Flexible track drilling machine

An apparatus for guiding and positioning a machine component relative to a surface of a workpiece, the apparatus comprising:

• first and second elongate flexible rails, the rails being spaced apart and approximately parallel to each other;
• a plurality of vacuum attachment devices connected to each rail and spaced at intervals therealong for releasably attaching each rail to the surface of the workpiece by vacuum, with the widths of the rails extending substantially parallel to the surface of the workpiece, the rails bending and twisting as needed to substantially follow the surface of the workpiece;
• and
• an X-axis carriage structured and arranged to support the machine component, the X-axis carriage slidably engaging the rails and being traversable along the rails so as to position the machine component relative to the workpiece, wherein the X-axis carriage is flexibly connected to the rails.