US 12,187,457 B2
Assembly line fabrication and assembly of aircraft wings
Daniel R. Smith, Woodinville, WA (US); and Darrell D. Jones, Mill Creek, WA (US)
Assigned to The Boeing Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed by The Boeing Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed on Jan. 24, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/421,792.
Application 18/421,792 is a division of application No. 17/454,282, filed on Nov. 10, 2021, granted, now 11,919,661.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/115,053, filed on Nov. 18, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0158098 A1, May 16, 2024
Int. Cl. B64F 5/10 (2017.01); B64C 3/18 (2006.01); B64C 3/26 (2006.01); B64F 5/50 (2017.01); B64F 5/60 (2017.01)
CPC B64F 5/10 (2017.01) [B64C 3/185 (2013.01); B64C 3/187 (2013.01); B64C 3/26 (2013.01); B64F 5/50 (2017.01); B64F 5/60 (2017.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for assembling a wing, the method comprising:
connecting pogos to a shuttle, wherein each pogo of the pogos comprises, respectively, a length configured to adjust and a vacuum coupler disposed, respectively, at each of the pogos;
connecting actuators to the pogos;
suspending a wing panel of an aircraft beneath the shuttle;
controlling the actuators with a controller that comprises programed instructions independently controlling, respectively for each pogo of the pogos, the length and an alignment of the pogos relative to each other and thereby enforcing a contour onto the wing panel;
advancing the wing panel in a process direction through at least one work station of an assembly line via the shuttle while enforcing the contour; and
installing a structural component to the wing panel at the at least one work station while enforcing the contour, such that the structural component is selected from a group consisting of: a rib, a spar, and a second wing panel.