STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF BONDED AND HYBRID JOINTS IN AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE CONNECTIONS

Abstract

Composite materials are increasingly used in modern aircraft structures due to their high strength-
to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and design flexibility. Aircraft fuselage structures rely heavily
on efficient joining methods for stringer-skin connections and splice joints. Traditional riveted
joints, bonded joints, and hybrid joints (bonded + riveted) are commonly used in aerospace
applications.
This study presents a comparative structural analysis of bonded, riveted, and hybrid joints used in
aircraft fuselage splice connections. A Z-stringer model was developed using ANSYS SpaceClaim
and analyzed using ANSYS Workbench. Static structural simulations were performed to evaluate
total deformation and equivalent (von Mises) stress distribution.