Aug. 13, 1940. D. R. BERLIN 2,211,089 WING AND_FUSELAGE CONSTRUCTION Filed March 29, 1938

DONOAN R. Patented 'Aug. 13, 1940 ’ 2,211,089

UNITED STATES ‘PATENT OFFICE 2,211,089 . WING AND 'CONSTRUCTION ' Donovan R. Berlin,‘ Eggertsville, N. Y., assignor to Curtiss-Wright Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application March 29, 1938, Serial No. 198,647

4 Claims. (Cl. 244-117) ' This invention relates to construction the sustaining surfaces to the fuselage has here and more particularly to a method of joining the tofore been accomplished in various more or less airfoils to the fuselage. complicated ways and it is thelpurpose of this One object of my invention is to provide an invention to introduce a new and greatly simpli OI improved means of attaching an airfoil to an ?ed manner of attachment. The advantages of aircraft fuselage which shall be of simple con being able to quickly and easily attach or detach struction, shall permit easy attachment and de a stressed skin wing are very im tachment and which shall be of requisite strength portant, not only during original assembly but ~ to transmit the wing loading under all conditions also at any time during the life of the . ‘0 likely to be encountered during ?ight or landing The objects of this invention are arrived at in u of the aircraft. the present preferred embodiment which is i1 Another object is the provision of a connective lustrated as ‘applied to a monocoque stressed skin means of this type whereby a, monocoque wing fuselage l0 “and an associated unitary wing l2 may be attached to a stressed skin monocoque of similar construction. It is preferable, though I‘ {5 fuselage in such a manner thatthe two may be not necessary from “the standpoint of this inven joined to function as an aerodynamic stream tion, that the fuselage be complementarily cut - lined unit and which may be readily separated out as shown at l4 to conform to the outline of for, purposes of repair or replacement. the adjacent surface of the wing I! so that when Another object lies in the provision of a sub in assembled relation the wing-and fuselage will . a stantially rigid attachment member which may form an aerodynamically uni?ed structure where 'be ?xed to a series of ribs of an airfoil and by in the wing lower surface will merge into and which the airfoil may be attached to a fuselage carry out the streamlined contour of the fuselage by means of a series of bolts or other suitable undersurface. ‘ connecting means. _ . In adapting this invention to practical use the Another object is to provide a connecting means fuselage is ?rst formed with a cut-out portion as u whereby a unitary wing of unbroken span and air just described and then theefuselage skin ad foil section may be set into- a complementary jacent‘ to the resilient opening is suitably reen recess in a monocoque fuselage and be attached forced so as to have a high degree of local thereto substantially along the meeting line of the strength. One method of accomplishing this is fuselage and wing, without disturbing the wing as” shown in detail in Fig. 4 wherein a double 30 surface or its stress carrying qualities. thickness of fuselage metal is provided by rivet Still another object is to provide means for ing a suitably formed metal strip IE to the pe locally strengthening a stressed skin wing so that riphery of the cut-out opening at l4. Following in attaching the fuselage directly to the wing skin ‘this a series of bolt holes l8_ of suitable spacing the stresses concentrated at the point of attach and number are punched or drilled through the '5 ment will be transmitted to and distributed over a original skin" thickness as well as the thickness considerable area “of the wing in a spanwise of the strip “5. Having accomplished this the direction. fuselage I0 is ready for attachment of the wing. Other objects and characteristics of my inven After the symmetrical halves of the wing l2 tion will be apparent from the following descrip have been joined along the line X-“—X by bolting ‘0 > tion and from the accompanying drawing, in the ?anges 36 together and the wing is otherwise which —- ' ' 1 v completely assembled, a pair of suitably formed Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an airplane fuselage channel or hat-shaped structural members 20 and wing joined according to this invention; are attached thereto by bolts or other means each Fig. 2 is a similar side elevation showing the aofvwhich extends through a ?ange 24 of the 45 wing detached. from the fuselage; member 20 through the wing covering 26 and into Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the wing a stiffener 28, which may comprise an inverted midsection showing'the attachment members; channel member extending spanwise of the wing. and The stiifeners 28 serve to distribute the stresses, 3 Fig. 4 is a typical cross-sectional view taken concentrated at the point of attachment of the on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, of one attachment wing and fuselage, throughout the span and area member, or channel, showing its attached rela of the wing and are provided in su?‘icient number tionship tonthe reenforced fuselage skin and its _‘ to accomplish this purpose. These ?anges 24 ?xed relationship to the reenforced wing skin. are bent to conform to the airfoil contour of the i In assembling aircraft bodies, the joining of wing surface which they adjoin and, as explained, 55 2 2,211,089 their attachment directly to the skin and the at the intersection between the fuselage and the underlying series of members 28 allows the load wing. In structures of this type the ?llet would stresses to be transmitted directly to the upper preferably be a separate fairing member which skin surfaces and to be distributed throughout would be attached to both the fuselage and the the wingby means of the associated elements wing with an attachment connection at either of its monocoque construction including the span one or the other to permit its separation when wise webs 40. The channel shaped members 20, the wing and fuselage are detached from each prior to their assembly, are drilled through their other. sides or webs 30 so that the holes match the cor What I claim is: l 10 responding holes provided in the fuselage l0 pre 1. A joint for the attachment of the wing of 10 viously described. Further, these members are an aircraft to the fuselage, comprising a ?anged positioned substantially chordwise on the wing channel fastened through both ?anges to the surface 26 and spaced symmetrically and in sub surface of said wing and means for detachably stantial parallelism with the fore and aft line attaching the fuselage skin to the webs of said 15 X—X of the wing. In the embodiment shown in ?anged channel. I 15 Fig. 3 at the section of the wing attachment, the 2. An aircraft construction, a joint for at fuselage is tapered somewhat toward the rear, in taching a stressed skin fuselage to a self-sup which case, the members 20 will converge slightly porting monocoque wing, comprising spaced toward the wing center line X--X, as they extend ?anged channels fastened through both ?anges 20 toward the wing , so as to conform to the surface of said wing, said fuselage having 20 to the fuselage taper. a reenforced opening in "its skin surface con With this construction the wing can then be forming transversely to the cross-section of the raised into position from below the fuselage un adjoining wing surface, said channels disposed til the two component units meet and ?t together chordwise on the wing to conform with the inner in a snug engagement. The connection mem periphery of said fuselage opening, and means for 25 bers 38 will be engaged by the ?re-wall at the attaching the said fuselage skin to the said chan

front end of the fuselage and the channel mem nels. . _ i bers 20 will then extend up into the fuselage and 3. In aircraft construction, a joint for attach will snugly engage the inner periphery of the ing a stressed skin fuselage to a cantilevered 30 opening I4. The bolt holes in the side walls 30 monocoque wing, comprising spaced ?anged 30 of the channel members 20 will be in substantial channels fastened through said ?anges to the alignment with corresponding holes in the fuse surface of said wing, said fuselage having a re lage wall and hence to permanently connect the enforced opening in its skin surface conforming two together it is only necessary to insert suitable transversely to the cross-section of the adjoin bolts 32 (see Fig. 4) through the holes and apply ing wing surface, said channels disposed chord thereto a lock nut 34. In order to increase the wise on the wing to conform with the inner pe strength and rigidity of the joints and to pre riphery of said fuselageopening and means for vent the crushing of the channels 20. sleeve mem detachably connecting said fuselage skin to the bers 36 may be employed between the vside walls Webs of said channels. 40 30 of these members 20. In that case each bolt 4. In aircraft‘ construction, a joint for attach 40 32 is passed through the bores and one of the ing a stressed skin fuselage. to a self-supporting sleeves 36. monocoque “wing, comprising spaced ?anged This construction gives rise to a joint that is channels fastened through said ?anges to the of adequate strength and rigidity but which can surface of ‘said wing, said fuselage having a be readily separated at any time, if desired. Such reenforced opening in its skin surface conform a joint is not only well adapted for connecting ing transversely to the cross-section of the ad the wing and fuselage in a low wing monoplane joining wing surface, said channels being dis type but it is equally adapted'for use in the high posed chordwise on the wing to conform with the , wing type and this application is intended to - inner periphery of said fuselage opening and ar 50 fully cover such use as well as the various modi ranged with transverse channel portions for at 50 ?cations which are obvious from the preferred tachment to the fuselage ?re-wall, and means showing. for detachably connecting said fuselage skin and My invention also embraces those aircraft ?re-wall to‘ the webs of said channels. structures wherein a ?llet or fairing is provided DONOVAN R. BERLIN.