Methods and apparatus are disclosed for deployable wing portions of an aircraft. An example method of deploying an aircraft includes separating the aircraft from a launch vehicle, the aircraft having a wing pivotably coupled to a fuselage, rotating, about an axis of rotation, the wing relative to the fuselage from a first rotational orientation to a second rotational orientation different from the first rotational orientation, wherein, in the first rotational orientation, the wing extends along a direction that substantially aligns with a longitudinal axis of the fuselage, and extending the wing in a lateral direction away from the fuselage in the second rotational orientation.

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.

An airfoil structure for an aircraft includes a spanwise-extending load-carrying member, a leading-edge structure, a trailing-edge structure, an upper cover, and a lower cover. The load-carrying member is configured to react more than half of all flight loads experienced by the airfoil structure during flight and is configured to have selected stiffness properties selected such that the airfoil structure bends and twists in a predefined manner in response to applied flight loads. The leading-edge structure is configured to form a leading-edge part of an aerodynamic surface of the airfoil structure. The trailing-edge structure is configured to form a trailing edge part of the aerodynamic surface. The upper cover is configured to form an upper part of the aerodynamic surface. The lower cover is configured to form a lower part of the aerodynamic surface.

Systems, devices, and methods including one or more rib mounting flanges, where each rib mounting flange comprises: a spar opening configured to receive a main spar of a wing panel; one or more holes for receiving cross-bracing cables; and one or more holes for receiving cross-bracing cables; and one or more holes for connecting the rib mounting flange to an adjacent rib mounting flange.

An assembly having a pylon with an upper spar and two lateral scoops, a wing with a skin and a front spar, port-side/starboard-side front/rear brackets, each with a recess for a nut. The front spar has front/intermediate/rear pleats. Each front bracket is positioned against the front pleat and the intermediate pleat. Each rear bracket is positioned against the intermediate pleat and the skin. For each recess, the associated bracket has an open bore passing through it that opens into the recess. For each recess, the assembly has a fastening bolt having the nut and a screw of which the threaded shank passes through coaxial bores in the front pleat, in the skin, in the upper spar and in the associated lateral scoop, and the open bore, and is screwed into the nut, and of which the head bears against the lateral scoop.

An aircraft wing box is disclosed having a first cover, a second cover, a partition extending between the first and second cover and configured to provide a fuel tight boundary between the first and second covers, a first joint coupling the partition to the first cover, and a second joint coupling the partition to the second cover. The first joint is a slip joint configured to inhibit fuel leakage across the slip joint whilst permitting relative movement between the partition and the first cover.

A simple, safe, and inexpensive flight control system in an aircraft. An anti-torque system for a rotary-wing aircraft has an airfoil with a first surface extending from a first trailing edge and a leading edge, and a second surface extending from a second trailing edge to join the first surface at the leading edge. The airfoil has a first moveable deflector panel pivotally coupled to the first trailing edge, and a second moveable deflector panel pivotally coupled to the second trailing edge. Means are provided to pivot the deflector panels in unison about their respective pivot axes to alter the direction of travel of the airflow downstream of the pivot axes over the surfaces of the deflector panels, thereby producing a lift in a direction perpendicular to the airflow to counteract the torque applied on the aircraft. The flight control system may be arranged within a fixed-wing aircraft.

An airfoil body for an aircraft extending from an inner end to an outer end, and between a leading edge and a trailing edge, comprising an airfoil skin, a planar sheet disposed below the airfoil skin including an array of transducer elements attached to the planar sheet comprising one or more of: (i) an array of semiconductor sensors not including solar cells; (ii) an antenna array and (iii) thermal transfer elements.

A flow body torsion box includes a plurality of ribs, a first spar attached to a first end of the ribs, a second spar attached to a second end of the ribs, a first skin, and a second skin. The first skin and the second skin are arranged at a distance to each other to enclose the ribs and the spars. The first skin and the second skin are attached to the ribs and the spars through tie elements to form a torsion box. The tie elements comprise a first attachment end and a second attachment end between which the tie elements are at least partially curved so as to be resiliently deformable along a first direction along a connection line between the first attachment end and the second attachment end.

A method of curing an aircraft component including applying a temperature sensitive adhesive to a surface of a component, the surface having a contour; positioning a heating tool including a manifold with a ventilation path such that the ventilation path is adjacent to the surface by aligning the ventilation path to the contour of the component; and heating the surface of the component with uniform airflow from the ventilation path; wherein the manifold includes a chamber with a diverging portion configured to provide uniform airflow through the ventilation path to provide heating to the surface.