GULFSTREAM-V FLOORS - PRIMARY AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE IN ADVANCED THERMOPLASTICS

Carbon fiber reinfored thermoplastic floor panels have been developed for the new Gulfstream V corporate jet, the primary target being weigh t reduction compared to previous aluminum designs. The Gulfstreams V p anels are divided into moderately loaded panels and more heavily loade d panels in the wing area. The moderately loaded sandwich panels are a continued development of existing thermoplastic floor panels, such as those of the Fokker 100 and the Airbus A300/600 Super Transporter air craft. They are found in the forward cabin and baggage areas and featu re a simple and cost-effective edge folding technique and ultrasonical ly welded thermoplastic inserts. The primary structure floors, a first for thermoplastic composites, serve as a pressure bulkhead. They were designed around material allowables, obtained from extensive damage t olerance testing. The GV panels, together with other thermoplastic air craft component technologies developed in parallel, open the road to a vast array of primary aircraft structure components, such as rudders, elevators and pressure bulkheads.