Abstract: A duct stringer assembly with a bulkhead. The duct stringer assembly has duct walls providing a duct with a closed cross-section. The duct is adapted to transport fluid. A bulkhead is in the duct, and the bulkhead is adapted to block the flow of fluid along the duct. The bulkhead has a bulkhead body, and a gasket sealing a gap between the bulkhead body and the duct walls.

Abstract: An aircraft sub-assembly manufacturing system is arranged over multiple floors of a manufacturing facility. A production line of workstations is provided at locations at both a first floor and a second floor of the facility, each of the workstations being arranged for providing manufacturing steps for the aircraft sub-assembly. Elevator apparatus is arranged to transport the assembled aircraft sub-assembly between the first floor and the second floor of the facility.

Abstract: A hydraulic brake system for activating the wheel brakes of an aircraft landing gear assembly includes a hydraulic fluid supply line and an associated return line. There is a valve which separates a source of hydraulic fluid from a portion of the return line and an associated leak path associated with the valve that in use maintains the pressure and/or volume of hydraulic fluid in the portion of the return line above a minimum acceptable level. The leak path may be provided by a hole drilled in a part (e.g. the poppet) of a non-return check valve.

Abstract: An aircraft is disclosed having a landing gear with a main support supporting one or more wheels. The landing gear has at least two sidestays by which landing gear loads can be propagated from the landing gear to the body of the aircraft. The sidestays are attached at one end to a rotatable yoke via joints which allow relative movement between the sidestays and the yoke so that the yoke can rotate about a yoke axis. Rotation of the yoke about the yoke axis, permitted by the joints, can help distribute loads between the two sidestays and/or combat negative effects resulting from an unfavourable tolerance stack during assembly, for example.

Abstract: A temporary pintle support which can attach between upper prongs of a landing gear, and which is arranged to hold pintle pins prior to installation of the landing gear assembly at an aircraft. The pintle support is attached at the landing gear to align the pintle pins with their respective attachment bearings on each of the prongs. The pintle support may be removed once the pintle pins are fully inserted.

Abstract: A sealant smoothing tool for smoothing sealant in a gap between two aircraft parts is disclosed including a main body having a base surface for abutting sliding along a top surface of the aircraft parts, a spatula holder for holding a spatula, the spatula holder being configured to movably mount the spatula relative to the main body, and a resilient biasing member, configured to provide a biasing against the spatula or the spatula holder, such that the spatula supplies a biasing force to the sealant. An aircraft having two parts sealed by the sealant smoothing tool, a kit of parts including a sealant smoothing tool and one or more spatulas, and a method of smoothing sealant to seal a gap between two aircraft parts are also disclosed.

Abstract: A spark containment cap for enclosing an end of a fastener protruding from a structure, the enclosed body having a base and a cover portion, the cover portion extending from the base, the base providing an adhering surface for adhering the spark containment cap to a structure, and the base and the cover portion together forming a cavity within the enclosed body inside which the end of a fastener can be enclosed.

Abstract: An actuator is disclosed including an actuator body mounted for movement over a range of motion, the range of motion including a first part and a second part, the first part being the range of motion extending between an end position and the second part. The actuator includes a motor coupled to the actuator body to move the actuator body in the first direction and a controller configured to control the supply of current to drive the motor. The mechanical resistance to movement of the actuator body in the first direction is higher in the first part of the range of motion than in the second part of the range of motion. The controller is configured such that any additional current supplied to the motor when the actuator body is in the first part of the range of motion is limited thereby causing the speed of the actuator body to reduce as the actuator body approaches the end position.

Abstract: An aircraft wing having a main wing and a trailing edge flight control surface movable between a retracted position, a first extended position in which the control surface is positioned rearwardly in the chord wise direction relative to its retracted position, and a second extended position in which the control surface is rotated relative to its retracted position. A closure panel, mounted to the main wing, extends from the main wing to the control surface, to provide an air flow surface between the main wing and control surface, both when the control surface is in its retracted position and its first extended position. The closure panel is movable, relative to the control surface, to an open configuration in which it opens an airflow passage provided between the control surface and an opposed surface of the aircraft wing when the control surface is in its second extended position.

Abstract: A brake control system 200 and method 300 for controlling a park brake of an aircraft including a controller 201 configured to cause an increase in a brake torque of the park brake based of an indication to the controller. The indication is generated in response to touchdown of the aircraft.

Abstract: A blade seal for sealing a gap between a first aircraft component and a second aircraft component, including a flexible seal member having a first end for attaching to the first aircraft component and a second end for extending towards the second aircraft component, a sensor and an actuator directly coupled to the flexible seal member. The sensor is configured to detect deformation of the flexible seal member and send a signal to the actuator in response to the deformation, and the actuator is configured to impart a load on the flexible seal member and to activate only in response to the signal received directly from the sensor by the actuator to counter the detected deformation of the flexible seal member.

Abstract: An aircraft includes an active drag control system such as a Laminar Flow Control (LFC) system having a port LFC apparatus and a starboard LFC apparatus. The aircraft has a control system to test how efficiently the LFC system is working by differentially operating the port LFC apparatus and the starboard LFC apparatus, for example by deactivating either LFC apparatus, and measuring the effect on the direction of flight of the aircraft. The control system also can change the direction of the aircraft, and trim the aircraft, by differentially operating the port LFC apparatus and the starboard LFC apparatus.

Abstract: A tire monitoring device configured to be mounted on a wheel and including: a pressure sensor for sensing an inflation pressure of a tire on the wheel; a wireless communication interface configured to receive data indicative of a command to indicate tire pressure, wherein the wireless communication interface is configured to communicate with at least one other tire monitoring device; a storage storing a predetermined pressure value; an indicator configured to provide a first indication and a second indication, wherein the first indication is different from the second indication; and a processing system configured to operate the indicator to provide the first indication or the second indication responsive to receipt of the command to indicate tire pressure, and based at least in part on the inflation pressure and the predetermined pressure value.

Abstract: An aircraft system having a first set of components for performing a function of the aircraft system, and a second, alternative, set of components for performing the function of the aircraft system. The aircraft system has and a controller configured to receive scenario data indicative of a scenario during which the function of the aircraft system is to be performed, and, where each of the first and second sets of components are operational, the controller is configured to select between the first or the second set of components to perform the aircraft system function during the scenario based on the received scenario data. The controller is configured to control the selected set of components to perform the function during the scenario.

Abstract: An aircraft wing including a wingbox with an upper cover, a lower cover, a forward spar and a rear spar. A leading edge of a trailing edge panel is attached to the wingbox. A support structure is attached to the wingbox. A kinked link includes a first arm, a second arm, and a corner where the first and second arms meet. The first arm of the kinked link is pivotally attached to the trailing edge panel at a first pivot joint, and the second arm of the kinked link is pivotally attached to the support structure at a second pivot joint.

Abstract: A spoiler actuation apparatus for moving an aircraft spoiler. The spoiler is moveable between a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The spoiler actuation apparatus includes a guide member, a rack mounted on the guide member and slideable along a longitudinal axis of the guide member, and a gear coupled to the rack, the gear arranged to move the spoiler in response to sliding of the rack. The rack is held at a first position when the spoiler is in the stowed configuration. An actuator moves the rack from the first position to a second position along the longitudinal axis. When the rack is at the second position, the rack is operable to accelerate relative to the guide member away from the second position by an aerodynamic force acting on the spoiler.

Abstract: An aircraft wing including a wingbox with an upper cover, a lower cover, and a rear spar. A lower trailing edge panel is provided with a leading edge attached to the wingbox. The wing includes a flap, a flap deployment mechanism which is configured to deploy the flap, and a fairing which covers the flap deployment mechanism. A first end of a link is pivotally attached to the lower trailing edge panel at a first pivot joint, and a second end of the link is pivotally attached to the fairing at a second pivot joint. The second pivot joint is lower than the first pivot joint.

Abstract: A lightning strike protection material for an aircraft includes an electrically-conductive grid with grid-forming members and nodes where grid-forming members overlap or intersect. A plurality of the grid-forming members and/or nodes include an outward-facing surface, and at least a portion of the outward-facing surface is concave.

Abstract: A hinge assembly 8a for an aircraft component comprises first and second hinge plates 9, 10, each hinge plate including a plurality of fingers 13 to 17. The fingers of the first and second hinge plates are interleaved. A seal assembly 28 to 32 is provided between at least some of the fingers. The provision of a hinge including interposed fingers allows for a hinge assembly having a complex aerodynamic profile to be made, while the sealing function is performed by the seals filling the gaps between the fingers.

Abstract: A method of securing a lower trailing edge panel of an aircraft wing. The wing includes a wingbox with an upper cover, a lower cover, and a rear spar. A leading edge of the lower trailing edge panel is attached to the wingbox. A support structure is also attached to the wingbox and a connector is mounted to the trailing edge panel. A link is provided, with a first end and a second end. The second end of the link is pivotally attached to the support structure at a pivot joint. A biasing arrangement biases the link towards an upright orientation in which the first end of the link is higher than the pivot joint. The link is held in its upright orientation with the biasing arrangement; and then the first end of the link is attached to the connector.