Manufacturing and performance issues associated with the assembly of an advanced composite commercial transport aircraft fuselage were examined as part of the NASA-sponsored Advanced Technology Aircraft Structures (ATCAS) program. Three mechanically fastened splices associated with the assembly of a fuselage crown panel were examined using filled hole tension, pure bearing, and bearing-bypass interaction specimens. Results demonstrated that relationships between failure strain and stress concentration at the hole perimeter for tow-placed and braided laminates are consistent with those exhibited by conventional tape and fabric laminates. Tow-placed graphite-glass/epoxy intraply hybrid laminates demonstrated bearing and bypass strengths similar to those of graphite/epoxy except when hybrid tows were strictly aligned through the laminate thickness. Bearing-bypass interaction results demonstrated good correlation with predictions produced using the Boeing-developed BEARBY computer code.
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