Abstract: A structure having layers of controllable electrical properties is prepared by furnishing a sheet of a substrate material, patterning a pattern of recesses into a surface of the sheet of the substrate material, filling the pattern of recesses with a mixture of an active phase and a matrix, and laminating the sheet to a base structure. The filled recesses may be of any desired shape, depth, and orientation. The active phase is particles of a material such as an electrical conductor or semiconductor, or magnetic particles.

Abstract: A composite structural panel is formed of a single composite face sheet with a stiffener grid adhesively attached to one side of the face sheet. The stiffener grid if formed of an interlocked set of parallel first elongated grid channels extending in a first direction and parallel second elongated grid channels extending in a second direction. Each grid channel is a hollow channel section including two shear walls formed of a shear wall composite material having woven bidirectional shear wall fiber reinforcement cloth embedded in a shear wall matrix, and a cap extending between the top of each of the two shear walls. The cap is formed of a cap composite material of composite material having unidirectional cap fiber reinforcement embedded in a cap matrix, with the unidirectional cap fiber reinforcement extending parallel to the direction of elongation of the grid channel.

Abstract: An aircraft includes a forward fuselage segment, an aft fuselage segment, a wing structure supported from the aft fuselage segment, a tail structure supported from either the aft fuselage segment or the wing structure, and an engine supported from either the aft fuselage segment or the wing structure. A payload module is disposed between and connects the forward fuselage segment and the aft fuselage segment, so as to form the structural attachment between the forward fuselage segment and the aft fuselage segment. The payload module is disconnectable from the forward fuselage segment and the aft fuselage segment such that the forward fuselage segment and the aft fuselage segment are not connected to each other when the payload module is disconnected from the forward fuselage segment and the aft fuselage segment.

Abstract: A composite article is prepared by positioning composite material precursor between a layup tool and a sculpted block of an open-celled foam material. The block has a first face sculpted to define a first face of the composite article. A pressure is applied between the layup tool and the block, and thence to the composite material precursor. Simultaneously with the pressure application, the assembly is heated to compact and cure the composite material. The open-celled foam block acts both as a breather material to allow gas to escape from the compacting composite material and a bleeder material to receive resin that is forced out of the composite material under pressure.