Airframe assembly and process
AssigneeVought Corporation
InventorsJack A. Fouse, Sherwood W. McClaren, III
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a process for fabrication and assembly of airframes and airframe components utilizing the principles of diffusion bonding and superplastic forming. A preform blank or blank sheet of material capable of being superplastically formed and diffusion bonded is attached to an airframe body or casing by diffusion bonding and superplastically deformed to form a structural airframe component. The superplastically formed structural component may be diffusion bonded to other airframe components and the superplastic forming and diffusion bonding steps may be performed simultaneously or successively to progressively fabricate and assembly an airframe having unique structural geometries and characteristics without conventional machining or welding of component parts.
Claims9
The method of assembling a portion of an airframe having a minimum radar cross section comprising the steps of:
- (a) diffusion bonding the periphery of a preform capable of being superplastically formed and diffusion bonded onto the outer surface of a substantially cylindrical casing,
- (b) placing said cylindrical casing in a mold having a cavity therein substantially conforming to the external dimension of a structural air duct, said cavity enclosing said preform and said mold supporting a wing structure with the wing root face forming a portion of said cavity, and
- (c) heating said preform to a superplastic forming and diffusion bonding temperature and applying sufficient pressure across said preform to superplastically deform said preform to conform to the dimensions of said mold and diffusion bond said deformed preform to said wing root face.
The method of forming and assembling a portion of an airframe having minimum radar cross section comprising the steps of:
- (a) diffusion bonding at least a portion of a preform capable of being superplastically formed and diffusion bonded to a first structural component of an airframe, the first structural component comprising a substantially cylindrical casing structure,
- (b) placing said cylindrical, first structural component and preform in a mold having a cavity therein substantially conforming to the external configuration of a second structural component of said airframe, said cavity enclosing said preform, and
- (c) heating said preform to a superplastic forming and diffusion bonding temperature and applying sufficient pressure across said preform to superplastically deform said preform to conform to the mold cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.