Method for attaching a split winglet to a wing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10246181-B2
Application number	US-201615244896-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2016
Priority date	Apr 19, 2013
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

A method of securing a split winglet to a wing tip of an aircraft includes fastening an upper winglet to an upper winglet attachment portion of a wing attach fitting having a wing attachment portion. The method further includes fastening a lower winglet to a lower winglet attachment portion of the wing attach fitting. The method additionally includes fastening the wing attachment portion to the wing tip using tension fasteners installed from an inboard side of the wing tip to secure the split winglet to the wing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of securing a split winglet to a wing tip of a wing of an aircraft comprising the steps of:
attaching an upper winglet to an upper winglet attachment portion of a winglet attach fitting having a wing attachment portion by:
insertably stove-piping or sliding a generally hollow, box-shaped terminal end of the upper winglet attachment portion into a generally hollow interior of the upper winglet at an upper winglet root end, the upper winglet attachment portion oriented at a dihedral angle; and
extending at least one fastener through the upper winglet attachment portion and into an upper winglet skin;
attaching a lower winglet to a lower winglet attachment portion of the winglet attach fitting by:
insertably stove-piping or sliding a generally hollow, box-shaped terminal end of the lower winglet attachment portion into a generally hollow interior of the lower winglet at a lower winglet root end, the lower winglet attachment portion oriented at an anhedral angle; and
extending at least one fastener through the lower winglet attachment portion and into a lower winglet skin;
removably attaching the wing attachment portion to the wing tip using fasteners to secure the split winglet to the wing, the upper winglet extending upwardly from the wing at the dihedral angle, the lower winglet separate from the upper winglet and extending downwardly from the wing at the anhedral angle;
wherein the lower winglet and the upper winglet are non-articulating when the wing attachment portion is attached to the wing tip;
wherein the upper winglet attachment portion and the lower winglet attachment portion intersect one another at the wing attachment portion; and
wherein the upper winglet attachment portion and the lower winglet attachment portion each extend from an outboard side of the wing attachment portion, and in opposing relation to an inboard side of the wing attachment portion.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein using fasteners to secure the split winglet to the wing comprises:
installing the fasteners from an inboard side of the wing tip.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein installing the fasteners from the inboard side of the wing tip comprises:
passing the fasteners into an interior of the wing;
extending the fasteners through a wing tip rib; and
threadably engaging the fasteners into a fitting root end of the wing attachment portion.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein threadably engaging the fasteners into a fitting root end of the wing attachment portion comprises threadably engaging the fasteners to threaded receptacles mounted to the winglet attach fitting.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the threaded receptacles are barrel nuts.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein passing the fasteners into an interior of the wing comprises passing the fasteners through an opening in a lower wing skin.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the fitting root end of the wing attachment portion is integrally formed with the wing tip rib.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein removably attaching the wing attachment portion to the wing tip comprises:
fastening the wing attachment portion to a wing tip rib of the wing tip with the upper winglet fastened to the upper winglet attachment portion and the lower winglet fastened to the lower winglet attachment portion.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising;
removing the fasteners securing the wing attachment portion to the wing tip; and
removing the wing attachment portion from the wing tip with at least one of the upper winglet and the lower winglet being attached to the wing attachment portion.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
removing a hinge pin attaching the upper winglet attachment portion to the lower winglet attachment portion, the upper winglet attachment portion being integrally formed with an upper bracket, the lower winglet attachment portion being integrally formed with a lower bracket being a separate component from the upper bracket, the upper bracket and the lower bracket comprising the wing attachment portion;
removing fasteners securing at least one of the upper bracket and the lower bracket to the wing tip; and
removing at least one of the upper winglet and the lower winglet from the wing tip.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
removing a center pin extending through and interconnecting a lug of the upper winglet attachment portion, a lug of the lower winglet attachment portion, and a clevis of the wing attachment portion;
removing a shear pin securing at least one of the upper winglet attachment portion and the lower winglet attachment portion to the clevis; and
removing at least one of the upper winglet and lower winglet from the wing attachment portion.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
placing a lug bearing portion of the lug in bearing contact with a clevis bearing portion of the clevis; and
preventing rotation of at least one of the upper winglet and the lower winglet after removing a center pin.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
removing the lower winglet from the wing attachment portion while the upper winglet is attached to the wing tip.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the steps of extending at least one fastener through the upper winglet attachment portion and into the upper winglet skin, and extending at least one fastener through the lower winglet attachment portion and into the lower winglet skin are performed using shear fasteners.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the shear fasteners are threadably engaged to threaded receptacles mounted on the upper winglet attachment portion and lower winglet attachment portion.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein removably attaching the wing attachment portion to the wing tip is performed using tension fasteners.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wing let attach fitting is formed of metallic material.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the upper winglet attachment portion and the lower winglet attachment portion are integrally formed with the wing attachment portion.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the upper winglet and the lower winglet has one or more winglet spars.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the upper winglet attachment portion and the lower winglet attachment portion nest against a winglet forward spar and a winglet aft spar respectively of the upper winglet and the lower winglet.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Witte Philipp
• Campbell Jr Darrell D
• Tung Billy P
• Kleshchev Fedor

Classifications

• Y10T29/49947

  by applying separate fastener · CPC title

• Y10T29/49817

  with other than ancillary treating or assembling · CPC title

• Y02T50/164

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B64C23/069 Primary

  using one or more wing tip airfoil devices, e.g. winglets, splines, wing tip fences or raked wingtips · CPC title

• Y10T29/49963

  Threaded fastener · CPC title