In one embodiment, a method includes fastening a plurality of components of a composite structure in an assembly fixture, wherein the assembly fixture comprises a plurality of strands of a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material, wherein the fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material comprises a thermoplastic embedded with a plurality of reinforcement fibers, wherein the plurality of reinforcement fibers is aligned within each strand of the plurality of strands, and wherein the assembly fixture further comprises an anisotropic thermal expansion property based on an orientation of the plurality of reinforcement fibers within the assembly fixture; and heating the assembly fixture in an autoclave to bond the plurality of components of the composite structure.

An acoustic panel (200) for an aircraft nacelle (100) may comprise a perforated first skin (220), a second skin (230), and a core (210) sandwiched between them. A camera system (330) may scan a perforation pattern of a damaged portion (311) of the perforated first skin (220). The damaged portion (311) of the perforated first skin (220) may be removed. A replacement patch (660) may be formed. A CNC machine (450) may drill the replacement patch (660) according to the perforation pattern. The perforations (425) in the replacement patch (660) may be aligned with perforations (325) in the perforated first skin.

An aircraft panel production method has: a step in which a holding jig holds a body panel, which has a plurality of plate-like members having a curved cross-sectional shape, such that the cross section of the body panel has an upwardly bulging curved shape; a step in which the plate-like members of the body panel held by the holding jig are overlapped with each other and the overlapping portions are joined by a rivet; a step in which the holding jig, which is holding the body panel of which the plate-like members have been joined to each other, is moved; and a step in which a frame that follows the curved shape of the body panel is joined, by a rivet, to the plate-like members of the body panel which is held by the holding jig which has been moved.

In one embodiment, an assembly fixture may include a base structure including a plurality of strands of a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material comprising a thermoplastic embedded with a plurality of reinforcement fibers, wherein the plurality of reinforcement fibers is aligned within each strand of the plurality of strands, and wherein the base structure further comprises an anisotropic thermal expansion property based on an orientation of the plurality of reinforcement fibers within the base structure, The assembly fixture may further include a plurality of fastening structures coupled to the base structure, wherein the plurality of fastening structures is configured to fasten a plurality of components of a composite structure for assembly using a heated bonding process.

A method of producing a component part (202, 204) of an aircraft airframe (200), the method comprising: providing a first digital model, the first digital model being a digital model of the component part (202, 204); producing an initial physical part using the first digital model; measuring a surface of the initial physical part; creating a second digital model using the measurements of the surface of the initial physical part, the second digital model being a digital model of the initial physical part; specifying one or more fastener holes (606) in the second digital model; and drilling one or more fastener holes (606) in the initial physical part using the second digital model with the one or more fastener holes specified therein, thereby producing the component part (202, 204) of an aircraft airframe (200).

A method of producing a shim for use in an aircraft airframe (200) comprising: providing a plurality of component parts (202, 204) of the aircraft airframe (200); measuring a surface of each of the component parts (202, 204) and creating a digital models of the component part (202, 204) therefrom; digitally assembling together the digital models of the component parts (202, 204) thereby to produce a digital model (600) of at least part of the aircraft airframe (200); using that digital model (600), creating a digital model of a shim (604), the digital model of the shim (604) filling a gap between at least two digital models of component parts (202, 204) in the digital model (600) of at least part of the aircraft airframe (200); and producing a physical shim using the digital model of the shim (604).

An assembly method comprising: providing a digital model of an aircraft airframe (200), the digital model comprising digital models of component parts (202, 204) of the airframe (200); providing the component parts (202, 204), each comprising one or more predrilled fastener holes; fixing a first component part (202a) to a support structure (1102); fixing a second component part (204a) to an end effector (1112) of a robot arm (1110); using the airframe digital model, controlling the robot arm (1110) to move the second component part (204a) relative to the first component (202a) as specified in the airframe digital model to cause one or more predrilled holes in the second component (204a) part to align with one or more predrilled holes in the first component part (202a); and attaching the second component part (204a) to the first component part (202a) using fasteners through the aligned predrilled holes.

A method of producing a shim (1500) for use in an aircraft, the method comprising: providing an aircraft airframe (200); measuring a surface of the airframe (200); creating a digital model of the airframe (200) using those measurements; providing an aircraft skin (1506); measuring a surface of the aircraft skin (1506); creating a digital model of the aircraft skin (1506) using those measurements; digitally assembling the digital model of the airframe (200) with the digital model of the aircraft skin (1506); using the digitally assembled models, creating a digital model of a shim (1500), the digital model of the shim (1500) substantially filling a gap between the digitally assembled digital models of the airframe (200) and the skin (1506); and producing a physical shim (1500) using the digital model of the shim(1500).

An aircraft component assembly jig includes: header plates; positioners provided on each of the header plates, each positioner including a receiver that comes into contact with a lower/upper surface of an aircraft component, each positioner causing the receiver to advance and retract; receiver state detectors, that each detects, as control data, a supporting state of a corresponding one of the receivers; and a circuitry. The circuitry compares each of detection values of the control data with a preset reference value to determine whether an equal support state is achieved, the equal support state being a state where all the receivers are equally supporting the aircraft component. If it is determined that the equal support state is not achieved, the circuitry controls an adjustment-requiring positioner among all the positioners to adjust an advancing/retracting position of the receiver of the adjustment-requiring positioner within a design tolerance.

An assembly of a central aircraft fuselage section includes a longitudinal master wall for fixing of two aircraft air foil boxes. The method includes providing a trolley that can be moved on the ground, including a supporting structure in a station, supplying the station with the master wall, installing and mechanically immobilizing the master wall at a reference position on the supporting structure of the trolley, supplying the station with a transverse wall, installing and mechanically immobilizing this transverse wall at a reference position situated at a rectilinear edge upstream or downstream of the master wall, fixing the transverse wall to the master wall, and moving the trolley to another station.