Airbus Deutschland Gmbh

Airbus Operations Gmbh

Hans-Juergen Schmidt

Alexei Vichniakov

Herwig Assler

Jens Telgkamp

An airplane wing has a lower wing cover, an upper wing cover and a wing spar. A first end portion of the wing spar is welded to the lower wing cover and/or a second end portion of the wing spar is welded to the upper wing cover.

Airplane wing, method for manufacturing an airplane wing and use of a welding process for welding a wing spar

A fiber reinforced strip is adhesively bonded to an outwardly facing surface of a reinforcing frame and to an inwardly facing outer skin surface. Such a strip position reduces crack propagation in a lightweight structure particularly in the outer skin adhesively bonded to the reinforcing frame through the strip. For this purpose the fiber reinforced strip is interposed between the outer skin and the frame and adhesively bonded to the outer skin and to the frame. The strip has reinforcing fibers extending in parallel to each other or the reinforcing fibers are woven into a fabric embedded in a synthetic adhesive bonding material. The embedding of the parallel fibers or of the fiber fabric in the bonding material is performed either prior to the bonding or during the bonding of the strip to the outer skin and to the reinforcing frame.

Lightweight structure especially for an aircraft and method for making such a structure

An outer skin of an aircraft body is supported by a frame of longitudinal stringers and circumferential ribs or frame elements interconnecting the stringers. Additionally, the outer skin is strengthened by a reinforcing strip formation adhesively bonded to the inwardly facing surface of the outer skin between the ribs and stringers. The reinforcing strips are made of a material that is damage tolerant, for example high strength aluminum alloys and fiber composite materials are suitable for making the reinforcing strip formation. The reinforcing strips of the strip formation may extend in parallel to the stringers and/or the ribs and preferably form a lattice work. The reinforcing strips need not cross each other at right angles but should cross a crack propagation direction in the outer skin.

Lightweight structure particularly for an aircraft

A metallic layer material includes at least two metal sheets. Each sheet has a thickness of less than 1.5 mm. Between the sheets, a plastic layer is disposed, which is bonded to the metal sheets. The plastic layer comprises a plastic material and basalt fibers, and the basalt fibers have a modulus of elasticity exceeding 50 GPa. The basalt fibers may constitute 35-75% of the volume of the plastic layer. and may be comprised of 35-55 weight % of SiO, 10-25 weight % of AlO, and 3-10 weight % of MgO. In aerospace applications and other applications requiring good specific strength, stiffness and damage tolerance, the metal sheets may be made of a metal having a tensile strength exceeding 0.20 GPa.

Metallic layer material, reinforced with basalt fibers, as well as products made thereof

A lightweight, laminated structural component, such as a skin section for an aircraft fuselage, is constructed of at least two sheet metal plies that are adhesively bonded to each other. One ply is an uninterrupted ply. The other ply is a lattice with open fields surrounded by strip shaped lands which fortify load exposed areas of the lamination. The open fields of the lattice make mechanical or chemical pocketing operations unnecessary. By shaping and positioning the strip shaped lands including struts in accordance with load patterns to which an aircraft skin is exposed in use, the skin characteristics can be tailored as required.

Lightweight structural component made of metallic ply materials

A rivet splice that holds an upper and a lower sheet metal end portion together includes at least one row () of rivets that is subject to dynamic loads and a further row () of rivets that holds the sheet metal end portions together so that a limited sliding motion between the sheet metal end portions is possible. The further row () of rivets is positioned between an end edge (A) of an upper sheet metal end portion and the at least one row () of rivets. The limited sliding motion provides a load relief of the at least one row of rivets thereby reducing the starting of cracks at the walls of the rivet holes and impeding the spreading of cracks.

Splicing for interconnected thin-walled metal structures

A metallic structural component for an aircraft includes stiffening profile members integrally formed or connected onto a skin sheet. Each stiffening profile member includes a first part integrally connected to the skin sheet, and a second part non-integrally connected to the first part so as to form an internal boundary surface within the multi-part stiffening profile member. If a crack forms in the skin sheet and propagates into the first part of the stiffening profile member, the internal boundary surface resists the further propagation of the crack past this boundary surface. The crack propagation resistance is improved, the remaining strength of the structural component after formation of a crack is increased, and the overall structural component is light in weight. The outer contour of the stiffening profile member is not affected by the provision of the separate first and second parts or the internal boundary surface therebetween.

Metal structural component for an aircraft, with resistance to crack propagation

When stiffening members, such as stringers and frame members, are welded onto a skin sheet to form an aircraft fuselage shell, a crack originating in the skin sheet tends to propagate through the weld joints into the stiffening members. In order to prevent crack propagation into a stiffening member, the stiffening member is reinforced with a web doubler plate or a tension band made of high strength steel or titanium alloys or fiber-reinforced composites. The doubler plate is riveted or adhesively bonded onto a stiffening member web, or the tension band is crimped into the stiffening member web. The resulting fuselage shell structure has crack stopping properties and thus an increased residual strength, so it can be used with welded joints at all areas of the fuselage shell, including the top and sides as well as the bottom of the fuselage.

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Buxtehude, Germany

Hans-Juergen Schmidt