In one aspect, there is an engagement member for splicing a spar assembly in an aircraft wing including a joining portion having a first attachment for connecting to a first spar and a second attachment surface for connecting to a second spar; and a rib post extending from the joining portion and disposed between the first attachment surface and the second attachment surface. In an embodiment, the rib post is integral to the joining portion and is configured to couple with a rib web.

A wing assembly include at least one fuel tank having a tank outboard end. In addition, the wing assembly includes a stout wing rib located proximate the tank outboard end and extending between a front spar and a rear spar. The wing assembly also includes at least one outboard wing rib located outboard of the stout wing rib and defining an outboard wing bay. The wing assembly also includes an upper skin panel and a lower skin panel each coupled to the front spar, the rear spar, the stout wing rib, and the outboard wing rib. A plurality of bead stiffeners are coupled to the upper skin panel and/or the lower skin panel and are spaced apart from each other within the outboard wing bay.

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 manufacturing an aerodynamic structure, for example, an aircraft wing tip, is disclosed. The method includes providing an upper cover having a plurality of lugs, providing a lower cover having a plurality of lugs, measuring the distance between a lug on the upper cover and corresponding lug on the lower cover, selecting, from the plurality of different sized links, a link suitably sized to correspond to the measured distance between the lug on the upper cover and corresponding lug on the lower cover, connecting the selected link to the lug on the upper cover and corresponding lug on the lower cover; and repeating those steps such that each lug on the upper cover is joined to a corresponding lug on the lower cover.

An aircraft wingbox assembly is disclosed having a wingbox including an upper cover, a lower cover and a pair of spars; a plurality of ribs in the wingbox, wherein the ribs divide the wingbox into bays; and a fuel tank in the wingbox. All or part of the fuel tank is located in a first one of the bays between a first one of the ribs and a second one of the ribs. The fuel tank includes a tank wall and first and second tank lugs extending from the fuel tank wall. A first fastener attaches the first tank lug to the first one of the ribs; and a second fastener attaches the second tank lug to the second one of the ribs.

An airfoil comprises a wall that defines a leading edge and a trailing edge and one or more cavities located within the wall along with a rib that separates the cavities. The rib or the wall comprises a first split ply that comprises a consolidated section and two or more split sections; wherein the split sections emanate from the consolidated section; and where the split sections define the wall and the cavities of the airfoil.

A leading edge structure for providing an aerodynamic surface of an aircraft is disclosed having a skin structure, the skin structure providing an outer aerodynamic surface and an inner surface, both surfaces extending in a chordwise and spanwise direction of the structure, and a plurality of structural members, each structural member being connected to the inner surface of the skin structure and extending in the chordwise direction along the inner surface, wherein the structural members are integrally formed with the inner surface of the skin structure. The disclosure is also related to an aircraft wing, aircraft tailplane, wing box structure, wing or wing structure and an aircraft including the leading edge structure.

An airplane wing assembly includes a wing, a winglet and a connection element. The wing has a wing box. The wing box is located at a wing tip of the wing and the winglet is connected with the wing by the wing box. The connection element includes a butt joint rib, which is assembled with the wing box, and a center connection, which is assembled with the winglet. The butt joint rib has a first shearing pin hole and a second shearing pin hole, into which are press fitted a corresponding first and a second shearing pin respectively to form interference fit. The center connector has a first sleeve hole and a second sleeve hole.

A structural assembly including a first structural member defining a first partial bore and including a first protrusion extending from a periphery of the first partial bore on a first side and a second protrusion extending from the periphery of the first partial bore on a second side, a second structural member defining a second partial bore and including a first protrusion extending from a periphery of the second partial bore on a first side and a second protrusion extending from the periphery of the second partial bore on a second side, wherein the second partial bore is aligned with the first partial bore to define a through-bore, a first engagement member engaged with the first protrusions and a second engagement member engaged with the second protrusions, wherein the first and second structural members are clamped between the first and second engagement members.

The present invention provides an aircraft structure comprising a structural component and a set of reinforcing straps for reinforcing the structural component, wherein the set comprises a first reinforcing strap having an inner and outer surface, wherein the inner surface is attached to a first surface of the structural component such that the first reinforcing strap extends longitudinally along the structural component and a second reinforcing strap having an inner and outer surface, wherein the inner surface is attached to the outer surface of the first reinforcing strap such that the second reinforcing strap extends longitudinally along the first reinforcing strap. The invention also provides an aircraft, a method of reinforcing an aircraft structure and a method of inspecting an aircraft structure.