Leading edge skin height difference adjusting structure and method of assembling leading edge skin

A leading edge skin height difference adjusting structure comprising:

• a height difference adjusting member for fixing a rear end of a leading edge skin to a spar of a main wing of an aircraft with the height difference adjusting member interposed therebetween, while adjusting a difference in height between a front end of a main body skin and the rear end of the leading edge skin when the main body skin and the leading edge skin are brought into abutment on each other and fixed on the spar with a fastener;
• wherein the height difference adjusting member is a cylindrical member and includes a male thread which is formed on an outer peripheral surface thereof and which is screw-engagable to a desired amount in a female thread formed in a flange of the spar, and a fastener hole penetrating a central portion thereof;
• and
• wherein the leading edge skin is fixed to the flange by the fastener passing through the fastener hole in a state wherein the leading edge skin abuts on an end surface of the height difference adjusting member which projects to a predetermined amount from a surface of the flange.

A method of assembling a leading edge skin by using the leading edge skin height difference adjusting structure comprising the following steps of:

• temporarily assembling the leading edge skin on the spar to which the main body skin is fixed;
• measuring differences in height between the front end of the main body skin and the rear end of the leading edge skin at a plurality of locations in the span direction of the wing;
• selecting the height difference adjusting members having the shin portions with thicknesses corresponding to the differences in height;
• temporarily mounting, on the spar, the height difference adjusting members selected with respect to the plurality of locations in the span direction of the wing;
• and
• mounting the leading edge skin on the spar with the temporarily-mounted height difference adjusting members interposed therebetween, and completing the assembly of the leading edge skin with the fasteners.

A method of assembling a leading edge skin by using the leading edge skin height difference adjusting structure comprising the following steps of:

• temporarily assembling the leading edge skin on the spar to which the main body skin is fixed;
• measuring differences in height between the front end of the main body skin and the rear end of the leading edge skin at a plurality of locations in the span direction of the wing;
• mounting the height difference adjusting members on the spar at the plurality of locations in the span direction of the wing;
• adjusting the amounts of projection of the end surfaces of the height difference adjusting members from the surface of the spar in correspondence to the differences in height;
• and
• mounting the leading edge skin on the spar with the height difference adjusting members interposed therebetween, and completing the assembly of the leading edge skin with the fasteners.