Aluminum alloy products having improved property combinations and method for artificially aging same

An aerospace structural component made from an aluminum alloy product that in solution heat treated, quenched, and artificially aged condition possesses an improved combination of strength and toughness along with good corrosion resistance properties, said alloy consisting essentially of:

• 7.00 to 8.50 wt. % Zn;
• 1.30 to 1.68 wt. % Mg;
• 1.30 to 1.90 wt. % Cu;
• about 0.05 to 0.3 wt. % Zr;
• less than 0.1 wt. % Mn, less than 0.05 wt. % Cr, the balance being Al, incidental elements and impurities,
• wherein said aerospace structural component is selected from the group consisting of a spar member, rib member, web member, stringer member, wing panel member, wing skin member, fuselage frame member, floor beam member, bulkhead member and landing gear beam member.

An aluminum alloy structural component for an aircraft, which is selected from the group consisting of a spar member, rib member, web member, stringer member, wing panel member, wing skin member, fuselage frame member, floor beam member, bulkhead member, and landing gear beam member, said structural component made from a rolled, extruded, or forged alloy product, said alloy being solution heat treated, quenched and artificially aged, said structural component possessing an improved combination of strength, toughness and stress corrosion cracking resistance properties, said alloy consisting essentially of:

• 7 to 9.5 wt. % Zn;
• 1.3 to 1.68 wt. % Mg;
• 1.3 to 1.9 wt. % Cu;
• and 0.05 to 0.3 wt. % Zr, less than 0.1 wt. % Mn, less than 0.05 wt. % Cr, the balance Al, incidental elements and impurities.

An aircraft structural component selected from the group consisting of:

• a spar member, rib member, web member, stringer member, wing panel member, wing skin member, fuselage frame member, floor beam member, bulkhead member, landing gear beam member, said component having been made from a thick plate, extrusion or forging by operations comprising machining, and having improved strength, fracture toughness and corrosion resistance properties, said alloy consisting essentially of:
• 7 to 9.5 wt. % Zn;
• 13 to 1.68 wt. % Mg;
• 1.3 to 1.9 wt. % Cu;
• and 0.05 to 0.3 wt. % Zr, less than 0.1 wt. % Mn, less than 0.05 wt. % Cr, the balance Al, incidental elements and impurities.

An aircraft wingbox component made from an aluminum alloy rolled, extruded or forged product, said alloy consisting essentially of:

• 7 to 8.5 wt % Zn;
• 1.3 to 1.68 wt. % Mg;
• 1.3 to 1.9 wt. % Cu;
• and about 0.05 to 0.25 wt. % Zr, less than 0.1 wt. % Mn, less than 0.05 wt. % Cr, the balance Al, incidental elements and impurities,
• wherein said wingbox component is selected from the group consisting of a spar member, rib member, web member, stringer member, wing panel member, and wing skin member.

An aircraft wingbox component made from an aluminum alloy plate, extrusion or forged product, said alloy consisting essentially of:

• 7 to 8.5 wt. % Zn;
• 1.3 to 1.68 wt. % Mg;
• 1.3 to 1.9 wt. % Cu;
• and about 0.05 to 0.25 wt. % Zr, less than 0.1 wt. % Mn, less than 0.05 wt. % Cr, the balance Al, incidental elements and impurities, wherein the wingbox component is an integral spar made from an alloy product at least 2 inches thick at its thickest cross sectional point.

An aircraft wingbox component made from an aluminum alloy plate, extrusion or forged product, said alloy consisting essentially of:

• 7 to 8.5 wt. % Zn;
• 1.3 to 1.68 wt. % Mg;
• 1.3 to 1.9 wt. % Cu;
• and about 0.05 to 0.25 wt. % Zr, less than 0.1 wt. % Mn, less than 0.05 wt. % Cr, the balance Al, incidental elements and impurities wherein the wingbox component is a rib member, web member or stringer member.

An aircraft wingbox component made from an aluminum alloy rolled, extruded or forged product, said alloy consisting essentially of:

• 7 to 8.5 wt. % Zn;
• 1.3 to 1.68 wt. % Mg;
• 1.3 to 1.9 wt. % Cu;
• and about 0.05 to 0.25 wt. % Zr, less than 0.1 wt. % Mn, less than 0.05 wt. % Cr, the balance Al, incidental elements and impurities, wherein the wingbox component is a wing panel or skin.

An aircraft having a plurality of airframe structural components made from aluminum alloy workpieces, the alloy of which consists essentially of:

• 7 to 8.5 wt. % Zn;
• 1.3 to 1.68 wt. % Mg;
• 1.3 to 1.9 wt. % Cu, and 0.05 to 0.3 wt. % Zr, less than 0.1 wt. % Mn, less than 0.05 wt. % Cr, the balance Al, incidental elements and impurities,
• wherein said structural components are selected from the group consisting of:
• a spar, rib, web, stringer, wing panel, wing skin, fuselage frame, floor beam, bulkhead, landing gear beam.

An aircraft having several structural components made by removing substantial quantities of metal from aluminum workpieces, the alloy of which consists essentially of:

• 7 to 8.5 wt. % Zn;
• 1.3 to 1.68 wt. % Mg;
• 1.3 to 1.9 wt. % Cu, and 0.05 to 0.3 wt. % Zr, less than 0.1 wt. % Mn, less than 0.05 wt. % Cr, the balance Al, incidental elements and impurities,
• wherein at least one of said components is a bulkhead member.

An aircraft having a plurality of large structural components made by removing substantial quantities of metal from aluminum workpieces, the alloy of which consists essentially of:

• 7 to 8.5 wt. % Zn;
• 1.3 to 1.68 wt. % Mg;
• 1.3 to 1.9 wt. % Cu, and 0.05 to 0.3 wt. % Zr, less than 0.1 wt. % Mn, less than 0.05 wt. % Cr, the balance Al, incidental elements and impurities,
• wherein two or more of said components are wing spar members.

An aluminum alloy aerospace wrought structural component less than 2 inches thick at its thickest point, that in solution heat treated, quenched, and artificially aged condition, possesses an improved combination of strength and toughness along with good corrosion resistance properties, said alloy consisting essentially of:

• 7.0 to 8.5 wt. % Zn;
• 1.3 to 1.68 wt. % Mg;
• 1.3 to 1.9 wt. % Cu, 0.05 to 0.3 wt. % Zr;
• less than 0.1 wt. % Mn;
• less than 0.05 wt. % Cr, the balance being Al, incidental elements and impurities,
• wherein said component is selected from the group consisting of a spar member, rib member, web member, stringer member, wing panel member, wing skin member, fuselage frame member, floor beam member, bulkhead member, and landing gear beam member.