventors

Everett, WA, United States of America

Scott M Spencer