Aircraft that incorporates a rounded-hat composite stringer connected to an inner side of the skin of the aircraft to form an elongate conduit that defines a conduit axis, where the conduit axis includes at least one curving portion. The rounded-hat composite stringer can be manufactured by constructing a lower forming die and an upper forming die, each forming die having a length and defining a curve along at least a portion of the length of the die, cutting a pre-cured flat composite charge dimensioned to form the rounded-hat composite stringer, pressing the flat composite charge between the lower and upper forming dies to shape the composite charge into a pre-formed stringer having an inner side between curved fillet portions, contacting a forming member against the inner side of the pre-formed stringer, applying radius fillers to the curved fillet portions of the pre-formed stringer, curing the pre-formed stringer, and removing the forming member from the cured stringer.

Aircraft that incorporates a rounded-hat composite stringer connected to an inner side of the skin of the aircraft to form an elongate conduit that defines a conduit axis, where the conduit axis includes at least one curving portion. The rounded-hat composite stringer can be manufactured by constructing a lower forming die and an upper forming die, each forming die having a length and defining a curve along at least a portion of the length of the die, cutting a pre-cured flat composite charge dimensioned to form the rounded-hat composite stringer, pressing the flat composite charge between the lower and upper forming dies to shape the composite charge into a pre-formed stringer having an inner side between curved fillet portions, contacting a forming member against the inner side of the pre-formed stringer, applying radius fillers to the curved fillet portions of the pre-formed stringer, curing the pre-formed stringer, and removing the forming member from the cured stringer.

The aerospace component joints comprise a first component member comprising a first bonding face, a second component member comprising a second bonding face, one or more bond-enhancing features, and an adhesive layer forming a bond between the first and second bonding faces. The one or more bond-enhancing features comprises a plurality of reinforcing protrusions integral with the first component member, projecting from the first bonding face through the adhesive layer, and into the component member and/or one or more adhesive-receiving recesses defined in the first or second bonding faces and filled by the adhesive layer. The methods of preparing a component member for an aerospace component joint comprise integrating one or more bond-enhancing features into the component member. The methods of forming the aerospace component joint comprise positioning and adhesive-bonding the first bonding face to the second bonding face, and integrating the bond-enhancing feature(s) into the aerospace component joint.

The aerospace component joints comprise a first component member comprising a first bonding face, a second component member comprising a second bonding face, one or more bond-enhancing features, and an adhesive layer forming a bond between the first and second bonding faces. The one or more bond-enhancing features comprises a plurality of reinforcing protrusions integral with the first component member, projecting from the first bonding face through the adhesive layer, and into the component member and/or one or more adhesive-receiving recesses defined in the first or second bonding faces and filled by the adhesive layer. The methods of preparing a component member for an aerospace component joint comprise integrating one or more bond-enhancing features into the component member. The methods of forming the aerospace component joint comprise positioning and adhesive-bonding the first bonding face to the second bonding face, and integrating the bond-enhancing feature(s) into the aerospace component joint.

Fuel tanks and methods of manufacture are presented. A fuel tank in a wing of an aircraft comprises a composite skin, a composite spar, and a structural gap filler between a flange of the spar and a first surface of the skin, the structural gap filler having a compressive strength equivalent to or greater than a compressive strength of a joint between the composite spar and the composite skin.

An aircraft skin coating assembly for an aircraft. The coating assembly includes a primer layer deposited on the aircraft skin, an optical stop-etch layer deposited on the primer layer that is reflective at a predetermined wavelength, a coating stack-up deposited on the optical etch-stop layer that provides performance features for the aircraft, and a sealant layer deposited on the stack-up. When a laser coating removal process employing a laser beam is used to remove the coating stack-up for replacement, the stop-etch layer reflects the laser beam to prevent it from penetrating and possibly damaging the aircraft skin.

An aircraft skin coating assembly for an aircraft. The coating assembly includes a primer layer deposited on the aircraft skin, an optical stop-etch layer deposited on the primer layer that is reflective at a predetermined wavelength, a coating stack-up deposited on the optical etch-stop layer that provides performance features for the aircraft, and a sealant layer deposited on the stack-up. When a laser coating removal process employing a laser beam is used to remove the coating stack-up for replacement, the stop-etch layer reflects the laser beam to prevent it from penetrating and possibly damaging the aircraft skin.

A rotary wing aircraft with a fuselage that forms an aircraft interior region, the fuselage comprising an upper primary skin that separates the aircraft interior region from an aircraft upper deck arranged above the fuselage, wherein the aircraft upper deck comprises an engine accommodating region with a firewall arrangement, the engine accommodating region accommodating at least one aircraft engine within the firewall arrangement, wherein the firewall arrangement comprises at least one gasket for tightening pass-through of a torque tube that connects the at least one aircraft engine to a main gear box of the rotary wing aircraft, and wherein the at least one gasket comprises at least two fire proof shells and a ring-shaped flexible fire proof bellows.

A rotary wing aircraft with a fuselage that forms an aircraft interior region, the fuselage comprising an upper primary skin that separates the aircraft interior region from an aircraft upper deck arranged above the fuselage, wherein the aircraft upper deck comprises an engine accommodating region with a firewall arrangement, the engine accommodating region accommodating at least one aircraft engine within the firewall arrangement, wherein the firewall arrangement comprises at least one gasket for tightening pass-through of a torque tube that connects the at least one aircraft engine to a main gear box of the rotary wing aircraft, and wherein the at least one gasket comprises at least two fire proof shells and a ring-shaped flexible fire proof bellows.

An aircraft-fuselage structure with an external skin and reinforcement structure, supporting the external skin and includes transverse reinforcement elements and longitudinal reinforcement elements. A door opening is in the external skin, between two transverse reinforcement elements and between two longitudinal reinforcement elements, and a door arrangement is installed therein, the door arrangement having a door frame fastened in the door opening and a door panel fastened on the door frame. The door frame and/or the door panel have/has an outer surface directed towards the surroundings and having a curvature differing from curvature of the external skin adjacent to the door opening, and an adapter arrangement is on the outer surface of the door frame and/or of the door panel and, on a side directed towards the surroundings, has at least one surface element which steadily continues the curvature of the external skin adjacent to the door opening.