Abstract: A lifting device including: a movable discontinuity (1) located in a surface of the lifting device, the movable discontinuity (1) being movable between: an active position in which the movable discontinuity (1) acts as vortex generator, and a passive position in which the movable discontinuity (1) is integrated into the surface of the lifting surface, a conduit (2) located in the spanwise direction of the lifting surface and in communication with the movable discontinuity (1), the lifting surface including openings (3) in its surface spanwise distant from each other in communication with the conduit (2), the movable discontinuity (1) and the conduit (2) being configured such that when an airflow goes through the conduit (2), this airflow activates the movable discontinuity (1) to act as a vortex generator of the lifting surface.

Abstract: A lifting surface comprising a movable discontinuity located in the surface of the lifting surface. The movable discontinuity is movable between an active position in which the movable discontinuity acts as vortex generator, and a passive position in which the movable discontinuity is integrated into the surface of the lifting surface without acting as vortex generator. The lifting surface may be in an elevator, the elevator being rotatable around a hinge line with respect to the rest of the lifting surface. A bar is rigidly joined to the elevator. The bar, the elevator and the movable discontinuity are configured such that when the elevator rotates with respect to the rest of the lifting surface, the bar moves the movable discontinuity that departs from the surface of the lifting surface, acting as a vortex generator.

Abstract: A lightweight shield for aircraft protection against threat of high energy impacts, which comprises, a structural layer that has a first side and a second side, the first side being intended for receiving the impact, and a ballistic material layer for absorbing high energy impacts, having a first side and a second side. The first side of the ballistic material layer is faced to the second side of structural layer and joined to the structural layer via a progressively detachable interface and, the second side of the ballistic material layer is a free surface.

Abstract: A tip structure for an aircraft airfoil, such as a control surface (ailerons, flaps, elevators, rudders, etc) and/or a lifting surface (wings, HTP's, VTP's) is a unitary body and includes a tip shell and a metallic material on the outer surface of the tip shell suitable to withstand a lighting strike. The tip shell has been obtained by a single-stage injection molding process using a thermoplastic composite material having fibers dispersed therein, and the metallic material has been integrally formed with the tip shell.

Abstract: A structure of a control surface for aircrafts, such as elevators, rudders, landing flaps, ailerons, and other similar lifting surfaces. The control surface includes a front spar, a rear spar, a plurality of ribs, at least one hinge fitting, and at least one actuator fitting, the hinge and actuator fittings joined with the front spar. A first rib is joined with a hinge fitting to form a first oblique angle with the front spar; a second rib is joined with an actuator fitting to form a second oblique angle with the front spar. The rear spar, located between the front spar and trailing edge of the control surface, extends only between the second rib and an outboard end of the control surface. The ribs are located in correspondence with the main torsion and bending load paths created in the control surface during flight, landing or takeoff.

Abstract: An aircraft horizontal tail plane (HTP) of the continuous type, wherein the inner-most ribs of the right-hand side and left-hand side torsion boxes are arranged to have one end joined right at the joint zone where both rear spars meet at axis of symmetry of the HTP. In this way, the loads at this central region of the HTP are concentrated at the joint zone where the inner-most ribs and the rear spars converge. The HTP can be manufactured with a reduced number of components.

Abstract: An aircraft aerodynamic surface (1) including a torsion box (2) having a front spar (21) and rear spar (22), a first control surface (3) including a front spar (31) and a trailing edge (32) and a second control surface (4) having a front spar (41), a trailing edge (42), and a pivot device (5, 6, 7, 8) for pivotally attaching the first control surface (3) and the second control surface (4) to the rear spar (22) of the torsion box (2), the first control surface is an inboard control surface (4) including two lateral ribs (9, 9?), six inner ribs (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 10) and an inner spar (16), and the second control surface (3) is an outboard control surface which includes two lateral ribs (20, 20?), three internal ribs (17, 18, 19), two internal spars (24, 24?) and one internal spar (23).

Abstract: This disclosure relates to the manufacturing of a leading edge section with hybrid laminar flow control for an aircraft. A manufacturing method involves: providing an outer hood, a plurality of elongated modules, first and second C-shaped profiles having comprising cavities, and an inner mandrel; assembling an injection moulding tool by placing each profile on each end of the inner mandrel, arranging a first extreme of each elongated module in one cavity of the first profile and a second extreme of the module in another cavity of the second profile, both cavities positioned in the same radial direction; and placing the hood on first and second profiles to close the tool. Further, the injection moulding tool is closed and filled with an injection compound comprising thermoplastic and short-fiber. Finally, the compound is hardened and demoulded.

Abstract: Provided is a structure of composite material, comprising a continuous first layer of composite material, a second layer of viscoelastic material, and a continuous impact-protection third layer. The first layer is formed by structural components in the form of a matrix and fibers. The second layer of viscoelastic material is added on top of the first layer and said second layer can be continuous or non-continuous. If a non-continuous second layer is used, elongate, circular or square cavities are arranged inside the layer. Optionally, reinforcements comprising carbon nanofibers or nanotubes are provided in either of the first and second layers. The third layer of impact-protection material is added in a continuous manner on top of the second layer, the third layer forming the outermost layer of the composite material. In addition, this third layer is electrically conductive. The composite material has noise attenuation, impact resistance and electric conductivity properties.

Abstract: A configuration and manufacturing method for a trailing edge of an aircraft airfoil, such as a control surface or a lifting surface is described. The trailing edge is formed and configured by upper and lower composite covers, which are stitched to each other with a metallic wire, such as the metallic wire is electrically in contact with upper and lower metallic meshes to provide electrical continuity between meshes. According to a method, upper and lower covers configuring the trailing edge, are stitched with the metallic wire before curing the covers, so that the metallic wire gets embedded within the composite material. A trailing edge for an aircraft airfoil, which is easy to manufacture and that at the same time fulfills aerodynamic, mechanical and electrical conductivity requirements is described.

Abstract: A leading edge section with laminar flow control includes: a perforated outer skin, a perforated inner skin, and a plurality of suction chambers formed between the outer skin and the inner skin. The leading edge section includes a plurality of stringers span-wise arranged at the leading edge section, and integrally formed with the outer skin, such that the inner skin is joined to the stringers. A method for manufacturing a leading edge section integrating a laminar flow control system is described, wherein a perforated inner skin is joined with a perforated outer skin having a plurality of stringers integrally formed with the outer skin, such that suction chambers are defined by a part of the outer skin, a part of the inner skin and a pair of stringers.

Abstract: The present disclosure refers to the configuration and manufacturing process of a rib for the construction of an aircraft torsion box. In the method, a flat stack of plies of composite material is layered up, which is then cut to form a flat pre-form having an outer contour having flanges, and an internal contour having two or more diagonal trusses with flanges at opposite sides. The flat pre-form is press-formed to fold the flanges of the outer and internal contour to form a rib pre-form, which is finally cured. The present disclosure also refers to a composite rib having a unitary body by forming a single pre-form of stacked plies. The present disclosure allows the manufacture of the rib in one-shot process, integrating all the ribs components such that the assembly time and cost of the rib are minimized.

Abstract: An aircraft lifting surface with a main supporting structure comprising upper and lower faces defining its aerodynamic profile, front and rear faces oriented towards, respectively, the leading and trailing edges, a first set of transverse ribs extended from the front face to the rear face and a second set of transverse ribs crossing the front face and/or the rear face. The integration of leading and trailing edge ribs in the main supporting structure allows a weight and cost reduction of aircraft lifting surfaces. A manufacturing method of said main supporting structure is also disclosed.

Abstract: An optimized leading edge for an aircraft lifting or supporting surfaces, such as wings and stabilizers, wherein the leading edge includes inboard and outboard leading edge sections that are span-wise arranged so as to form together an aerodynamic surface of the leading edge. Each of the leading edge sections includes a skin panel and a support structure formed by spars that are internally arranged in the skin panel. These two support structures are designed taking into account the different load requirements of those two different sections, so that the number of spars in each leading edge section is progressively reduced from root to tip of the leading edge, in such a way that the support structure of the outboard leading edge section, has less spars than the inboard leading edge section. Hence the weight of the leading edge is reduced while still maintaining the required structural behavior.

Abstract: An aircraft lifting surface with a monolithic main supporting structure of a composite material including an upper skin having at least a part of the upper aerodynamic profile of the leading edge and/or of the trailing edge, a lower skin, a front spar, a rear spar, and leading edge ribs and/or a trailing edge ribs. The main supporting structure allows a weight and cost reduction of aircraft lifting surfaces.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a leading edge profile section of an aircraft lifting surface is provided. The method comprises the following steps: a) providing a set of laminated preforms of a composite material configured with a suitable shape for constituting the leading edge profile section; b) arranging said laminated preforms in a curing tooling and subjecting the assembly to an autoclave cycle to co-cure said laminated preforms; c) demolding the curing tooling in a spanwise direction towards the aircraft symmetry plane. The invention also comprises a leading edge profile section manufactured by said method comprising in addition to the skin of the leading edge profile section, one or more of the following structural elements: an auxiliary spar, a longitudinal stiffener reinforcing an auxiliary spar, a longitudinal stringer reinforcing the skin of the leading edge profile.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a leading edge of an aircraft lifting surface, the leading edge having a leading edge skin and a supporting structure including at least two spars span-wise arranged and fixed internally to the leading edge skin. In the method of the invention, the supporting structure is obtained from a single laminate of plies of composite material, which is conformed in such that in a cross-sectional view, the laminate includes a trapezoidal configuration which forms a front spar and a rear spar of the supporting structure. A leading edge obtained by the above-described method is disclosed. Since the supporting structure of the leading edge is obtained from a single component, namely the laminate, the manufacturing method is simplified and production costs are significantly reduced.

Abstract: An optimized structure of a control surface for aircrafts, such as elevators, rudders, landing flaps, ailerons, and other similar lifting surfaces. The control surface includes a front spar, a rear spar, a plurality of ribs and at least one hinge fitting, as well as and an actuator fitting joined with the front spar. At least one rib is connected with the actuator fitting and it is arranged so as to define an oblique angle with the front spar. One or more ribs are located in correspondence with the main torsion and bending load paths created in the control surface during flight, landing or takeoff, so the same structural behavior of the control surface is achieved, but, with a reduced number of ribs, so that the weight of the control surface is reduced.

Abstract: Horizontal tail plane of an aircraft which comprises a single torsion box which also comprises a front spar (1), a rear spar (2), an upper cover and a lower cover, ribs and two closing ribs (3), the front spar (1), the rear spar (2) and the upper and lower covers extending between said two closing ribs (3) and along the whole span of the horizontal tail plane in a symmetric layout with respect to the symmetry axis of the aircraft.

Abstract: An optimized leading edge for an aircraft lifting or supporting surfaces, such as wings and stabilizers, wherein the leading edge includes inboard and outboard leading edge sections that are span-wise arranged so as to form together an aerodynamic surface of the leading edge. Each of the leading edge sections includes a skin panel and a support structure formed by spars that are internally arranged in the skin panel. These two support structures are designed taking into account the different load requirements of those two different sections, so that the number of spars in each leading edge section is progressively reduced from root to tip of the leading edge, in such a way that the support structure of the outboard leading edge section, has less spars than the inboard leading edge section. Hence the weight of the leading edge is reduced while still maintaining the required structural behavior.