Support member

1. An aircraft assembly comprising:

a rib having an aperture; and

a support member for supporting a substantially longitudinal structure within the aperture, the support member having a funnel part and a bracket being fixedly attached to the rib such that the funnel part is coaxial with the aperture,

wherein the diameter of the base of the funnel is less than or equal to the diameter of the aperture, and is substantially equal to the diameter of a part of the substantially longitudinal structure.

2. An aircraft assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the support member extends through the aperture and has an additional funnel part coaxial with the funnel part, and wherein the funnel part extends away from a first side of the rib and the additional funnel part extends away from a second, opposite side of the rib.

3. An aircraft assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a further rib having a further aperture; and

a further support member for supporting a substantially longitudinal structure within the aperture, the further support member having a further funnel part and being fixedly attached to the further rib such that the funnel part is coaxial with the aperture;

wherein the further aperture is coaxial with the aperture.

4. An aircraft assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the diameter of the base of the funnel part is greater than the diameter of the base of the further funnel part.

5. An aircraft assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a substantially longitudinal structure within the aperture, wherein the longitudinal structure is oriented coaxially with the funnel part of the support member and extends through the funnel part of the support member.

6. An aircraft assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the external diameter of at least the part of the longitudinal structure disposed within the base of the funnel part is substantially equal to the internal diameter of the base of the funnel part.

7. An aircraft assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the longitudinal structure comprises a collar configured to fit within the base of the funnel part.

8. An aircraft assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the collar is configured to seal against the base of the funnel part.

9. An aircraft assembly according to claim 6 , further comprising:

a further rib having a further aperture; and

a further support member for supporting a substantially longitudinal structure within the aperture, the further support member having a further funnel part and being fixedly attached to the further rib such that the funnel part is coaxial with the aperture;

wherein the further aperture is coaxial with the aperture; and

wherein the external diameter of a first part of the longitudinal structure which is disposed within the base of the funnel part is substantially equal to the internal diameter of the base of the funnel part, and the external diameter of a second part of the longitudinal structure which is disposed within the base of the further funnel part is substantially equal to the internal diameter of the base of the further funnel part.

10. An aircraft assembly according to claim 1 , wherein at least part of the support member has a low-friction coating.

11. An aircraft comprising an assembly according to claim 1 .

12. The aircraft assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bracket has a substantially flat surface configured to abut a substantially flat surface of the rib.

13. The aircraft assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bracket is a flange which at least partially cover the aperture when the support member is attached to the rib.

14. The aircraft assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bracket is a flange which completely covers the aperture when the support member is attached to the rib.

15. A kit of parts comprising a plurality of support members, each support member being configured to support a longitudinal structure within an aperture of an aircraft wing rib and each support member comprising a funnel part and a flange for attaching the support member to the rib,

wherein the diameter of the narrow end of the funnel part is less than or equal to the diameter of the aperture, and is substantially equal to the diameter of a part of the longitudinal structure to be supported by the support member, and

wherein the internal diameter of the narrow end of the funnel part of each support member is unique.

16. A kit of parts according to claim 15 , further comprising a plurality of collars, each collar corresponding to one of the support members, wherein each collar is configured to be fixedly attached circumferentially to a longitudinal structure and wherein the external diameter of each collar is unique and matches the internal diameter of the funnel base of the corresponding support member.

17. A kit of parts according to claim 16 , wherein the external diameter of each collar and/or the internal diameter of the funnel base of the support member corresponding to that collar is selected to create an interference fit between the collar and the funnel base when the collar is disposed within the funnel base.

18. A kit of parts according to claim 16 , wherein each collar is shaped such that, when that collar is attached to the longitudinal structure, the angle between the external surface of the collar and the adjacent external surface of the longitudinal structure is an obtuse angle.

19. A method of installing a longitudinal structure on a plurality of ribs in an aircraft wing, the method comprising:

providing a first rib having a first aperture and a second rib having a second aperture such that a space between the first and second ribs is defined, wherein the first and the second ribs are separated by a distance D;

providing a first support member having a first funnel part and a first bracket on the first rib such that the funnel part is coaxial with the first aperture, and providing a second support member having a second funnel part and a second bracket on the second rib such that the funnel part is coaxial with the second aperture;

providing a longitudinal structure having a length greater than D; and

inserting an end of the longitudinal structure into the funnel part of the first support member and subsequently inserting the end of the longitudinal structure into the funnel part of the second support member;

wherein during the inserting, there is no structural contact with any part of the longitudinal structure disposed between the first and second ribs.

20. A method according to claim 19 , further comprising:

providing one or more intermediate ribs between the first and second ribs, the or each intermediate rib having an aperture;

providing a support member having a funnel part on the or each intermediate rib such that the funnel part is coaxial with the aperture; and

after inserting the end of the longitudinal structure into the funnel of the first support member and before inserting the end of the longitudinal structure into the funnel part of the second support member, inserting the end of the longitudinal structure into the funnel part of the support member on the or each intermediate rib.

21. A method according to claim 19 , wherein providing a longitudinal structure having a length greater than D comprises:

providing a first section of the longitudinal structure, wherein the first section has a length less than D;

inserting a first end of the first section into the funnel part of the first support member;

providing a second section of the longitudinal structure, wherein the second section has a length less than D; and

connecting a first end of the second section to a second end of the first section such that the second section is coaxial with the first section.

22. A method according to claim 21 , wherein between the inserting of the end of the longitudinal structure into the funnel part of the first support member and the inserting of the end of the longitudinal structure into the funnel part of the second support member, the method comprises inserting a joint between the first section and the second section into the funnel part of the first support member.