Multifunctional Fuselage Demonstrator: Thermoplastic Composite Skin Manufacturing Developments

Abstract

Within Clean Sky 2 the design and manufacturing of the fuselage of new single aisle aircraft is investigated through a large, multi-functional fuselage demonstrator, see Figure 1. The main objectives of this demonstrator are to enable high production rates with a minimum of 60 aircraft per month and to reduce structural weight and recurring cost. The envisaged demonstrator shall validate high potential multi-functional combinations of airframe structures, systems, cargo and cabin technology concepts for the next generation fuselage and cabin, using advanced materials and innovative design principles.

One of the key innovations for the multi-functional fuselage demonstrator is the modular assembly of pre-equipped sub-assemblies, see reference [1] and [4]. To make a step in the design and manufacturing of such integrated multi-disciplinary fuselage sub-assemblies, including components of structures, systems, cabin and cargo, advanced materials and manufacturing methods are required. Thermoplastic composites and their highly automated fibre placement production techniques and advanced joining methods, offer the flexibility and efficiency that is needed for the production of much more pre-equipped sub-assemblies to enable the modular assembly process for the future aircraft production supply chain.

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References

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