The Boeing Company
Methods and apparatus to increase strength and toughness of aircraft structural components

Abstract:

Methods and apparatus to increase strength and toughness of aircraft structural components are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a composite structure of an aircraft, a stringer coupled to the composite structure of the aircraft, where the stringer and the composite structure form a stringer radius gap. A gap filler is disposed in the stringer radius gap, which includes chopped fibers randomly distributed throughout an entire volume of the gap filler.