The Boeing Company

William M Lankelis

James C Kennedy

Fred D Young

Edward L Puckett

An ultrasonic inspection probe for locating and sizing flaws in the radius region (20) and adjacent areas of a laminated structure (10), such as a composite 'T' stiffener (30). The probe includes a plurality of shoes (48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58) that are arranged for coordinated movement relative to the part under inspection. Each shoe includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducers that are arranged in predetermined adjacent relationships to one another and operated in timed sequence in one or more through-transmission, pulse echo or loss-of-back modes to effect an ultrasonic scan in one direction through the part while the transducers are moved together in another direction along the part. Inspection of the radius region is effected using combinations of angular pulse echo inspection (PEF, PEA, LL45P, RL45P), 'radius-to-radius' through-transmission inspection at an angle through the radius region (RTT, RTR, L37.5T, L37.5R, U37.5T, U37.5R), and 'flange-to-radius' through-transmission inspection normally into the upper flange (RU45T) and angularly out through the radius RU45R, LU45R).

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North Bend, WA, United States of America

William M Lankelis