Systems and methods are provided for assembly line processing of aircraft wing panels. The method includes inputting wing panels into an assembly line, the assembly line having a number of work stations, the wing panels oriented such that leading edges are all on a first side of the work stations, and trailing edges are all on a second side of the work stations, and advancing the wing panels in a process direction through the number of work stations, at least a first portion of the work stations dedicated to wing panel leading edge processing, and a second portion of the work stations dedicated to wing panel trailing edge processing.

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.

A rib can be manufactured comprising two opposing outer skins and a plurality of internal reinforcement members connecting the skins together.

A seal for sealing an aircraft fuel tank, an aircraft wing rib and stringer sealing assembly, an aircraft wing fuel tank, an aircraft structural wing box, an aircraft wing, and a method of sealing an aperture are disclosed. The seal is for sealing a wing rib to a stringer passing through an aperture in the rib at a variable position in the aperture. The seal includes self-adjustment means to absorb any tolerance when forming the seal, upon the stringer being assembled into the aperture in the rib.

A composite wingbox structure formed of reinforced thermoplastic. The composite includes carbon fiber reinforcement and a plurality of insulation elements to localize the heat formed during the process of manufacturing the structure. The process of manufacturing the wingbox includes the steps of interleaving a series of insulations elements within a plurality of laminae and consolidating the insulation elements and laminae to form a laminate. The laminate is then aligned with a support structure such that the insulation elements overlie the supports structure. The laminate is then fused to the support structure using a non-contact heating process, such as inductive welding.

A vehicle body may have an internal skeleton forming a wing shape, and a skin formed over the internal skeleton. The skin may include a matrix material, and a plurality of continuous fibers encased within the matrix material. The plurality of continuous fibers may curve from a base end near a fore/aft center of the wing shape outward toward leading and trailing edges of the wing shape at a tip end.

An aircraft assembly is disclosed having a first structural component and a second structural component. A fastener fastens the first component to the second component. The first structural component includes a body and an insert in the body. The insert has a machined hole through which the fastener extends. The material hardness of the insert is lower than the material hardness of the body.

A method of manufacturing stiffened structural panel for an aircraft including a main sheet made of composite material with unidirectional fibers, and a stiffening structure secured to the main sheet and made of a composite material comprising a resin and chopped fibers, the stiffening structure including on the one hand a base adhering to one of the two lateral faces of the main sheet, and a network of stiffeners in the form of a grid projecting from the base. The method includes a step of compression molding the stiffening structure from a block formed of a prepolymer reinforced with chopped fibers.

To facilitate the assembly of the wing unit of an aircraft, this wing unit includes two wings each having a lateral wing box extended toward the interior by a center wing box half having an interior end, the two wings being attached to one another using attachment bolts linking the two interior ends of the two center wing box halves, and passing through an intermediate wall connecting two fuselage frame walls.