Abstract: A hinge assembly 8a for an aircraft component including first and second hinge plates 9, 10, having an aerodynamic surface. A first seal assembly 28 to 32 is provided and arranged to seal between the aerodynamic surfaces of the hinge plates. A second seal assembly 38 to 42 is arranged to seal between the undersides of the hinge plates in order to reduce pressure leakage between voids under the hinge. The provision of two seal assemblies, each having a dedicated function, addresses the competing demands made on the sealing arrangement of an aircraft hinge assembly in use.

Abstract: A landing gear controller (120) to control extension and retraction of a landing gear for an aircraft, the landing gear controller (120) configured to cause, during an aircraft take-off or landing procedure, a landing gear extension and retraction system (110) to perform only a first portion of a landing gear extension or retraction process, on the basis of a status of the aircraft and prior to receiving a command for the landing gear to be extended or retracted.

Abstract: An assembly-ready joint for an aircraft assembly is disclosed. The joint includes a first joint part having a spigot. The joint also has a second joint part with a housing. A floating socket is in an interior of the housing. The second joint part receives the spigot in the floating socket. The joint is arranged to receive a curable medium, such as curable resin, in the interior to contract between the housing and the floating socket.

Abstract: An aircraft control system 100 operably connected to a landing gear and a landing gear bay door of an aircraft 400. The system includes: a user interface 10 to receive manual inputs of first and second requests and a landing gear controller 20 configured to: receive a first indication indicative of user-operation of the user interface to input the first request, and to initiate movement of the landing gear bay door from a closed position to an open position on the basis of the first indication without initiating movement of the landing gear between an extended position and a retracted position; and receive a second indication indicative of user-operation of the user interface to input the second request, and to initiate movement of the landing gear between the extended position and the retracted position on the basis of the second indication.

Abstract: A flow control device on a structure such that strain in the structure is at least partially transferred to the flow control device is disclosed having at least two states, or shapes, separated by an elastic instability region. The flow control device is arranged to rapidly transition, or snap through, from the first state to the second state when strain in the structure exceeds an activation threshold of the flow control device. A spoiler on an aerofoil may have a rest position where it is substantially flush with the low pressure surface and an activated position where it protrudes from the low pressure surface and modifies the airflow over that surface. The spoiler bends to move from the rest position to the activated position when the strain in the aerofoil crosses a threshold. The deployed spoiler reduces the lift on the aerofoil, acting to reduce the lift induced strain of the aerofoil to which the spoiler is attached.

Abstract: A method of providing ice protection on a surface of an aircraft using exhaust air from a laminar flow control compressor. An aircraft structure, for example a wing, includes a skin. The skin has an external surface, on an outer face of the skin. The skin has an internal surface, located opposite the external surface on an inner face of the skin. The aircraft structure includes a laminar flow control system including a compressor. The aircraft structure is so arranged that the exhaust air from the compressor is directed onto the internal surface of the skin of the aircraft structure, for example thus providing hot exhaust air which function as an ice protection system (whether by de-icing or anti-icing).

Abstract: A tyre monitoring device configured to be mounted on a wheel is described. The device includes a pressure sensor for sensing an inflation pressure of a tyre on the wheel; a wireless communication interface configured to receive data indicative of a command to indicate tyre pressure; 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 tyre pressure, and based at least in part on the inflation pressure and the predetermined pressure value.

Abstract: A wingtip device to attach to a wing of an aircraft includes an aerofoil portion and a connection spar arranged to be received in a connection spar receiving portion of the wing of an aircraft. The spar includes a first through hole in a first portion of the connection spar and a second through hole in a second rearward portion of the connection spar, the second portion being rearward of the first portion with respect to a direction of flight. The first and second through holes are arranged to receive a retaining pin that is to be inserted through both the first and second through holes.

Abstract: An aircraft (1) having 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: An aircraft landing gear comprising: a shock-absorbing main leg having a sprung part for attachment to an aircraft and an un-sprung part including a slider and an axle carrying at least one wheel, the wheel having a toothed ring gear; a drive transmission mounted externally on the sprung part, or on the un-sprung part, of the main leg, the drive transmission having at least one motor and a drive pinion for meshing with the toothed ring of the wheel; and an actuator for lifting the drive transmission into and out of driving engagement with the toothed ring and for maintaining the driving engagement as the landing gear deflects during a ground taxiing operation. Also, a method of operating the aircraft landing gear.

Abstract: A non-transitory computer readable storage medium is disclosed having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: determine whether an aircraft wheel brake is capable of performing a future rejected take-off event. The determination includes determining from a rejected take-off energy parameter and a set of brake parameters whether a predicted mass of the brake is sufficient to perform the future rejected take-off event. Further, a method for determining whether an aircraft wheel brake is capable of performing a future rejected take-off event is disclosed.

Abstract: An aircraft wing having a fixed wing and a wing tip device at the tip of the fixed wing is disclosed. The wing tip device being movable relative to the fixed wing between flight and ground configurations, the aircraft wing having a locking mechanism including a locking bore and a locking pin, the locking mechanism being configurable between a locked configuration, in which the locking pin is received in the locking bore, to lock the wing tip device in one of the flight or ground configurations, and an unlocked configuration in which the locking pin is withdrawn from the locking bore such that the wing tip device is moveable relative to the fixed wing, and wherein the locking pin is configured such that it has a replaceable tip.

Abstract: An aircraft wing box is disclosed having a fuel tank with a fuel-tight boundary, upper and lower covers, forward and aft spars, and a partition including an inboard portion, an outboard portion, and a third portion between the inboard and outboard portions. Each cover is attached to each spar, the inboard portion of the partition is joined to each cover and joined to one of the spars, the outboard portion of the partition is joined to each cover and joined to one of the spars, each cover is joined to the partition. The inboard part, outboard part and third part of the partition are integrally formed as a single-piece; and the single-piece provides part of the fuel-tight boundary of the fuel tank.

Abstract: A retractable landing gear on an aircraft is operated by a landing gear control system 20 having a manually operable lever 26 movable from a first, e.g. gear-down, position to a second, e.g. gear-up position, in response to which a signal (e.g. a gear-up command) is outputted causing the landing gear to move to an up position. The landing gear control system 20 also includes a motor 40 configured to move the lever 26 in dependence on a signal, for example a signal received by a landing gear lever control unit 42 from a take-off detection system 46 which indicates that the aircraft has taken-off. Thus, the lever 26 may be considered as being configured both to be operated by a pilot of the aircraft manually and to be operated by the motor automatically.

Abstract: An apparatus for an aircraft having one or more aircraft wheel brakes, and a brake wear sensor configured to measure a wear state of a brake of the one or more aircraft wheel brakes, is disclosed. The apparatus includes a processor configured to determine a wear relationship between a wear state of the brake and a number of use cycles of the brake, determine a predicted wear state of the brake based on the wear relationship; determine a number of future use cycles of the brake based on a predicted condition of the brake, the predicted condition comprising the predicted wear state of the brake; and provide an indication of the determined number of the future use cycles to ground crew and/or a pilot of the aircraft, wherein the number of future use cycles is the number of use cycles for which the brake is allowed to be used, and a use cycle comprises all uses of the brake relating to a flight undertaken by the aircraft.

Abstract: A seal for sealing an aircraft fuel tank, an aircraft wing rib and stringer sealing assembly, an aircraft wing fuel tank, an aircraft structural wing box, an aircraft wing, and a method of sealing an aperture are disclosed. The seal is for sealing a wing rib to a stringer passing through an aperture in the rib at a variable position in the aperture. The seal includes self-adjustment means to absorb any tolerance when forming the seal, upon the stringer being assembled into the aperture in the rib.

Abstract: A pointing unit 102 is for use with a free space optical communications terminal 100 including an optical source 104. The pointing unit 102 includes a first portion 106 having a mirrored surface 108, the first portion 106 being orientatable relative to an optical beam 110 produced by the optical source 104 and incident on the mirrored surface 108 in use to direct a reflection 112 of the optical beam 110 from the mirrored surface 108 towards a target 107. The first portion 106 further includes a directional radio frequency antenna 114.

Abstract: A method for controlling the application of aircraft wheel brakes including: controlling the application of a first wheel brake of an aircraft and a second wheel brake of the aircraft in dependence upon a determined relationship to control the time taken for the first wheel brake and the second wheel brake to reach respective specified temperatures. The relationship is determined between a first cooling characteristic of the first wheel brake, according to which the first wheel brake cools when in a first retracted position within the aircraft, and a second cooling characteristic of the second wheel brake, according to which the second wheel brake cools when in a second retracted position within the aircraft.

Abstract: Seal plates are typically mounted over stringer-receiving openings in aircraft ribs. A sealing tool for sealing a stringer-receiving opening in an aircraft rib is disclosed. The sealing tool includes a seal member arranged to seal a gap formed by the opening between the stringer and the rib. An intermediate member is configured to be adjustably mounted on the rib. The adjustable member receives and aligns the seal member over the gap.

Abstract: An uplock for use with an aircraft landing gear is disclosed having a hook configured to engage a capture pin mounted on the landing gear. The hook is mounted for movement between a closed and locked position and an open and unlocked position. A proximity detector directly detects whether the pin is “up”. An uplock hook sensor detects when the hook is in the closed and locked position. The outputs of the proximity detector and the uplock hook sensor may be used to indicate the “up and locked” condition, i.e., landing gear up, and/or to indicate a fault. Such outputs may be provided by an associated device of an avionics system.