Methods of assembling an aircraft wing includes adhering fuel dams to stringers and adhering the fuel dams to ribs. Fuel dams include a fuel-dam body that defines a channel shaped to receive a portion of a stringer of an aircraft wing. The fuel-dam body includes a stringer adherent surface, a rib adherent surface, and a pair of spaced-apart flanges extending from the rib adherent surface and positioned to project from the rib adherent surface on opposing sides of a notch of a rib.

Provided are methods and devices for supporting of variety of different pre-cured composite stringers after forming and prior to curing. A post-forming processing device comprises a base with a channel for receiving hat portions of different stringers. The device also comprises a support structure, at least partially extending within the channel. The support structure is configured to conform to different hat portions and to retain the shape of these hat portions. For example, the support structure is made from a flexible material, which conforms to any shape variations. In some examples, the support structure is made from a jamming material that is reshaped together with each of the pre-cured composite stringers. A post-forming processing device is used for supporting different pre-cured composite stringers while various operations are performed on these stringers, such as stringer trimming, inspection, installation of bladders and noodles, and the like.

A dam for use with a duct having a longitudinal axis. The dam employs a single piece insert having a first lateral flange and a second lateral flange configured to engage opposing interior lateral surfaces of the duct. The insert engages the duct in sealing contact in a seated position. The first and second lateral flanges are offset longitudinally along the longitudinal axis and joined with a curved wall having a curvature shaped to be received, with the insert oriented at an insert angle about a normal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, in an aperture in the duct.

Systems and methods for a caul plate for an irregular surface. One embodiment is a caul plate for co-curing or co-bonding a first composite part and a second composite part. A body of the caul plate includes a lower surface to face a top surface of the first composite part, a reference edge to locate the second composite part on the first composite part, and an upper surface that is opposite to the lower surface. The lower surface includes one or more bends to match one or more slopes in the top surface of the first composite part. The one or more bends correspond with ply changes in the first composite part.

Examples are disclosed herein that relate to vehicles, composite parts, and three-dimensional (3D) textile preforms for composite parts. In one example, a 3D textile preform for a composite part comprises a flange portion and a stiffener portion extending upwardly from the flange portion. The stiffener portion comprises a first wall portion that extends from the flange portion and a second wall portion that extends from the flange portion at a location spaced from the first wall portion. A connecting portion connects the first wall portion and the second wall portion at a location spaced from the flange portion.

A method for fabricating a composite wing structural component for an aircraft is described. The method comprises extruding a filler material into each mold channel of a plurality of mold channels of a die to form a plurality of filler segments, removing the plurality of filler segments from the plurality of mold channels of the die, and arranging the plurality of filler segments in a space in the composite structural component, the space being defined by a radius of the composite structural component, such that the filler segments are in end-to-end contact. The method further comprises curing the plurality of filler segments in the space to fuse the plurality of filler segments.

According to one implementation, a composite material structure includes a corrugated stringer and a panel. The corrugated stringer has a corrugated structure including portions each having hat-shaped cross section. The corrugated stringer is made of a composite material. The panel is integrated with the corrugated stringer. The panel is made of a composite material. Further, according to one implementation, a manufacturing method of a composite material structure includes: setting a textile on a laminated body of prepregs; and producing the composite material structure by covering the laminated body with a bagging film, forming a vacuum state in a space covered with the bagging film, impregnating the textile with the resin, and thermal curing of the laminated body of the prepregs. The laminated body is a panel before curing. The textile has a structure corresponding to a corrugated stringer.

A duct stringer assembly with a bulkhead. The duct stringer assembly has duct walls providing a duct with a closed cross-section. The duct is adapted to transport fluid. A bulkhead is in the duct, and the bulkhead is adapted to block the flow of fluid along the duct. The bulkhead has a bulkhead body, and a gasket sealing a gap between the bulkhead body and the duct walls.

Seal member arrangements having at least one seal plate are disposed over stringer receiving recesses in ribs of an aircraft. A tool for locating a seal member arrangement over a stringer-receiving recess in a rib of an aircraft assembly. The tool system has a holder configured to hold the seal member arrangement over the recess. A biasing arrangement is configured to act on the holder to bias the seal member arrangement into an aligned position with a stringer received in the recess. A fixing arrangement is configured to act on the seal member arrangement to fix the seal member arrangement in the aligned position. A sealing kit, an aircraft assembly, a method of fixing a seal member arrangement over a stringer-receiving recess in a rib of an aircraft are also disclosed.

An improved composite stiffener and methods and tooling used to form the same. The stiffener includes one or more base flanges, a composite rod extending in an axial direction, a bulb cap surrounding the composite rod, and an upright web extending from the one or more base flanges to the base cap. The upright web includes a non-linear profile in the axial direction providing the improved lateral stiffness. The method includes providing tooling including a first compression tool extending in the axial direction and including a first web portion having a non-linear profile, and a second compression tool extending in the axial direction and including a second web portion having a non-linear profile. Plies are placed within the tooling and compressed such that at least a portion of plurality of plies are compressed in the web forming portion thereby forming a web of the bulb stiffener having a non-linear profile.