Abstract: A method of fabricating an aircraft leading edge nose structure includes the following steps. Parallel strengthening members are welded onto a flat planar outer skin sheet. Two forming tool members having appropriately shaped outer contours contact the inner surfaces of the strengthening members, and are then pivoted and shifted toward each other so as to bend the outer skin sheet into a parabolic shape along the curved contour defined by the forming tool members. The resulting bent outer skin sheet with the strengthening members welded thereon is secured into a negative mold. To provide boundary layer suction, a perforated throttling sheet, inner ribs, and a non-perforated inner skin sheet may be successively secured by sealant and blind rivets onto the pre-bent structure of the outer skin sheet and the strengthening members. The finished structure is then removed from the mold.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an aircraft leading edge nose structure includes the following steps. Parallel strengthening members are welded onto a flat planar outer skin sheet. Two forming tool members having appropriately shaped outer contours contact the inner surfaces of the strengthening members, and are then pivoted and shifted toward each other so as to bend the outer skin sheet into a parabolic shape along the curved contour defined by the forming tool members. The resulting bent outer skin sheet with the strengthening members welded thereon is secured into a negative mold. To provide boundary layer suction, a perforated throttling sheet, inner ribs, and a non-perforated inner skin sheet may be successively secured by sealant and blind rivets onto the pre-bent structure of the outer skin sheet and the strengthening members. The finished structure is then removed from the mold.