The Double Skin Pressure Cabin

WITH the advent of honeycomb construction, double skin aircraft surface structures have also been introduced, mainly for control and wing surfaces. The cylindrical and voluminous nature of the fuselage has normally allowed for adequate strength using a single skin. However, the stringers and stiffeners still required can be shared by two skins, and the strength/weight ratio thereby increased. Moreover, it is thus possible to share the pressurization stresses between the skins. Unpressurized structures of this nature are already used by Handley‐Page Ltd., the welded outer skin having an exceptionally smooth surface.