A leading edge structure (1) for a flow control system of an aircraft (101) including a double-walled leading edge panel (3) with a first side portion (11) extending to a first attachment end (17), a second side portion (13) extending to a second attachment end (19), an inner wall element (21) facing a plenum (7), an outer wall element (23) facing ambient flow (25), and a core assembly (97). The outer wall element (23) includes micro pores (31) and the inner wall element (21) includes openings (33) which form a fluid connection from ambient flow, through the core assembly (97) and to the plenum (7). The thickness of the outer wall element is reduced due to the first attachment end (17) and/or at the second attachment end (19) attached to the inner wall element (21) by both bonding and fasteners (85, 87, 89, 91).

A composite structure has a first layer connect to a second layer to form a layered structure. The second layer has a plurality of base portions abutting the first layer and a plurality of beaded portions protruding from the plurality of base portions. Each beaded portion of the plurality of beaded portions defines a channel between the first layer and the second layer. A method for manufacturing a composite structure includes depositing composite material over a tool to form a second layer. The second layer has a plurality of beaded portions and a plurality of base portions. The method includes distributing a plurality of mandrels over the second layer to define channels in the plurality of beaded portions. The method includes depositing composite material over the second layer and the plurality of mandrels to form a first layer. The method includes bonding the first layer to the second layer.

A composite structure has a first layer connect to a second layer to form a layered structure. The second layer has a plurality of base portions abutting the first layer and a plurality of beaded portions protruding from the plurality of base portions. Each beaded portion of the plurality of beaded portions defines a channel between the first layer and the second layer. A method for manufacturing a composite structure includes depositing composite material over a tool to form a second layer. The second layer has a plurality of beaded portions and a plurality of base portions. The method includes distributing a plurality of mandrels over the second layer to define channels in the plurality of beaded portions. The method includes depositing composite material over the second layer and the plurality of mandrels to form a first layer. The method includes bonding the first layer to the second layer.

A process for assembling portions of an aeronautical wing, in which a wing covering is assembled with carrier structural elements, allows the simultaneous application of all filling tapes on an exposed surface, by speeding-up and making more reliable the process itself. The process includes: placing side by side the structural elements longitudinally, to form the spars, by determining a flat surface, having a plurality of longitudinal junctions, faced upwards; adhering to the longitudinal junctions respective filling tapes; translating and rotating by 180° the structural elements in one single solution, by keeping them fixed in the mutual positions thereof and by transferring them above an inner surface of a wing covering; and translating the structural elements in one single solution, by keeping them fixed in the mutual positions thereof, downwards, by making the flat surface thereof to coincide with said inner surface.

A process for assembling portions of an aeronautical wing, in which a wing covering is assembled with carrier structural elements, allows the simultaneous application of all filling tapes on an exposed surface, by speeding-up and making more reliable the process itself. The process includes: placing side by side the structural elements longitudinally, to form the spars, by determining a flat surface, having a plurality of longitudinal junctions, faced upwards; adhering to the longitudinal junctions respective filling tapes; translating and rotating by 180° the structural elements in one single solution, by keeping them fixed in the mutual positions thereof and by transferring them above an inner surface of a wing covering; and translating the structural elements in one single solution, by keeping them fixed in the mutual positions thereof, downwards, by making the flat surface thereof to coincide with said inner surface.

The control surface according to the present invention controls an attitude of a flying object, and includes a skin covering an internal space and a lattice structure supporting the skin in the internal space. The lattice structure has mechanical strength that is changeable in one or both of a surface length direction and a surface width direction. For example, the mechanical strength at a root of the control surface in the surface length direction may be made larger than the mechanical strength of other regions in the surface length direction, or the mechanical strength at a front edge and a rear edge in the surface width direction may be made larger than the mechanical strength of other regions in the surface width direction.

The control surface according to the present invention controls an attitude of a flying object, and includes a skin covering an internal space and a lattice structure supporting the skin in the internal space. The lattice structure has mechanical strength that is changeable in one or both of a surface length direction and a surface width direction. For example, the mechanical strength at a root of the control surface in the surface length direction may be made larger than the mechanical strength of other regions in the surface length direction, or the mechanical strength at a front edge and a rear edge in the surface width direction may be made larger than the mechanical strength of other regions in the surface width direction.

A passively controlled fluid foil has a span; and a rigid spar extending in the spanwise direction, a cellular material and a flexible outer surface defining a profile of the outer surface of the foil and encapsulating the cellular material and the spar.

A passively controlled fluid foil has a span; and a rigid spar extending in the spanwise direction, a cellular material and a flexible outer surface defining a profile of the outer surface of the foil and encapsulating the cellular material and the spar.

Systems and methods are provided for hardening wing panel preforms. One embodiment is a method for fabricating a wing panel for an aircraft. The method includes loading a wing skin preform onto a contour of an Outer Mold Line (OML) tool, applying stringer preforms to troughs of an Inner Mold Line (IML) tool, aligning the OML tool with the IML tool, and assembling the IML, tool and the OML tool into a cartridge that molds a wing panel preform comprising the wing skin preform and the stringer preforms. The method further includes inserting the cartridge into a press, and hardening the wing panel preform into a composite part while the cartridge resides in the press.