Method for manufacturing and attachment of wing fairings
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsRoy Anthony Eggink, David Scott Eberhardt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for manufacturing and installing a fairing on an aircraft. In one advantageous embodiment, a composite fairing is installed on the aircraft. A composite sheet having a form of the composite fairing is formed. A plurality of cured composite tiles is created from the composite sheet, wherein spaces are present between the plurality of composite tiles. The plurality of composite tiles is cured to form the composite fairing. The composite fairing is attached to a surface of the aircraft. The spaces between the plurality of composite tiles are filled with a flexible filler.
Claims20
A method for installing a composite fairing on a vehicle, the method comprising:
- forming a composite sheet having a form of the composite fairing, wherein the composite sheet comprises a foam core, wherein the composite sheet further comprises a base composite layer, wherein the base composite layer is a flexible material selected from a group consisting of composite netting and a fabric;
- creating a plurality of cured composite tiles from the composite sheet, wherein spaces are present between the plurality of composite tiles;
- attaching the composite fairing to a surface of the vehicle;
- and
- filling the spaces between the plurality of composite tiles with a flexible filler.
A method for manufacturing a fairing, the method comprising:
- forming a composite sheet in a shape of the fairing, wherein the composite sheet comprises a foam core, wherein the composite sheet further comprises a base composite layer, wherein the base composite layer is a flexible material selected from a group consisting of composite netting and a fabric;
- forming a plurality of composite tiles from the composite sheet to form an assembly for the fairing;
- and
- curing the plurality of composite tiles to form the fairing.
An apparatus comprising:
- a composite layer having an outline for a fairing, wherein the fairing further comprises an aerodynamic, smooth outline, shape configured to reduce air drag on a vehicle and further configured to improve performance of the vehicle;
- and
- a plurality of composite tiles joined to the composite layer in a shape of the fairing, wherein spaces are present between the plurality of composite tiles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.