Methods and apparatus for aircraft structural length of service enhancement
OwnerKo-Wei Liu, Hugo Guzman +1inventors
InventorsKo-Wei Liu, Hugo Guzman, Hasan I. Ramlaoui
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Abstract
A method for reworking an aircraft wing, attached to an aircraft fuselage, to reduce a propensity for advanced dynamic changes is described. The reworking method includes verifying components of the aircraft wing are in a condition acceptable for reworking, removing at least one existing fastener from the wing, reworking the at least one fastener hole using a coldworking process, and installing an oversized fastener into the at least one reworked fastener hole.
Claims24
A method for reworking an aircraft wing, attached to an aircraft fuselage, to reduce a propensity for advanced dynamic changes, said method comprising:
- verifying components of the aircraft wing are in a condition acceptable for reworking;
- removing at least one existing fastener from the wing;
- reworking the at least one fastener hole using a coldworking process;
- and
- installing an oversized fastener into the reworked at least one fastener hole.
A method for processing an aircraft structure, said method comprising:
- removing at least one existing fastener from the structure;
- inducing a compressive field around at least one fastener hole corresponding with the removed fastener using a coldworking process;
- and
- installing a fastener into each coldworked fastener hole.
A method for reworking a C-130 aircraft wing while attached to an aircraft fuselage to prolong the onset of advanced dynamic changes, said method comprising:
- verifying components of the C-130 aircraft wing are in a condition acceptable for reworking;
- removing at least one existing fastener from the C-130 aircraft wing;
- reworking the at least one fastener hole using a coldworking process;
- and
- installing an oversized fastener into the at least one reworked fastener hole.
A method according to claim 19 wherein removing at least one existing fasteners from the C-130 aircraft wing comprises removing fasteners in phases so components of the wing do not move with respect to one another.
A C-130 aircraft wing reworked to induce a compressive field around at least one fastener hole comprising:
- a plurality of fastener holes reworked in phases without removing wing structure using a split sleeve coldworking process;
- each said fastener hole is reamed to a post-coldwork diameter;
- a new countersink size is applied to each said fastener hole;
- and
- an oversized fastener installed in each reworked said fastener hole.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.