Clamping fastener grip length indicator

A method for determining a fastener grip length of a fastener used in an aircraft airframe assembly, comprising:

• providing a scale on a cylindrical-shaped body of a temporary fastener;
• providing a groove in said body adjacent said scale;
• providing an indicator on a moving part of an internal assembly of said temporary fastener, wherein said moving part comprises a moveable member that is mounted on a shaft that extends from a rotatable member;
• inserting bearing wires of said temporary fastener into a fastener hole of said aircraft airframe assembly having an inner mold line and an outer mold line;
• positioning said cylindrical-shaped body on said outer mold line;
• retracting said bearing wires by rotating said rotatable member to move said shaft and said moveable member mounted thereon along a longitudinal axis of said cylindrical-shaped body to move said indicator relative to said scale until said bearing wires contact said inner mold line;
• applying a clamp-up force to said airframe assembly;
• reading said scale at a position of said indicator to determine a distance from said inner mold line to said outer mold line;
• and
• selecting a permanent fastener to be installed in said aircraft airframe assembly in accordance with said determined distance.

A method for assembling an aircraft airframe, comprising:

• integrating a grip length indicator into a cylindrical-shaped body and an internal assembly of a temporary fastener;
• wherein said cylindrical-shaped body includes a slot positioned within an area of said cylindrical-shaped body, wherein said area includes a scale, wherein said scale includes graduation marks in grip length, wherein said internal assembly includes an indicator visible in said slot, and wherein said indicator is on a moving part of said internal assembly, wherein said moving part comprises a moveable member that is mounted on a shaft that extends from a rotatable member;
• installing said temporary fastener including said grip length indicator into a fastener hole extending from an outer mold line to an inner mold line of a structure formed by substructure and an outer mold line skin fitted on said substructure;
• applying a clamp-up force to said substructure and said outer mold line skin with said installed temporary fastener, wherein applying said clamp-up force comprises rotating said rotatable member to move said shaft and said moveable member mounted thereon along a longitudinal axis of said cylindrical-shaped body to move said indicator relative to said scale;
• and
• indicating a distance from said outer mold line to said inner mold line of said structure with said grip length indicator.