Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. has recently been granted the patent US12776019B2 for their Feature inspection system. The aerospace manufacturing company, whose website can be found at https://www.spiritaero.com, developed this technology to improve the efficiency and accuracy of aerostructure assembly. The team of inventors credited for this patent includes Mark Davis Haynes, Glen Paul Cork, Bharath Achyutha Rao, John Thomas Baumfalk-Lee, Matthew W. McKenna, Bruce E. Gabel, Scott Bishop, and Gregorio Balandran.
The Feature inspection system detailed in patent US12776019B2 introduces a new methodology for inspecting features of an airframe. The core of the invention includes a feature inspection device designed to measure an aspect of a first feature, paired with a tracking subsystem. This tracking subsystem determines the position of the inspection device while it measures the feature. The primary structural advantage of this system is that it can determine the position of the first feature on the airframe independently from the actual measurement of the feature itself.
KANSAS PATENT OF THE MONTH – NOVEMBER 2026
This invention has been recognized by Swanson Reed as the Kansas Patent of the Month for November 2026 due to its technical advancement in aerospace manufacturing and practical application on the factory floor. The Feature inspection system is highly innovative because it addresses a complex bottleneck in airframe production: the time consuming and mechanically difficult process of verifying both the physical dimensions and the exact spatial location of features on massive aircraft components. By decoupling the measurement of the feature from the spatial tracking of the tool, Spirit AeroSystems has created a highly adaptable, modular process. This technical improvement increases overall manufacturing reliability and precision while reducing inspection times, making it a clear demonstration of excellence in research and development.
R&D Tax Credit Eligibility in the USA
The practical applications of developing this Feature inspection system present a strong case for eligibility under the Research and Development tax credit in the USA. To qualify, the development process must satisfy the four-part test established by the IRS. First, the permitted purpose is satisfied because the system was designed to improve the performance, reliability, and quality of airframe quality assurance protocols. Second, the engineering team likely faced technical uncertainty regarding the optimal design, accuracy, and integration of the tracking subsystem with the inspection device. Third, overcoming these technical challenges required a process of experimentation, which would involve the iterative testing of different sensor configurations, spatial tracking algorithms, and calibration models. Finally, the entire development is fundamentally technological in nature, relying on principles of mechanical engineering, metrology, and computer science. The resources expended during these engineering, modeling, and testing phases constitute qualified research activities, making the associated labor and material costs eligible for R&D tax incentives.
