A flight-operable, truly modular aircraft has an aircraft core to which one or more of outer wings members, fuselage, cockpit, leading and trailing edge couplings, and empennage and tail sections can be removably coupled and/or replaced during the operating life span of the aircraft. In preferred embodiments the aircraft core houses the propulsive engines, avionics, at least 80% of the fuel, and all of the landing gear. The aircraft core is preferably constructed with curved forward and aft composite spars, that transfer loads across the center section, while accommodating a mid-wing configuration. The aircraft core preferably has a large central cavity dimensioned to interchangeably carry an ordnance launcher, a surveillance payload, electronic countermeasures, and other types of cargo. Contemplated aircraft can be quite large, for example having a wing span of at least 80 ft.

A fuselage cell structure for an aircraft includes at least two skin panels including at least one double shell skin panel and at least one monolithic skin panel. At least one longitudinal brace or a transverse brace is disposed so as to form at least one of longitudinal seam or a transverse seam between the double shell skin panel and the monolithic skin panel. The fuselage cell structure includes at least one of a longitudinal bracket and a load transfer point. The longitudinal bracket is disposed in a region of the longitudinal seam and includes a first and a second longitudinal flanges disposed offset with respect to one another and connected by a web. The load transfer point is disposed in a region of the transverse seam so as to connect the longitudinal brace disposed on the monolithic skin panel to the double shell skin panel.

A device for compacting and consolidating a stack of fibrous plies pre-impregnated with a thermoplastic polymer, configured to be placed in an oven. The device comprises containment blocks, a flexible compacting plate and a vacuum pump. The containment blocks are supported by a board and demarcate the perimeter of the stack. The containment blocks comprise open grooves that open into the perimeter of the stack. The flexible compacting plate has an area equal to that of the stack but is capable of being inserted inside the perimeter demarcated by the containment blocks. The vacuum pump applies a vacuum to the wrapped volume of the stack comprising a plurality of holes in the board that open outside the perimeter of the stack. A method for implementing the device for manufacturing a thick composite panel having a thermoplastic matrix.

A trussed structure comprising a frame and at least one strut, wherein the frame is of composite material and includes sockets which are integral with the frame. The invention also provides a process of making the trussed structures. The struts are typically of composite material and the trussed structures of the invention are particularly suitable for use in aircraft, for example, as wing ribs or floor beams.

A fuselage for an airplane including a frame comprising an upper truss and a lower truss extending from a front end of the fuselage towards the rear end of the fuselage, wherein the lower truss comprises one or more forward box beams, a plurality of support rings attached to the upper truss and lower truss, a front bulkhead connected to a first end of the upper truss and lower truss, a main bulkhead connected to the upper truss and lower truss, a pressure vessel adapted to fit within the frame between the front bulkhead and main bulkhead, and a skin adapted to fit over the frame.

Systems and methods are provided for fabricating multiple segment spars for an aircraft. In one example the method includes fabricating preforms of fiber reinforced material for spar segments, hardening the preforms to form the spar segments, and bonding the spar segments together to form a completed spar detail. In addition to bonding, other examples include co-curing and fastening the spar segments. In additional examples, the spar segments include kinks or sub-kinks as described.

A compound helicopter includes a fuselage including a fuselage airframe, a translational thrust system coupled to the fuselage airframe and a pylon assembly subject to vibration. The pylon assembly includes a transmission and a rotor system having a main rotor assembly. The compound helicopter also includes a main rotor vibration isolation system including a plurality of augmented liquid inertia vibration eliminator units each having an isolation frequency and each coupled between the fuselage airframe and the pylon assembly to reduce transmission of the pylon assembly vibration to the fuselage airframe at the isolation frequency. Each augmented liquid inertia vibration eliminator unit includes at least one active tuning element movable to tune the isolation frequency thereof.

A method for producing a torsion box for a structure of an airplane. The method includes providing a first component made of a fiber composite material, the first component has a first planar base having a first inner side and a first outer side, first stiffening elements on the first inner side forming a composite with the first base. A second component is provided of a fiber composite material and has a second planar base having a second inner side and a second outer side. Second stiffening elements are on the second inner side and form a composite with the second base. The method includes superimposing the first component and the second component such that the first stiffening elements lie, at least in some areas, on the second inner side and the second stiffening elements lie, at least in some areas, on the first inner side. The methods includes connecting the first stiffening elements to the second base and connecting the second stiffening elements to the first base.

An aircraft wing assembly includes a wing box including an upper surface, a lower surface, and a leading edge structure connecting the upper surface to the lower surface and secured to the upper surface at a connection point. The aircraft wing assembly includes a drive mechanism secured to the wing box and a high lift device mounted to the drive mechanism. The drive mechanism is configured to move the high lift device between a retracted position and an extended position in use, and wherein the high lift device is configured to overlap the connection point when in the retracted position.

A composite spar (100) for horizontal structures external to the fuselage of an aircraft, the composite spar (100) including a web (110) configured as a longitudinal element, upper and lower flanges (110a) and two distal ends, wherein for each end, the composite spar (100) includes an end portion (105) established in the longitudinal direction of the web (110), and a curved-edged end portion (120) with curved flanges (120a) and a truncated section (125) established in the transverse direction of the web (110), wherein the truncated section (125) is connectable to a frame of the fuselage of the aircraft and configured as a load transfer element between the web (110) and the frame, and wherein one or more of the lower flanges (110a) are connected to the curved flanges (120a).