A side of body carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite rib assembly that is formed by connecting an aft CFRP rib web, a middle CFRP rib web, and a forward CFRP rib web together. The side of body CFRP rib assembly includes a plurality of stiffeners connected to the aft CFRP rib web, the middle CFRP rib web, or the forward CFRP rib web. A first stiffener connects the aft CFRP rib web with the middle CFRP rib web and a second stiffener connected the forward CFRP rib web to the middle CFRP rib web. The stiffeners may be connected via fasteners or may be co-bonded or co-cured with the side of body CFRP rib web. The stiffeners connected to the side of body CFRP rib assembly may include more than one shape and may be aluminum, a thermoset, and/or a thermoplastic.

A leading-edge component for an aircraft includes at least a part of a flow body having a front skin, a hollow space at least partially delimited by the front skin and at least one separate retention device. The at least one retention device comprises a flexible structure with a mesh, a web, a fabric or a plurality of strings. The retention device is arranged behind the front skin in a distance thereto and extends along a main extension direction of at least a section of the front skin. The retention device is configured to retain a front skin that deforms to move into the hollow space upon an impact of a foreign object.

A composite stiffener for a stiffener reinforced panel is disclosed. The stiffener has a longitudinal direction and a run-out region which terminates at an end of the stiffener. The stiffener also has a constant section region inboard of the run-out region in the longitudinal direction and having a constant cross section transverse to the longitudinal direction with a crown between adjacent foot portions. The run-out region has a changing cross section transverse to the longitudinal direction with a crown between adjacent foot portions and the crown reduces in height towards the end of the stiffener forming a ramp. The composite stiffener comprises a number of blankets of non-crimp fabric layers.

An aircraft wing structure (100) including a spar (101) and a systems module (200) that is releasably secured to brackets (300) on a first side of the spar (101) and the second, opposite side of the spar is configured to define a wall of a fuel tank of an aircraft wing.

An apparatus including one or more panels including an outer face sheet comprising a plurality of first composite materials; an inner face sheet comprising a plurality of second composite materials; and a plurality of foam pieces disposed between the outer face sheet and the inner face sheet, wherein the foam pieces reduce warping of the panels.

In order to bring the primary structure of an engine mounting pylon of an aircraft as close as possible to a wing box: an aircraft wing includes a wing box made partly by a front spar and an intermediate spar; a mounting pylon including a primary structure in the form of a box having transverse reinforcement ribs; and attachment means for attaching the primary structure of the mounting pylon on the wing box. These attachment means include a row of bolts along which each bolt passes through a structural part of the pylon on one hand, and on the other hand a fitting attached to one of the front and intermediate spars.

Embodiments relate to reconfigurable unmanned vehicles (100). Such vehicles (100) comprise a fuselage (102) presenting a bay (118) for receiving a plurality of components (120-128), each of the plurality of components (120-128) relating to a respective entity for at least one of flight control or operation of the unmanned vehicle (100). The bay (118) comprising a bus to support communications between at least two of the plurality of components (120-128), the plurality of components (120-128) comprising a controller to determine a configuration or presence of one or more than one component of the plurality of components (120-128) when coupled to the bus.

An aircraft wing including a fixed wing and a wing tip device rotatable about a hinge at the tip of the fixed wing is disclosed. The wing further includes a hinged panel at the boundary between the wing tip device and the fixed wing. In the flight configuration the panel is closed such that the panel is substantially flush with the upper surface of the wing, and the hinged panel is located in the path of a moveable element (for example part of an actuation mechanism, such as a curved rack). In the ground configuration the panel is hinged open to a position outside the path of the moveable element such that clashing of the moveable element with the stationary structure at the tip of the fixed wing is avoided.

Structural composite airfoils include a primary structural element, a secondary structural element defining the trailing edge of the structural composite airfoil, and a leading edge skin panel defining the leading edge of the structural composite airfoil. The primary structural element includes an upper skin panel, a lower skin panel, and a front C-channel spar. A first channel of the front C-channel spar faces the leading edge of the structural composite airfoil, and an upper flange of the front C-channel spar forms an acute angle with an elongated span of the front C-channel spar. The leading edge skin panel is positioned adjacent the leading edge region of the primary structural element, with a first end region of the leading edge skin panel being coupled to the upper flange of the front C-channel spar, and a second end region being coupled to the lower flange of the front C-channel spar.

Structural composite airfoils include a primary structural element and a secondary structural element defining a trailing edge of the structural composite airfoil. The primary structural element includes an upper skin panel, a lower skin panel, and a middle C-channel spar that is coupled to the upper skin panel and the lower skin panel. An upper flange of the middle C-channel spar is coupled to the upper skin panel, while a lower flange of the middle C-channel spar is coupled to the upper skin panel and the lower skin panel. An internal volume is defined by the upper skin panel and the lower skin panel aft of the middle C-channel spar, and is defined by the upper skin panel forward of the middle C-channel spar. The leading edge region of the primary structural element defines the leading edge of the structural composite airfoil.