Patent ID: 6808143
Filing Date: 2004-10-26
Classification: B23P,B25B,B64C,B64F,G05B,Y02P,Y10T

Abstract:
A determinantly assembled airplane wingbox, comprising:at least two wing spars extending generally parallel to each other and separated chord-wise between upper and lower wing panels, each of said wing spars having an elongated upright web with upper and lower flanges, said flanges each having installation coordination means machined therein; said wing spar flanges fastened to said upper and lower wing panels at said certain positions thereon and within engineering tolerances specified by a digital wing product definition established by an ultimate engineering authority for said wing design, said installation coordination means in said flanges accurately locating said spars within said engineering tolerances relative to said wing panels by registration of said coordination means in said spar flanges with corresponding coordination means in said wing panels; said wing panel coordination means machined therein using a cutting bit in a machine tool under control of a controller programmed with a program incorporating data from said digital wing product definition, said digital wing product definition specifying locations of said wing panel coordination means in said wing panel for positioning said wing spars at said certain positions relative to said wing panels when said wing panel coordination means in registry with corresponding coordination means are in said spar flanges; said wing panel coordination means in registry with corresponding means in said spar flanges being free of fasteners.