Variable waterline for horizontal pressure deck

A method for controlling a pressure differential between a cabin and a wheel well in an aircraft, the method comprising:

• connecting a first sloping outboard pressure panel to a first longitudinal stiffener, wherein the first longitudinal stiffener is connected to a side-of-body of a fuselage of the aircraft;
• connecting a second sloping outboard pressure panel to a second longitudinal stiffener;
• forming an upper boundary of the wheel well by connecting pressure panels between the first sloping outboard pressure panel and the second sloping outboard pressure panel;
• and
• connecting longitudinal beams to the pressure panels and a cabin floor of the fuselage of the aircraft, wherein the first sloping outboard pressure panel is positioned between the first longitudinal stiffener and a most outboard longitudinal beam of the longitudinal beams.

An aircraft comprising:

• an aft wheel well bulkhead forming an aft boundary of a wheel well for a landing gear system;
• a rear spar of a center wing box forming a forward boundary of the wheel well;
• and
• a pressure deck system forming an upper boundary of the wheel well, the pressure deck system comprising:
• a first sloping outboard pressure panel;
• a first wheel well longeron connected to both a side-of-body of a fuselage of the aircraft and to the first sloping outboard pressure panel;
• a second sloping outboard pressure panel opposite the first sloping outboard pressure panel;
• a second wheel well longeron connected to the second sloping outboard pressure panel;
• pressure panels having an arched shape and connected to the first sloping outboard pressure panel and the second sloping outboard pressure panel;
• and
• longitudinal beams connected to the pressure panels and a cabin floor of the fuselage of the aircraft;
• wherein the first sloping outboard pressure panel is positioned between the first wheel well longeron and a most outboard longitudinal beam of the longitudinal beams.