Aircraft Rear Section Continuous Skin Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional aircraft manufacturing methods require significant reinforcement and weight penalties due to high concentrated loads at interface fittings between the vertical tail plane and fuselage, leading to increased drag, assembly complexity, and reduced efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method for manufacturing a rear aircraft section with a continuous skin that integrates the tail cone and vertical tail plane, using pre-cured frames and stringers cured in a mold with internal modular molds, eliminating the need for discrete interface fittings and allowing for continuous load support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If discrete interface fittings are used to join the vertical tail plane and fuselage, then the structural connection is achieved, but the weight increases due to significant reinforcement requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the vertical tail plane and fuselage into a single integrated structure with continuous skin, eliminating the need for separate interface fittings. The skin extends continuously from the fuselage through the tail cone to the vertical tail plane, distributing loads along the entire length rather than concentrating them at discrete connection points, thereby reducing the weight penalties associated with reinforcement requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous load support through an uninterrupted skin structure that spans from the fuselage through the tail cone to the vertical tail plane. This continuous structural path allows loads to be distributed smoothly along the entire assembly rather than being transferred through discrete fittings, eliminating the need for heavy reinforcement at connection points.
2Strength
If discrete interface fittings are used to join the vertical tail plane and fuselage, then the structural connection is achieved, but the assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate components (fuselage, tail cone, vertical tail plane) into a single integrated structure with continuous skin. This merger eliminates the need for complex assembly operations involving discrete interface fittings, reducing both the number of parts and the complexity of joining operations required during assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the discrete interface fittings from the assembly, replacing them with an integrated continuous skin structure. This extraction eliminates the complex fitting, reinforcement, and fairing components that would otherwise be required to join the vertical tail plane to the fuselage.
3Strength
If discrete interface fittings are used to join the vertical tail plane and fuselage, then the structural connection is achieved, but the drag increases due to aerodynamic fairing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the structural and aerodynamic functions into a single continuous skin structure. The skin serves both as the load-bearing structural element and as the aerodynamic surface, eliminating the need for separate fairing components that would be required to cover discrete fittings and reduce drag.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes the aerodynamic fairing requirement by integrating the skin continuously from the fuselage through the tail cone to the vertical tail plane. This extraction of the fairing component eliminates the drag penalty that would otherwise be incurred by having to cover discrete interface fittings with aerodynamic fairings.
4Strength
If discrete interface fittings are used to join the vertical tail plane and fuselage, then the structural connection is achieved, but the assembly time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple assembly operations into a single integrated manufacturing process. The continuous skin structure is formed in one shot, eliminating the need for separate operations to install and secure discrete interface fittings, thereby reducing assembly time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary curing of the skin structure in a mold that incorporates the entire assembly geometry. This preliminary action of pre-forming the continuous skin structure eliminates the need for subsequent complex assembly operations involving discrete fittings, reducing overall assembly time.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces weight, simplifies assembly, minimizes drag, and optimizes frame dimensions by distributing loads continuously, thereby reducing assembly time and costs while enhancing structural integrity.
Implementation Method 1
said curing step is made in a mold provided with internal modular molds
Data Source
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AI summary
Method for manufacturing a rear section of an aircraft, said rear section comprising a tail cone and a vertical tail plane, characterized in that the method comprises the following steps: providing a plurality of pre-cured frames (1), each pre-cured frame (1) comprising a section of the tail cone (2) and a section of the vertical tail plane (3); providing a plurality of pre-cured stringers (4); placing said plurality of pre-cured stringers (4) in their position in the pre-cured frames (1); placing a skin (5) around the external surface of the pre-cured frames (1); and curing the pre-cured frames (1), the pre-cured stringers (4), and the skin (5), forming the final aircraft rear section. It provides a method integrating the tail cone and the vertical tail plane with a continuous skin solution, creating a manufacturing method in one shot, reducing the costs of assembly.