FOLDING WING HINGE, AIRCRAFT AND METHOD THEREFOR

There is described A folding wing hinge (210) for a wing (102) having a fixed wing portion (204)and a folding wing portion (202), the folding wing hinge (210) comprising: a hinge pin (600) including a hinge pin spline (700) and having a first longitudinal axis (790); an input fitting (610) coupled to one of the fixed wing portion (204) and the folding wing portion (202), the input fitting (610) including an input fitting spline (705, 705A) and a second longitudinal axis (791); and a spline coupling member (620) having a coupling spline configured to couple with the hinge pin spline (700) and the input fitting spline (705, 705A) so that the first longitudinal axis (790) is moveable relative to the second longitudinal axis (791) by a first predetermined amount of movement; wherein the hinge pin spline (700) is an external spline (809) having teeth (800) with a crowned tooth surface and the coupling spline (710) includes a first mating spline portion (710) having an internal straight-sided spline; and wherein one of: a) the input fitting spline (705) is an external spline (709) having teeth (770) with a crowned tooth surface and the coupling spline (710) includes a second mating spline portion (712A) having an internal straight-sided spline, wherein the respective crowned tooth surfaces of each of the hinge pin spline and the input fitting spline form respective universal joints with the coupling spline; and b) the input fitting spline (705A) is an internal straight-sided spline and the coupling spline (710) includes a second mating spline portion (712A) having teeth with a crowned tooth surface, wherein respective crowned tooth surfaces of the hinge pin spline and tooth surfaces of the input fitting spline form respective universal joints with the coupling spline (710).