Methods of manufacture of a composite wing structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10836121-B2
Application number	US-201715423981-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2017
Priority date	Feb 8, 2016
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

In one aspect, there is a method of making a composite skin for a tiltrotor aircraft including providing a first skin in a mold, the first skin having a periphery defined by a forward edge, an aft edge, and outboard ends; providing a plurality of honeycomb panels having an array of large cells onto the first skin, each cell having a width of at least 1 cm; assembling the plurality of honeycomb panels along the longitudinal axis of the first skin to form a honeycomb core having an outer perimeter within the periphery of the first skin; positioning a second skin onto the honeycomb core, the second skin having an outer perimeter within the periphery of the first skin; and curing an adhesive to create a bond between the first skin, the honeycomb core, and the second skin to form a composite skin.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making a composite skin for a tiltrotor aircraft, comprising:
providing a first skin in a mold, the first skin having a periphery defined by a forward edge, an aft edge, and outboard ends;
providing a plurality of honeycomb panels having an array of large cells onto the first skin, each cell having a width of at least 1 cm;
assembling the plurality of honeycomb panels along the longitudinal axis of the first skin to form a honeycomb core having an outer perimeter within the periphery of the first skin, the outer perimeter of the honeycomb core defined by a forward edge, an aft edge, and outboard edges;
positioning a plurality of filler members between the plurality of honeycomb panels;
positioning a plurality of filler members on the outboard ends of the honeycomb core:
positioning a second skin onto the honeycomb core, the second skin having an outer perimeter within the periphery of the first skin, the outer perimeter of the second skin defined by a forward edge, an aft edge, and outboard edges; and
curing an adhesive to create a bond between the first skin, the honeycomb core, and the second skin to form a composite skin;
wherein the aft and forward edges of the honeycomb core, and the aft and forward edges of the second skin are about 90 degrees relative to the majority of the top surface of the first skin.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the outer perimeter of the honeycomb core and the second skin on the forward and aft edges is from 1 cm to 16 cm from the forward and aft edges of the first skin.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the outer perimeter of the honeycomb core and the second skin on the outboard edges is from 7 cm to 91 cm from the outboard edges of the first skin.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the filler members is oriented generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the first skin.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the filler members is a compression molded material.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aft and forward edges of the honeycomb core, and second skin are aligned.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of curing the adhesive also includes curing the first skin, the honeycomb core, and the second skin.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forward edge of the first skin is straight.

Assignees

• Bell Helicopter Textron Inc

Inventors

• Carlson David G
• Mccullough John R
• Wolfe Douglas K
• Baines Andrew G
• Decker George R

Classifications

• B29C70/34 Primary

  and shaping or impregnating by compression {, i.e. combined with compressing after the lay-up operation} · CPC title

• B29C70/302 Primary

  Details of the edges of fibre composites, e.g. edge finishing or means to avoid delamination · CPC title

• Y02T50/40

  Weight reduction · CPC title

• B64F5/10

  Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor · CPC title

• B64C1/12

  Construction or attachment of skin panels · CPC title