An aircraft tail assembly includes an aft fuselage section secured to a forward fuselage section, and includes a stiffener-reinforced pivot bulkhead defined by separate parts secured together by a first set of splices. A longeron extends longitudinally along the aft and forward fuselage sections, and includes a discontinuity adjacent a peripheral edge of the pivot bulkhead. The aircraft tail assembly includes a second set of splices that overlie the discontinuity. One of the second set of splices extends laterally over the longeron to bridge the discontinuity adjacent the peripheral edge of the pivot bulkhead, and another of the second set of splices extends longitudinally along the longeron to secure the longeron to the pivot bulkhead adjacent the discontinuity. A chord engages the peripheral edge of the pivot bulkhead to facilitate transfers of force loads from the bulkhead along a load path that includes the longerons and the splices.

A method for manufacturing a composite assembly of an empennage and rear-fuselage having a continuous skin solution. The method obtains parts of the sub-structure. For each part, it is obtained a plurality of stringers performs and frames preforms by composite tooling. The frames are transferred to curing frames molds and a sub-structure skin is obtained. Furthermore, the method includes integrating the parts over an integration tool having cavities for locating the curing frames molds and the stringer performs. Furthermore, the method includes co-curing the integration tool in one shot on an autoclave, demolding the sub-structure skin sections and disassembling the curing frame molds to obtain the composite assembly of the rear section.

An aircraft tail assembly includes an aft fuselage section secured to a forward fuselage section, and includes a stiffener-reinforced pivot bulkhead defined by separate parts secured together by a first set of splices. A longeron extends longitudinally along the aft and forward fuselage sections, and includes a discontinuity adjacent a peripheral edge of the pivot bulkhead. The aircraft tail assembly includes a second set of splices that overlie the discontinuity. One of the second set of splices extends laterally over the longeron to bridge the discontinuity adjacent the peripheral edge of the pivot bulkhead, and another of the second set of splices extends longitudinally along the longeron to secure the longeron to the pivot bulkhead adjacent the discontinuity. A chord engages the peripheral edge of the pivot bulkhead to facilitate transfers of force loads from the bulkhead along a load path that includes the longerons and the splices.

A vehicle, such as an aircraft, structural architecture for supporting a horizontal stabilizer with a back up beam having an upper longeron fitting connected to the front side and secured with a back up fitting on the back side, a lower longeron fitting connected to the front side and secured with a back up fitting on the back side, and a pivot fitting connected to the front side of the first back up beam in between the upper longeron fitting and the lower longeron fitting and secured with a third back up fitting on the back side of the back up beam.

A tail-cone reinforcement angle of a Cessna 180-185 series aircraft is repaired by the removal of an aft most section of that tail-cone reinforcement angle and its replacement with an elongated splice body. The elongated splice body is attached to the remainder of the tail-cone reinforcement angle and to the tail-cone portion of the fuselage of the aircraft. The aft section of the original tail-cone reinforcement angle is subject to the development and propagation of cracks in the area of the rear pivot shaft receiving bore, which cracks render the aircraft unfit for use. The invention includes the provision of a suitable elongated splice body, a method for its installation, and a tool kit which is usable in accomplishing the removal and replacement of the aft section of the tail-cone reinforcement angle.

A tail-cone reinforcement angle of a Cessna 180-185 series aircraft is repaired by the removal of an aft most section of that tail-cone reinforcement angle and its replacement with an elongated splice body. The elongated splice body is attached to the remainder of the tail-cone reinforcement angle and to the tail-cone portion of the fuselage of the aircraft. The aft section of the original tail-cone reinforcement angle is subject to the development and propagation of cracks in the area of the rear pivot shaft receiving bore, which cracks render the aircraft unfit for use. The invention includes the provision of a suitable elongated splice body, a method for its installation, and a tool kit which is usable in accomplishing the removal and replacement of the aft section of the tail-cone reinforcement angle.

A tail-cone reinforcement angle of a Cessna 180-185 series aircraft is repaired by the removal of an aft most section of that tail-cone reinforcement angle and its replacement with an elongated splice body. The elongated splice body is attached to the remainder of the tail-cone reinforcement angle and to the tail-cone portion of the fuselage of the aircraft. The aft section of the original tail-cone reinforcement angle is subject to the development and propagation of cracks in the area of the rear pivot shaft receiving bore, which cracks render the aircraft unfit for use. The invention includes the provision of a suitable elongated splice body, a method for its installation, and a tool kit which is usable in accomplishing the removal and replacement of the aft section of the tail-cone reinforcement angle.

An internal shield inside the rear fuselage of an aircraft having a propulsion system formed by two engines mounted on each side of it. The internal shield is located in a suitable place inside the rear fuselage for covering the possible trajectories of fragments detached from one of the engines in a failure event that would impact critical elements of the opposite engine. The internal shield comprises an ensemble of fluid containers belonging to aircraft sub-systems, such as, particularly, the potable water and waste water sub-systems, with enough fluid for providing the energy absorption capability required for stopping the fragments. An aircraft having the internal shield is also disclosed.

A heavy payload, autonomous UAV able to deliver supply by way of airdrop with more precision and at a lower cost. The UAV is equipped with two movable wing systems that rotate from a stowed position to a deployed position upon jettison of the UAV from a mothership. The UAV can be controlled remotely or it can operate autonomously and the movable wings can include ailerons to effectuate flight control of the UAV. The UAV can be reusable or can be an expendable UAV.

A frame assembly for a rear section of an aircraft, comprising at least one frame having a plane of symmetry, wherein the frame assembly also comprises at least one supporting element having two ends, wherein each one of the ends is attached to said at least one frame at different sides of the plane of symmetry. This arrangement permits a more effective transfer of loads coming from the vertical tail plane of the aircraft to the fuselage.