Abstract: An aircraft wing assembly including a wing (3) and a wing tip device (4) at the tip of the wing (3), the wing tip device (4) having front and rear spars (14, 13), wherein the wing tip device (4) has a cross-brace spar (18) that links the front and rear spars and is oriented such that it is oblique to the front and rear spars (14, 13).

Abstract: A tire monitoring device and method in which an error can be detected and indicated. The tire monitoring device includes an indicator and a wireless communication interface. The method of operating the tire monitoring device includes: receiving an instruction to measure a tire pressure via the wireless communication interface; measuring a tire pressure; determining an error status of the tire pressure monitoring device; and responsive to a determination that the error status is not indicative of an error, activating the indicator to provide an indication based on the tire pressure.

Abstract: A retractable fuselage mounted landing gear assembly is disclosed. The landing gear assembly includes a main strut, a drag stay and a landing gear main fitting. A first end of the drag stay is attached to the main strut and a second end of the drag stay is connected to the fuselage. A first end of the landing main fitting is attached to the main strut and a second end of the main fitting is connected to the fuselage. When the landing gear is extended, substantially all the landing gear loads are transferred from the landing gear to the fuselage via one or more of the drag stay and the main fitting.

Abstract: Retraction of a landing gear assembly on an aircraft is actuated by a hydraulic actuator. The actuator includes a piston that travels within a cylinder along a stroke length between a first position corresponding to the landing gear assembly when extended and a second position corresponding to the landing gear assembly when retracted. The movement of the piston along its stroke length is snubbed at one end by a different amount according to the direction of travel, for example by use of an orifice plate that has a discharge coefficient that is greater in one direction than in the opposite direction. Asymmetric snubbing is thus provided, which enables the landing gear to retract faster.

Abstract: An aircraft brake temperature control system (BTCS) 100 for controlling a temperature of a brake 220 of a landing gear 201 of the aircraft 200. The BTCS 100 includes a controller 110 configured to cause at least one fluid moving device 230, 231, 232 to drive a flow of fluid onto the brake 220, selectively in one of a plurality of modes, to control the temperature of the brake 220. The BTCS 100 may be incorporated into an aircraft system 1000 with at least one fluid moving device 230, 231, 232, wherein the aircraft system is on an aircraft 200.

Abstract: An optical sensing system comprising an optical fiber, a light source, a first interrogator and a second interrogator. The optical fiber includes one or more optical sensors. The light source is placed at a first end of the optical fiber and is configured to direct light towards the one or more optical sensors. The first interrogator is placed at the first end of the optical fiber. The second interrogator placed at a second, opposite end of the optical fiber. The first interrogator is configured to receive reflected light from the one or more optical sensors, and the second interrogator is configured to receive transmitted light from the one or more optical sensors.

Abstract: An aircraft landing gear assembly is disclosed including a landing gear bracket, a fore lever receiving a fore aircraft wheel, an aft lever receiving a rear aircraft wheel, the fore and aft levers being independently moveable, wherein the bracket further comprises a fore lever stop to prevent downwards movement of the fore lever past a lowest rotational position with respect to the bracket at a first angle ?1 forward from the notional bracket axis, and a rear lever stop to prevent downwards movement of the rear lever past a lowest rotational position at a second angle ?2 behind from the notional bracket axis, wherein the first angle is greater than the second angle. An aircraft and a method of landing an aircraft are also disclosed.

Abstract: The trailing edge structure of an aircraft wing is subjected, in use, to high temperature efflux from an aircraft's engines. Such elevated temperatures can detrimentally affect the ultimate tensile strength of the trailing edge. An aircraft wing component includes composite material having a first portion including a metal matrix containing reinforcing material, and a second portion including a metal matrix containing hollow metal ceramic spheres, the second portion being adjacent a surface of the composite material. The provision of two portions, one of which contains reinforcing material and the other comprising hollow spheres means that the composite material has both structural strength and heat shielding qualities where they are needed most in the component. The portion of composite containing the hollow metal ceramic spheres acts as an embedded layer of heat insulation.

Abstract: A controller for a hydraulic braking system for an aircraft is disclosed. The hydraulic braking system includes a first accumulator and a second accumulator, the controller configured to: receive first signals including first pressure data from a first pressure transducer associated with the first accumulator, receive second signals including second pressure data from a second pressure transducer associated with the second accumulator, monitor the received first and second signals to determine whether a predetermined condition has been met, and issue a warning indicating a loss of integrity of the hydraulic braking system in response to a determination that one or more predetermined conditions has been met. A hydraulic braking system for an aircraft and method to determine the integrity of a hydraulic braking system are also disclosed.

Abstract: A variable length stay for an aircraft landing gear is disclosed having first and second sets of struts lying on different longitudinal axes that enable the stay to extend and contract by movement of the struts parallel to their axes. The stay may be locked in its extended and retracted configurations thus providing downlock and uplock functions for the landing gear. The struts of the stay may have an open and easy to inspect structure, have low friction kinematics, and do not need to telescope within each other or lie on a single common axis.

Abstract: A fuel storage system is disclosed having a fuel tank configured to store a liquid fuel; a controllable pressure source for altering the pressure in an ullage space of the fuel tank; and a controller. The controller is configured to determine a target pressure for the ullage space at a given time based on information relating to a temperature of fuel inside the fuel tank at the given time; and to control the pressure source such as to cause the pressure in the ullage space to be substantially equal to the target pressure.

Abstract: Two components of an aircraft structure are joined by providing a threaded opening in one of them and supporting an alignment insert in that opening. The alignment insert is used to guide drilling of the second component such that a hole is produced which is aligned with the threaded opening, for instance using an alignment projection which physically guides a drill. The alignment insert may then be removed. A fastener is then inserted through that hole and into the threaded opening, then tightened to form the completed joint.

Abstract: An aircraft assembly is disclosed having a wing tip device connected to a wing tip of a wing by a first connector, a second connector, and a third connector. The wing tip device includes a front device spar and a rear device spar. The first connector is associated with the rear device spar. The second connector is spaced apart in a chordwise direction forward of the first connector, and the third connector is spaced apart in a chordwise direction rearward of the first connector. The third connector includes a spigot mounting formation.

Abstract: A wing tip device for a fixed wing aircraft is disclosed having an alular-like projection, a first leading edge region having a first sweep angle, a second leading edge region outboard of the first leading edge region in a spanwise direction and having a second sweep angle greater than the first sweep angle, a third leading edge region outboard of the second leading edge region in the spanwise direction and adjacent a tip end of the wing tip device and having a third sweep angle greater than the first sweep angle. The second leading edge region is adapted to generate a first vortex, and the third leading edge region is adapted to generate a second vortex which builds towards the tip end of the wing tip device.

Abstract: A component life prediction system configured to predict the remaining life of a consumable component installed on an aircraft. The system includes a processor configured to: receive wear information indicative of a current wear state of the component; receive schedule information indicative of a future flight schedule for the aircraft; and determine the remaining life of the component based on the received wear information and the received schedule information.

Abstract: An aircraft wing trailing edge section assembly is disclosed having an upper skin structure providing an upper external aerodynamic trailing edge surface, a lower skin structure providing a lower external aerodynamic trailing edge surface, and a movement mechanism including a first portion attached to an internal surface of the upper skin structure, a second portion attached to an internal surface of the lower skin structure, and a rotationally mounted connector member connected between the first and second portions, such that rotational movement of the connector member causes simultaneous movement of both first and second portions and therefore both upper and lower skin structures, such that the camber of the trailing edge section is changed. An aircraft wing section assembly, an aircraft and methods of operating an aircraft are disclosed.

Abstract: An aircraft controller configured to determine a period and/or distance over which deployment of a landing gear can be initiated for landing including a determined first portion during which landing gear deployment can be safely initiated and a determined second portion, closer to aircraft landing than the first portion, during which the landing gear deployment can be safely initiated in an efficient landing mode; issue a first pilot feedback when the first portion is entered by the aircraft; issue a second pilot feedback when the second portion of the determined; and initiate landing gear deployment when the aircraft is in the determined period and/or distance in response to receiving a deployment signal from the pilot.

Abstract: An aircraft brake control system for controlling antiskid braking of an aircraft wheel is disclosed including a control assembly having a mode controller which sets the mode of operation of an antiskid brake calculator, configured to set a first mode, when an input of the indication of a brake energy supply configuration indicates a first brake energy supply being used, in which the antiskid brake calculator applies a first restriction level on a rise rate of the antiskid brake command, and a second mode, when the input 305 indicates a second brake energy supply being used, in which the antiskid brake calculator applies a second, lower, restriction level on a rise rate of the antiskid brake command.

Abstract: An aircraft glazing unit including a body of transparent material and at least one subsurface thickness indicator at a predetermined depth within the material. The provision of a subsurface thickness indicator allows for the unit to be re-polished to remove erosion, whilst providing a visual indicator to ground crew of the remaining thickness of material in the unit. In this way, the service lifetime of the glazing unit can be extended.

Abstract: A method of determining a status of a tyre monitoring device is disclosed. The tyre monitoring device includes a counter initiated on a first use of the tyre monitoring device on a wheel and the method includes: determining a current value of the counter; determining a status of the tyre monitoring device based on the current value of the counter; and providing an indication based on the determined status. In some examples, the status is a remaining service lifetime and the indication may be a replacement notification. A method of cross-checking data between tyre monitoring devices is also disclosed. The method includes receiving data from a plurality of tyre monitoring devices associated with respective tyres of a same vehicle; comparing the received data from different ones of the plurality of tyre monitoring devices; determining inconsistent data associated with at least one of the plurality of tyre monitoring devices based on the comparison; and providing an indication of the inconsistent data.