Airbus A320 Bolts and rivets

Structure
An aircraft stabilizer is an aerodynamic surface, typically
including one or more movable control surfaces, that
provides longitudinal (pitch) and/or directional (yaw)
stability and control.

The Horezontal stabilizer prevents up and down or pitching,

motion of the aircraft nose.

The Vertical stabilizer prevents side to side or yawing motion

of the aircraft nose.
The rudder is a primary flight
control surface which controls
rotation about the vertical axis
of an aircraft. This movement
is referred to as “yaw”. The
rudder is a movable surface
that on the trailing edge of the
vertical stabilizer or fin.
The VTP consists of a spar box, leading edge fairing,
trailing edge panels, and tip (see Figure 1). The spar box
consists of left and right side panels each composed of
solid carbon fibreñreinforced plastic (CFRP) laminate
skin and interior stiffeners. At the bottom of each side
panel, there are three large integrally constructed CFRP
lugs, known as the main attachment fittings, which attach
to the fuselage. At the front and rear of the box, there are
solid CFRP laminate spars running the length of the
VTP, joining the left and right skin panels, forming the
front and rear faces of the spar box.
• In the centre of the box, there is a shorter solid CFRP laminate spar, which extends only up to
rib 5. At the bottom of each of these three spars are two integrally constructed lugs, known as
transverse load fittings, which attach to the fuselage. Within the box, there are a total of 18
solid CFRP laminate ribs, including closing ribs at the bottom and top. The leading edge and
the tip are constructed of sandwich composite. Attached to each side of the rear spar, and
extending aft, there is a flat trailing edge panel that acts as an aerodynamic fairing to fill the
gap between the rear spar of the VTP and the leading edge of the rudder.
• There are seven hinge positions along the VTP rear spar
for the attachment of the rudder. These are numbered 1
through 7, from bottom to top. Figure 2 shows the design
details at these hinge points. At each hinge position, there
is a CFRP fitting attached to the rear spar. Each CFRP
fitting has two lugs, one on the left and one on the right.
The two front arms of each V-shaped metal hinge arm fit
into these lugs on the rear of the VTP spar.
• The hinge arms are attached to the CFRP fittings with spherical
bearings, so they are free to pivot up and down. The rear of each
hinge arm contains a hinge point for the attachment of the rudder.
The hinge arm at hinge position 4 is supported in the vertical
direction by a metal structural tube referred to as the z-strut. All
the vertical loads from the rudder are transferred to the VTP
through the z-strut. Rudder movement is controlled by three
hydraulic actuators located inside the VTP at hinge positions 2, 3,
and 4. The forward ends of the actuators are attached to CFRP
fittings on the rear spar of the VTP, and the aft ends are attached
to aluminum alloy fittings on the front spar of the rudder
• Rudder Hinges

• There are seven hinge positions, numbered

1 through 7, from bottom to top. Figure 5
shows the design details at these hinge
points. At each hinge position, aluminum
alloy fittings are attached to solid GFRP
blocks integrated locally into the side panels
and to the spar web by mechanical
fasteners. The core of the spar web, where
the fasteners pass through, is filled by core
filler and reinforced by an aluminum
backing plate. The three control actuators
attach to the rudder at hinge positions 2, 3,
and 4. The metal hinge fittings at these
locations have two lugs, one to act as the
hinge point, and one to attach to a hydraulic
actuator.