A planet gear housing assembly in an epicyclical gear system of a gas turbine engine having an engine casing, said planet gear housing assembly comprising: an aft planet carrier assembly comprising an aft flange defining a central aperture and a plurality of gear shaft pockets positioned about the circumference and radially outward of said central aperture, each pocket having a cylindrical wall, wherein said aft flange is coupled to said engine casing to define an aft torsional stiffness; a forward planet carrier assembly comprising a forward flange defining a central aperture and a plurality of gear shaft pockets positioned about the circumference and radially outward of said central aperture, each pocket having a cylindrical wall, wherein said forward flange is coupled to said aft planet carrier assembly to define a forward torsional stiffness; and a plurality of planet gears (32, 105) each comprising a cylindrical shaft having a forward end portion disposed in a gear shaft pocket of said forward planet carrier assembly coaxially with the cylindrical wall of said pocket, an aft end portion disposed within a gear shaft pocket of said aft planet carrier assembly coaxially with the cylindrical wall of said pocket, and one or more gears carried by said shaft between said forward and aft end portions; and characterized in that the forward planet carrier assembly further comprises a stiffening member positioned between said aft planet carrier assembly and said forward flange, said stiffening member comprising: an annular body defining a central aperture; and a plurality of radial flanges extending radially outward from said annular body, each of said plurality of radial flanges partly defining a gear-facing surface; and wherein said forward torsional stiffness is between 60% and 80% of the aft torsional stiffness. an aft planet carrier assembly comprising an aft flange defining a central aperture and a plurality of gear shaft pockets positioned about the circumference and radially outward of said central aperture, each pocket having a cylindrical wall, wherein said aft flange is coupled to said engine casing to define an aft torsional stiffness; a forward planet carrier assembly comprising a forward flange defining a central aperture and a plurality of gear shaft pockets positioned about the circumference and radially outward of said central aperture, each pocket having a cylindrical wall, wherein said forward flange is coupled to said aft planet carrier assembly to define a forward torsional stiffness; and a plurality of planet gears (32, 105) each comprising a cylindrical shaft having a forward end portion disposed in a gear shaft pocket of said forward planet carrier assembly coaxially with the cylindrical wall of said pocket, an aft end portion disposed within a gear shaft pocket of said aft planet carrier assembly coaxially with the cylindrical wall of said pocket, and one or more gears carried by said shaft between said forward and aft end portions; the forward planet carrier assembly further comprises a stiffening member positioned between said aft planet carrier assembly and said forward flange, said stiffening member comprising: an annular body defining a central aperture; and a plurality of radial flanges extending radially outward from said annular body, each of said plurality of radial flanges partly defining a gear-facing surface; and wherein said forward torsional stiffness is between 60% and 80% of the aft torsional stiffness.