Patent ID: 7938367

Claim:
An airplane comprising: a fuselage having at least first and second sections connected at a circumferential joint wherein each of the sections comprise a skin and at least one stringer, the stringers extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of the fuselage, each of the stringers further comprising: a lateral surface, wherein, in the assembled position, the lateral surface of the stringer of the first section is out of alignment with the lateral surface of the stringer of the second section at the joint, by an alignment error ε; at least one splicing plate constructed to connect the stringers at the joint of said first and second sections, the splicing plate further comprising: a web having a first bearing surface bearing on the lateral face of the stringer of the first section and a second bearing surface bearing on the lateral face of the stringer of the second section, wherein the first and second bearing surface of the splicing plate web are connected by an inclined plane that is constructed to offset the first bearing surface from the second bearing surface by a distance ε substantially equal to the error of alignment between the lateral faces of the stringers.