Method for attaching a split winglet to a wing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016355254-A1
Application number	US-201615244896-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 23, 2016
Priority date	Apr 19, 2013
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

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, comprising the steps of:
fastening an upper winglet to an upper winglet attachment portion of a winglet attach fitting having a wing attachment portion; fastening a lower winglet to a lower winglet attachment portion of the winglet attach fitting; and fastening the wing attachment portion to the wing tip using fasteners to secure the split winglet to the wing.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
installing the fasteners from an inboard side of the wing tip.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of fastening the wing attachment portion to the wing tip using fasteners 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 1 , further comprising:
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.

5 . 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.

6 . 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.

7 . 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.

8 . The method of claim 1 , 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 shear pin.

9 . 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.

10 . A method of using a split winglet, comprising the steps of:
providing an aircraft having a winglet attach fitting attaching a split winglet to a wing; maintaining the winglet attach fitting at a first height relative to a fuselage when the aircraft is non-flying; and moving the winglet attach fitting to a second height relative to the fuselage when the aircraft is flying, the second height being higher than the first height.

11 . A winglet attach fitting for attaching a split winglet to a wing, comprising:
a wing attachment portion removably attachable to a wing tip using fasteners; an upper winglet attachment portion configured to support an upper winglet, the wing attachment portion and the upper winglet attachment portion being formed as a unitary structure; at least one of a skin splice and a spar splice configured to couple the upper winglet to the upper winglet attachment portion; a lower winglet attachment portion coupled to the wing attachment portion and configured to support a lower winglet; and at least one clevis fitting configured to couple the lower winglet to a lug integrally formed with the lower winglet attachment portion.

12 . The winglet attach fitting of claim 11 , wherein:
the at least one of the skin splice and the spar splice is configured as a combination skin splice/spar splice fastened to the upper winglet skin and/or to one or more winglet spars using mechanical fasteners.

13 . The winglet attach fitting of claim 12 , wherein:
the mechanical fasteners are shear fasteners.

14 . The winglet attach fitting of claim 11 , wherein:
the fasteners for attaching the wing attachment portion to the wing tip are installed from an inboard side of the wing tip.

15 . The winglet attach fitting of claim 11 , wherein:
the fasteners for attaching the wing attachment portion to the wing tip are tension fasteners.

16 . The winglet attach fitting of claim 15 , wherein:
the wing attachment portion includes barrel nuts bores configured to contain barrel nuts; and the tension fasteners being threadably engageable to the barrel nuts.

17 . The winglet attach fitting of claim 11 , wherein:
the wing attachment portion includes a wing tip rib being integral with the wing attachment portion and configured to be mechanically fastened to at least one wing spar.

18 . The winglet attach fitting of claim 11 , wherein:
the upper winglet attachment portion and the lower winglet are oriented in angled relation to one another.

19 . The winglet attach fitting of claim 11 , wherein:
the upper winglet is attached to the upper winglet attachment portion using shear fasteners; and the lower winglet is attached to the lower winglet attachment portion using shear fasteners.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

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

Classifications

• B64C23/065 Primary

  at the wing tips · CPC title

• B64F5/0009

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64F5/10

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

• B64C5/08 Primary

  mounted on, or supported by, wings · CPC title

• B64C3/58

  provided with fences or spoilers (adjustable for control purposes B64C9/00) · CPC title