Providing skins for aircraft fuselages

• US 8,128,025 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2008
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Rawdon, Blaine K., Grip, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): BAREFOOT, GALEN L
• Application Number:
  US12/053,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20090236473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: 244/117.R, 244/219, 244/119, 244/133, 244/123.12, 244/137.4, 244/132
• US Class Current: 244/117.R
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/08 Geodetic or other open-frame structures
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/12 Construction or attachment of skin panels

Abstract

An aircraft including a space frame fuselage structure. A plurality of panels are connected with the structure and configured to form a skin over the structure. The panels are movable relative to one another so as to prevent loading of the structure from inducing loading in the skin.

Claims

1. An aircraft comprising:

a plurality of truss elements configured to form a space frame fuselage;

a plurality of panels connected with the truss elements and configured to form a skin over the space frame fuselage, the panels movable relative to one another so as to prevent loading of the space frame fuselage from inducing loading in the skin; and

a plurality of elongate links connecting the panels with the truss elements, each link having an adjustable length and first and second ends, each end attached to a corresponding boss permitting limited rotation of the link relative thereto, the boss of the first end affixed to one of the panels, and the boss of the second end affixed to one of the truss elements.

2. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the links are configured to transfer loading associated with the panels to the fuselage.

3. The aircraft of claim 2, wherein links connecting one of the panels with the fuselage constrain motion of the panel in each of three orthogonal directions.

4. The aircraft of claim 2, wherein links connecting one of the panels with the fuselage constrain rotational motion of the panel in a plane of the panel.

5. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the panels are substantially rigid.

6. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein at least some of the panels overlap one another.

7. The aircraft of claim 6, wherein the overlapping panels include a first panel and a second panel in overlapping relationship with the first panel, the first panel comprising a seal configured to seal at least part of an area of overlap between the first panel and the second panel.

8. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the panels are structurally independent from one other.

9. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein each panel has at least three sides.

10. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein at least some of the panels are coupled to load-bearing members of the fuselage.

11. A method of assembling an aircraft comprising:

attaching a plurality of panels to a plurality of truss elements of a space frame fuselage to form a skin over the fuselage, the attaching including mounting a first end of one elongate link of a plurality of elongate links to a boss of one of the panels and mounting a second end of the one elongate link to a boss of one of the truss elements, the mounting performed to permit limited rotation of the first and second ends relative to the bosses;

the attaching further including attaching the plurality of elongate links by performing the mounting so as to leave each completely attached panel structurally independent of the other attached panels.

12. The method of claim 11, the attaching further comprising providing a slip joint between two of the panels.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

configuring a shape of the fuselage; and

configuring the panels to provide a skin shape different from the shape of the fuselage.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising applying an image onto one or more of the panels,

the attaching further comprising assembling the one or more of the panels to display the image on the skin.

15. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising adjusting a length of one or more of the attached links to adjust a location of an attached panel relative to the fuselage, the adjusting of the length performed without detaching the one or more attached links.

16. A method of assembling an aircraft, the method comprising:

connecting a plurality of elongate links between a plurality of skin panels and a plurality of truss elements of a fuselage space frame to attach the panels to the fuselage to form a skin over the fuselage, each link having an adjustable length between first and second ends of the link, the connecting performed in part by rotatively connecting the first end of one of the links to a boss of one of the panels and rotatively connecting the second end of the one of the links to a boss of one of the truss elements;

and

adjusting location of one of the attached panels relative to the fuselage, the adjusting performed by lengthening or shortening one or more of the adjustable lengths without disconnecting any of the ends of links from the bosses.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein attaching the panels comprises movably overlapping at least some of the panels.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising configuring the panels to provide a skin shape substantially different from a shape of the fuselage.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein adjusting location of one of the attached panels comprises adjusting a threaded connection between the first or second end of a given link and a body of the given link.

20. The method of claim 16, 19, wherein the threaded connection is a right-handed connection between the first end of the given link and the body of the given link, the method further comprising adjusting a left-handed threaded connection between the second end of the given link and the body of the given link.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising adjusting location of one or more of the attached panels relative to at least one of the other panels.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising molding at least one of the panels using a single-sided mold.

23. An aircraft skin panel comprising:

a first side having a substantially smooth surface; and

a second side onto which a plurality of support beams are attached, the support beams having a plurality of elongate links attached thereto for linkage with truss elements of an aircraft space frame fuselage, the support beams further configured to transfer loading of the panel through the links to the space frame fuselage;

each of the links having a first end rotatively mounted to a boss affixed to the panel, and a second end configured for rotative mounting to a boss affixed to a truss element;

the rotative mounting of the first and second ends of a first of the links configured to constrain motion of the panel in a direction orthogonal to the fuselage while permitting vertical and longitudinal motion of the panel relative to the fuselage;

the rotative mounting of the first and second ends of a second and third of the links configured to constrain vertical motion of the panel relative to the fuselage; and

the rotative mounting of the first and second ends of a fourth and fifth of the links configured to constrain longitudinal motion of the panel relative to the fuselage.

24. The panel of claim 23, further comprising at least one edge configured to provide a slip joint between the edge and an edge of another panel.

25. The panel of claim 23, further comprising a corrugated sheet between the first and second sides.

26. The panel of claim 25, further comprising a membrane covering the corrugated sheet to form the first and second sides, the mounting points affixed to the second side over the membrane.

27. The panel of claim 25, further comprising a membrane covering the corrugated sheet to form the first and second sides, the mounting points affixed to the corrugated sheet and at least partially covered by the membrane.

28. The panel of claim 23, the first side comprising a membrane and at least a portion of an image embedded in the membrane.

29. The panel of claim 23, further comprising an insulating material between the first and second sides.

30. A method of making an aircraft skin panel comprising:

attaching a plurality of support beams to a corrugated sheet;

affixing a plurality of elongate links to the support beams, the links configured to provide adjustable connections between the support beams and truss elements of an aircraft fuselage space frame; and

applying a membrane material to at least one side of the corrugated sheet to form a membrane substantially spanning corrugations of the sheet;

the affixing of the links including affixing a boss to one of the support beams and mounting a first end of one of the links to the boss to permit limited rotation of the first end relative to the boss, where a second end of the one of the links is configured for mounting to a boss on one of the truss elements to permit limited rotation of the second end relative to the boss on the one of the truss elements.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising positioning insulation on the at least one side before applying the membrane material.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising applying at least a portion of an image to the membrane.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising providing an edge on the corrugated sheet to allow a slip joint to be formed between a skin panel including the sheet and an edge of another skin panel.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising heat shrinking the membrane material on the sheet to form the membrane.

35. The method of claim 30, the links further configured to transfer loading of a skin panel through the links to the fuselage space frame.

36. A method of providing equipment on an aircraft comprising:

attaching a skin panel to truss elements of a space frame fuselage of the aircraft, the panel including an item of equipment and an interconnect connected with the at least one item, the attaching performed by connecting a plurality of elongate links on support beams of the panel with the truss elements; and

connecting the skin panel interconnect with an interconnect provided in or on the fuselage;

wherein connecting the links comprises rotatively mounting a first end of one of the links to a boss of the support beam and rotatively mounting a second end of the one of the links to a boss of one of the truss elements.

37. A method of repairing an aircraft comprising:

removing one of a plurality of panels forming a skin of the aircraft, the removing performed by detaching at least one end of each of a plurality of links attached between support beams of the panel and truss elements of a space frame fuselage of the aircraft; and

attaching a replacement panel to the aircraft in place of the removed panel;

wherein the detaching of one of the at least one end consists of dismounting the one of the at least one end from a rotative mounting to a boss affixed to the panel being removed.

38. The method of claim 37, performed substantially independently of the other panels.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the attaching comprises connecting links between the replacement panel and the fuselage truss elements by rotatively mounting ends of the links to bosses affixed to the replacement panel and the truss elements.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising adjusting one or more lengths of the connected links to adjust a location of the replacement panel, the adjusting performed without disconnecting any of the connected links.