Monocoque Bonding

[flyboy2160]

n smikle-

Sorry, I guess "free edge" was not the best description to use. A better description might be "extreme edge".

When creating an adhesive lap joint, the extreme edge of each panel should be tapered as thin as practical so that it has no bending stiffness. If the extreme edge of the panel at the adhesive bond interface has very little bending stiffness, it won't be able to peel at this location.

nononononononono, stop the PC redefining things: I've been in aerospace composites for a couple of decades and "free edge" is the term that's always been used - even in college in stress classes. Agree 10000000000000000% with the tapering to reduce the bending stress. unless you want to use chicken fasteners.

[riff_raff]

Easy there flyboy, free edge is the correct term to use with a mechanically fastened lap joint. I'm a mechanical systems guy, and I don't work with composites much. So cut me some slack, OK.

[flyboy2160]

...... So cut me some slack, OK.

OK, but........wait for it ........you know it's coming............unless you go over the free edge. ( I just couldn't resist. I've been watching too much stand up comedy on TV.)

[riff_raff]

By the way, the FAA does not call them "chicken fasteners". They simply consider them a necessary part of a safe structural adhesive bond joint design. They are there to prevent propagation of a peel failure in the adhesive bond. Composite structures engineers hate them, but there is no way they can show by analysis that the adhesive bond is fail safe without them. So the FAA still requires using them.