Airbus Operations Gmbh

Timothy Axford

Tony Fong

Stuart Strachan Alexander

Julien Chaussee

An aircraft including a wing and a wing tip device is disclosed. The wing tip device is moveable between a flight configuration for use during flight and a ground configuration for use during ground-based operations. In the ground configuration the wing tip device is folded inwardly from the flight configuration such that the span of the aircraft is reduced. The wing tip device is connected to the wing along a hinge axis by spar beams of the wing tip device, one of the beams being mounted for pivoting about a fixed axis and the other beam being mounted on a spherical bearing to provide greater freedom of movement. Various actuator arrangements may be provided to pivot the wing tip device.

Aircraft with a foldable wing tip device

A winglet comprising a tubular main spar with forward and aft main spar webs joined by upper and lower main spar caps; a front spar with a front spar web, an upper front spar cap, and a lower front spar cap; an upper skin joined to the upper main spar cap and the upper front spar cap; and a lower skin joined to the lower main spar cap and the lower front spar cap. The winglet is manufactured by co-curing the upper skin to the upper main spar cap and the upper front spar cap; and co-curing the lower skin to the lower main spar cap and the lower front spar cap.

Winglet

A braided composite spar or preform for a braided composite spar, comprising a plurality of tubular plies of braided fibers, wherein the spar or preform has a center line which extends lengthwise from a root to a tip, and at least part of the center line follows a curved path which does not lie in a single plane. The spar or preform can be used to provide a tubular main spar for a winglet. The winglet also has a front spar with a front spar web, an upper front spar cap, and a lower front spar cap. An upper skin of the winglet is joined to the braided spar and the upper front spar cap. A lower skin of the winglet is joined to the braided spar and the lower front spar cap.

Braided composite spar

A braided composite spar or preform for a braided composite spar, comprising a plurality of tubular plies of braided fibers, wherein the spar or preform extends lengthwise from a root to a tip, and the spar or preform has a tapered portion in which each ply has a height which reduces and a width which increases as it extends toward the tip. The spar or preform can be used to provide a tubular main spar for a winglet. The winglet also has a front spar with a front spar web, an upper front spar cap, and a lower front spar cap. An upper skin of the winglet is joined to the braided spar and the upper front spar cap. A lower skin of the winglet is joined to the braided spar and the lower front spar cap.

A braided composite spar or preform for a braided composite spar with a plurality of tubular plies of braided fibers. Each ply has a first set of fibers which wind in a clockwise direction in a first series of turns with a pitch between each adjacent pair of turns, and a second set of fibers which wind in an anti-clockwise direction in a second series of turns with a pitch between each adjacent pair of turns. The first and second sets of fibers in each ply are intertwined to form a braided structure. The spar or preform extends lengthwise from a root to a tip and has a tapered portion which tapers inwardly towards the tip. Each ply has a circumference in the tapered portion which reduces as it tapers inwardly. For at least one of the plies the pitches of the first and second sets of fibers increase continuously as the ply tapers inwardly in the tapered portion. The spar or preform can be used to provide a tubular main spar for a winglet. The winglet also has a front spar with a front spar web, an upper front spar cap, and a lower front spar cap. An upper skin of the winglet is joined to the braided spar and the upper front spar cap. A lower skin of the winglet is joined to the braided spar and the lower front spar cap.

An aircraft structurecomprising a skin panel, having an outer surface forming an external face of the structure, and an inner surface internal to the structure, the aircraft structurealso comprising a plurality of stringersextending along a length of the inner surface of the skin panel, and an inner panelspaced apart from the inner surface of the skin panel, so as to form an internal cavity adjacent to the skin panel, and wherein the stringersare located within the cavity.

Growing community of inventors

Bristol, United Kingdom

Timothy Axford