FUBACOMP ONE SHOT FUSELAGE MANUFACTURE AND STRUCTURAL ASSEMBLY OVERVIEW

摘要

A highly integrated composite forward fuselage section was the major component deliverable of the FUll BArrel COMPosite fuselage (FUBACOMP) EU Framework 5 project. A series of sub-components were designed and produced at both sub-scale and full scale, to de-risk the manufacturing process. The fuselage component design incorporated the necessary features to facilitate the engineering and subsequent manufacture of the 4,5m long, 2m diameter (maximum) fuselage structure by the automated fibre placement process. Manual fabrication of the Nomex honeycomb, carbon fibre composite (CFC) inserts and the Rohacell foam substructure was integrated into the manufacturing process. The fuselage was produced on a complex, collapsible CFC mandrel designed to interface with the fibre placement machine, a Cincinnati Machine V1200 machine located at BAE SYSTEMS, Samlesbury. Post manufacture, the major sub-components including the bulkheads, windshield frame and windows were structurally assembled to the fuselage to enable validation of the fuselage concept through structural test.