There are two general types of fuselageconstruction—welded steel truss and monocoquedesigns. The welded steel truss was used in smallerNavy aircraft, and it is still being used in somehelicopters.The monocoque design relies largely on thestrength of the skin, or covering, to carry various loads.The monocoque design may be divided into threeclasses—monocoque, semimonocoque, and reinforcedshell.! The true monocoque construction usesformers, frame assemblies, and bulkheads togive shape to the fuselage. However, the skincarries the primary stresses. Since no bracingmembers are present, the skin must be strongenough to keep the fuselage rigid. The biggestproblem in monocoque construction ismaintaining enough strength while keeping theweight within limits.! Semimonocoque design overcomes thestrength-to-weight problem of monocoqueconstruction. See figure 4-6. In addition tohaving formers, frame assemblies, andbulkheads, the semimonocoque constructionhas the skin reinforced by longitudinalmembers.! The reinforced shell has the skin reinforced bya complete framework of structural members.Different portions of the same fuselage maybelong to any one of the three classes. Most areconsidered to be of semimonocoque-typeconstruction.The semimonocoque fuselage is constructedprimarily of aluminum alloy, although steel andtitanium are found in high-temperature areas. Primarybending loads are taken by the longerons, whichusually extend across several points of support. Thelongerons are supplemented by other longitudinalmembers known asstringers. Stringers are morenumerous and lightweight than longerons.The vertical structural members are referred to asbulkheads, frames, and formers. The heavier verticalmembers are located at intervals to allow forconcentrated loads. These members are also found atpoints where fittings are used to attach other units, suchas the wings and stabilizers.The stringers are smaller and lighter than longeronsand serve as fill-ins. They have some rigidity but arechiefly used for giving shape and for attachment ofskin. The strong, heavy longerons hold the bulkheadsand formers. The bulkheads and formers hold thestringers. All of these join together to form a rigidfuselage framework. Stringers and longerons preventtension and compression stresses from bending thefuselage.The skin is attached to the longerons, bulkheads,and other structural members and carries part of theload. The fuselage skin thickness varies with the loadcarried and the stresses sustained at particular loca-tion.4-6ANf0406Figure 4-6.—Semimonocoque fuselage construction.
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