Inventors:
Robert R. McWithey - Newport News VA
Dick M. Royster - Hampton VA
Thomas T. Bales - Newport News VA
Assignee:
The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Washington DC
International Classification:
B23K 104
B32B 312
Abstract:
Lightweight capped honeycomb stiffeners 18 for use in fabricating metal or metal/matrix exterior structural panels 14 on aerospace type vehicles 10 and the process for fabricating same are disclosed. The stiffener stringers are formed in sheets (FIG. 6), cut to the desired width and length and brazed in spaced relationship to a skin 16 (FIG. 2) with the honeycomb material serving directly as the required lightweight stiffeners and not requiring separate metal encasement for the exposed honeycomb cells.