Hat stringer closeout fitting and method of making same

An aircraft comprising:

• a wing;
• a hat stringer coupled to an interior surface of a panel of said wing, said hat stringer defines a channel, said hat stringer comprises a cap portion, wherein a gap is defined in said cap portion proximate a closeout portion of said hat stringer;
• and
• a closeout fitting comprising:
• a cover coupled against an outer surface of said hat stringer, wherein a fitting surface of said cover is substantially complementary to at least a portion of said hat stringer outer surface, and wherein a first portion of said cover extends across said gap;
• and
• an insert comprising an outer perimeter surface and a wall that is sealingly enclosed by said outer perimeter surface, wherein at least a first portion of said outer perimeter surface of said insert is substantially complementary to at least a portion of said channel interior surface, said insert is coupled to said cover and coupled against said channel interior surface proximate said closeout portion such that said wall is disposed across said channel and such that a deformation of said hat stringer proximate said closeout portion is limited, and wherein said insert is configured to substantially block flow communication through said channel.

A method of making a closeout fitting for a hat stringer of a vehicle, said method comprising:

• forming a fitting surface of a cover to be substantially complementary to at least a portion of an outer surface of the hat stringer, such that the cover is configured to couple against the hat stringer outer surface;
• configuring a first portion of the cover to extend across a gap defined in a cap portion of the hat stringer when the cover is coupled against a closeout portion of the hat stringer;
• and
• forming an insert that includes an outer perimeter surface and a wall that is sealingly enclosed by the outer perimeter surface, wherein at least a first portion of the outer perimeter surface is substantially complementary to at least a portion of an interior surface of a channel defined by the hat stringer, such that the insert is configured to couple to the cover and to couple against the channel interior surface proximate the hat stringer closeout portion such that the wall is disposed across the channel and such that a deformation of the hat stringer proximate the closeout portion is limited, and wherein forming the insert further comprises configuring the insert to substantially block flow communication through the channel.