A center wing box assembly for an aircraft which includes: a composite lower wing skin, a composite upper wing skin and a composite spar which extends between the composite lower wing skin and the composite upper wing skin. The center wingbox assembly further includes a composite stringer which extends along a web of the composite spar in a wing span direction. The composite spar has a co-cure securement with the composite lower wing skin and with the composite upper wing skin and the composite stringer has a co-cure securement with the web of the composite spar.

A method and apparatus is presented. A layer of composite material is laid up on a forming tool. A bend is formed in the layer on the forming tool to form a bent layer. A laminate stack and the bent layer are assembled to form the composite filler.

The invention relates to a method for producing a support structure in the form of a hybrid component with a base structure and with at least one reinforcement structure, having the following steps: producing the at least one reinforcement structure for each base structure, wherein the at least one reinforcement structure, in particular all of the reinforcement structures, is/are made of a composite material comprising fibers and a matrix using a pultrusion and/or extrusion process, and connecting the at least one reinforcement structure to the base structure such that the at least one reinforcement structure is connected to the base structure in a connection position, and the base structure together with the at least one reinforcement structure forms the support structure.

A vehicle body may have an internal skeleton forming a wing shape, and a skin formed over the internal skeleton. The skin may include a matrix material, and a plurality of continuous fibers encased within the matrix material. The plurality of continuous fibers may curve from a base end near a fore/aft center of the wing shape outward toward leading and trailing edges of the wing shape at a tip end.

Described herein is a process for producing polyurethane sandwich moldings including at least one core layer and at least one reinforcing fiber layer, where (i) at least one reinforcing fiber layer is applied onto a core layer and a moisture-curing polyurethane adhesive is applied to a reinforcing fiber layer, (ii) the part from (i) is placed into a mold and pressed in the mold and the moisture-curing polyurethane adhesive is cured, and (iii) the molding from (ii) is removed from the mold and optionally subjected to further operations, where the moisture-curing polyurethane adhesive is applied before or after application of the reinforcing fiber layer onto the at least one core layer and for the curing the moisture-curing polyurethane adhesive is brought into contact with water or with a solution comprising water. Also described herein are a polyurethane sandwich molding obtainable by such a process and a method of using a polyurethane sandwich molding in vehicles.

In one aspect, there is a method of making a composite skin for a tiltrotor aircraft including providing a first skin in a mold, the first skin having a periphery defined by a forward edge, an aft edge, and outboard ends; providing a plurality of honeycomb panels having an array of large cells onto the first skin, each cell having a width of at least 1 cm; assembling the plurality of honeycomb panels along the longitudinal axis of the first skin to form a honeycomb core having an outer perimeter within the periphery of the first skin; positioning a second skin onto the honeycomb core, the second skin having an outer perimeter within the periphery of the first skin; and curing an adhesive to create a bond between the first skin, the honeycomb core, and the second skin to form a composite skin.

A method for manufacturing a structural assembly comprising at least two assembly components interconnected by means of a thermoplastic plastics material, and useful in the field of aviation or space travel. First, a first assembly component and a second assembly component are provided and arranged so as to form an arrangement. Second, the arrangement is subjected to creep forming at a temperature which is selected in such a way that the thermoplastic plastics material melts at least in part during the creep forming so as to connect the first assembly component and the second assembly component. The invention further relates to structural assemblies, in particular for an aircraft or spacecraft, and to an aircraft or spacecraft comprising a structural assembly of this type.

A method and an apparatus are presented. The method locally compensates for cure related deformations in a composite skin by laying up a composite material on a compensation surface of a slip sheet designed to form a modified outer mold line different from a designed shape, wherein the slip sheet is held against a forming surface of a layup tool, wherein the forming surface is designed to form an outer mold line of the designed shape.

A method and system for manufacturing a conical shaped acoustic structure. A sheet of acoustical material is cut to form individual pieces using a cutter system. Each individual piece in the individual pieces has a flat pattern for the conical shaped acoustic structure. An individual piece is positioned around a mandrel with a conical shape using an actuator system. Two edges of the individual piece are positioned for joining. The two edges of the individual piece positioned around the mandrel are joined to form the conical shaped acoustic structure.

A method for manufacturing an acoustic absorption structure including an acoustically resistive layer, a cellular structure, a reflective layer and a plurality of acoustic elements positioned in cavities produced in the cellular structure. This method comprises steps of depositing fiber plies on a contact surface of the cellular structure, fitting a flexible jacket which covers a stack composed of the acoustically resistive layer, the cellular structure and the fiber plies, which is tightly linked with the deposition surface all around the stack, consolidating the fiber plies to form the reflective layer and the fixing thereof on the cellular structure, with a caul plate being inserted between the fiber plies and the flexible jacket during the consolidation step.