Methods and apparatuses may include a stiffened beam assembly including a structural beam portion having a web and upper and lower flanges, and at least one continuous stiffening member extending back and forth between the upper and lower flanges on one side of the web, forming one or more trusses or other reinforcing structures. The beam portion and/or the stiffening member(s) may comprise formed sheet metal. The stiffening member(s) may be mechanically attached to the beam portion.

An energy dispersion plug for use in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a blunt head section, a wedge section, and a rim section. The blunt head section has an outer side for receiving an impact force and an inner side opposite the outer side. The wedge section has a base end and a distal end opposite the base end. The wedge section extends at the base end from the inner side of the blunt head section towards the distal end and the distal end has a smaller cross-sectional area than the base end. The wedge section is shaped and sized to fit into an open end of a hollow structural member of the UAV and to transfer impact energy incident upon the blunt head section into the hollow structural member to shatter the hollow structural member into fragments.

A pole-shaped aircraft framework assembly including a first plug-and-turn connector forming a first end, a second plug-and-turn connector forming a second end, the second end opposite the first end, a first rod extending from the first plug-and-turn connector towards the second plug-and-turn connector, and a coupling component coupled to the second plug-and-turn connector for detachable coupling with the first rod. The first rod has a circumferential outer surface including alternately on a circumferential path in a cross-sectional plane of the first rod a ridged section and a plain section. The coupling component includes a tubular part having a circumferential inner surface including alternately on a circumferential path in a cross-sectional plane of the tubular part at least one ridged section and at least one plain section. One of the first rod and the coupling component is rotatable relative to the other one, engaging respective ridges of the first rod and the coupling component.

A flexurally controlled system comprises an elongated structure, a tendon attached to the elongated structure, and an actuator operable to apply a tensile load to the tendon. The actuator is operable to apply the tensile load to the tendon when at least one of the first side of the elongated structure is under a first tensile stress or the second side of the elongated structure is under a first compressive stress. The actuator is also operable to apply no load to the tendon when the first side and the second side of the elongated structure are not under stress. The tendon is non-coaxial with a central axis of the elongated structure and is aligned with at least one region of the elongated structure.

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 box structural arrangement (1) for an aircraft including first (2) and second composite layers (3), at least one spar web (4) extended between opposite edges of the first and second composite layers (2, 3) along a longitudinal direction, and a conduit piece (5) extended between opposite edges of the first and second composite layers (2, 3). The conduit piece (5) has a hollow section (6) comprising at least one conduit (7) dimensioned to receive pipes or harnesses and surrounded by a resilient material (8). The conduit piece (5) is mounted on the spar web (4) to provide a channeled box structural arrangement (1). The box structural arrangement can be applicable in a torsion box or a wing. The invention further refers to a method for manufacturing the box structural arrangement for an aircraft.

A hybrid carbon/fiberglass structural component or beam for an aircraft is constructed with layers of strips of glass fibers interspersed with layers of strips of unidirectional carbon fibers where the carbon fibers are oriented only in alignment with or along the longitudinal direction of the length of the beam thereby adding strength and stiffness to the beam while reducing weight and manufacturing costs.

A hybrid carbon/fiberglass structural component or beam for an aircraft is constructed with layers of strips of glass fibers interspersed with layers of strips of unidirectional carbon fibers where the carbon fibers are oriented only in alignment with or along the longitudinal direction of the length of the beam thereby adding strength and stiffness to the beam while reducing weight and manufacturing costs.

The present invention relates to methods for repairing a structural weakness in an aircraft fuselage, or preventing the advancement of a structural weakness in an aircraft fuselage. Cold spray methods such as supersonic particle deposition have been shown to positively affect structural characteristics of sheet metal and lap joints as used in fuselage construction.

A method includes making a first structure with a first plurality of pre-drilled holes at pre-defined locations, making a second structure with a second plurality of pre-drilled holes at pre-defined locations, making a third structure without pre-drilled full-size holes, measuring the location and orientation of the first and second plurality of pre-drilled holes in the first and second structures, determining the location of a third plurality of holes to be drilled in the third structure that correspond to first and second plurality of pre-drilled holes measured in the first and second structures, creating a program to drill the third plurality of holes in the third structure that align with the measured location and orientation of the first and second plurality of pre-drilled holes in the first and second structures based on the measure location and orientation of the first and second plurality of pre-drilled holes in the first and second structure, drilling the third plurality of holes in the third structure based on the program, positioning the third structure on the first and second structures such that the third plurality of holes in the third structure are aligned with the first and second plurality of pre-drilled holes in the first and second structures, and inserting fasteners through the third plurality of holes and the first and second plurality of predrilled holes that are aligned with the third plurality of holes to secure the second structure to the first structure using the third structure.