Aircraft maintenance apparatus and method of maintaining same

Abstract

An apparatus and methods are provided for performing maintenance procedures such as washing, cleaning, deicing, and painting to an aircraft. The apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention preferably has a horizontally-extending mounting track and a track follower connected to the mounting track for following the mounting track. A maintenance tool support base preferably is connected to the track follower for supporting a maintenance tool thereon. An extending and retracting assembly is connected to the support base and to the track follower for extending the support base outwardly from the track follower and toward a portion of an aircraft and for retracting the support base inwardly from a portion of an aircraft and toward the track follower. An aircraft contour following assembly preferably is rotatably mounted to the support base and adapted for positioning adjacent an aircraft for following the contour of an aircraft to perform a maintenance procedure thereto. The aircraft contour following assembly includes at least one maintenance tool such as used for washing, cleaning, deicing, or painting an aircraft.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.