The present invention provides an aircraft structure comprising a structural component and a set of reinforcing straps for reinforcing the structural component, wherein the set comprises a first reinforcing strap having an inner and outer surface, wherein the inner surface is attached to a first surface of the structural component such that the first reinforcing strap extends longitudinally along the structural component and a second reinforcing strap having an inner and outer surface, wherein the inner surface is attached to the outer surface of the first reinforcing strap such that the second reinforcing strap extends longitudinally along the first reinforcing strap. The invention also provides an aircraft, a method of reinforcing an aircraft structure and a method of inspecting an aircraft structure.

A composite structure includes a first composite material, a second composite material bonded to the first composite material, and a corner fillet part provided at a corner part formed by the first composite material and the second composite material. In the composite structure, the rigidity of the corner fillet part is adjustable, and a pull-off stress to be applied to the corner part is adjusted by adjusting the rigidity of the corner fillet part. The pull-off stress to be applied to the corner part is adjusted to be decreased by adjusting the rigidity of the corner fillet part to be decreased.

A bladder mandrel package, used to manufacture a composite structure, includes a mandrel and a wrap ply, surrounding the mandrel to form a wrapped mandrel. The bladder mandrel package also includes a first radius filler, coupled to the wrap ply at a first radius of the wrapped mandrel, and a second radius filler coupled to the wrap ply at a second radius of the wrapped mandrel. The mandrel, the wrap ply, the first radius filler, and the second radius filler are consolidated to from the bladder mandrel package.

An airframe component includes a skin panel, a plurality of stringers attached to the skin panel, and at least one former running substantially perpendicular to the plurality of stringers on the skin panel, the at least one former being generatively formed on the skin panel by an Additive Manufacturing (AM) method.

A connector for a structurally integrated line system of a vehicle, having a first end portion, a second end portion and a connecting piece extending between the first end portion and the second end portion, wherein the first end portion has at least one contact face for arrangement on a structurally integrated line, wherein at least one of the at least one contact face has a cutout which is surrounded by a closed border, wherein the second end portion has a flange connection for connection to a pipe.

The present disclosure provides a keel beam assembly, an aircraft including the keel beam assembly, and a method of aircraft manufacture using the keel beam assembly. An illustrative keel beam assembly comprises a pair of keel chords extending outside an aircraft fuselage and forming at least part of a lower keel box portion of a keel box. An upper keel box portion of the keel box is coupled to the pair of keel chords and has an aft end engaged with and secured to an aft wheel well bulkhead (AWWB).

Systems and methods are provided for installing splice fittings. One embodiment is a method for forming a splice between stringers. The method includes aligning a web of a splice fitting with a web of a first stringer and a web of a second stringer, and coupling the first stringer and the second stringer by installing fasteners that secure the web of the first stringer to the web of the splice fitting, and by installing fasteners that secure the web of the second stringer to the web of the splice fitting.

A method of producing at least part of a structural frame of a vehicle, the method comprising: providing a support structure (300), the support structure (300) comprising: a plurality of elongate members (301); and one or more retaining members (208) configured to retain the elongate members (301); mounting a plurality of first structural components (206) to the support structure (300) by coupling the first structural components (206) to the elongate members (301) such that each first structural component (206) occupies a different respective position along the elongate members (301); and attaching a plurality of second structural components (204) to the first structural components (206), thereby coupling together the first structural components (206) to form the at least part of the structural frame of a vehicle.

A system includes a mandrel contoured to define a tapering tubular shape of a workpiece cured on the mandrel and a demolding tool. The demolding tool is configured to remove the workpiece from the mandrel after the workpiece is cured on the mandrel and cut longitudinally. The demolding tool is configured to remove the workpiece from the mandrel by deforming a first end of the workpiece to at least partially disengage the first end of the workpiece from a first end of the mandrel, and subsequently, deforming a second end of the workpiece to at least partially disengage the second end of the workpiece from a second end of the mandrel. The first end of the workpiece may have a first cross-sectional area that is smaller than a second cross-sectional area of the second end of the workpiece.

A composite structure including a multi-layer laminate having a plurality of regions each oriented out of plane relative to an adjacent region, and each extending in a longitudinal dimension of the multi-layer laminate, wherein the multi-layer laminate includes at least one ply layer having an oblique fiber orientation relative to the longitudinal dimension, and wherein the at least one ply layer includes a first section and a second section each having a side edge, the first and second sections aligned side-by-side such that a first interface defined between the respective side edges is oriented to extend in the longitudinal dimension.