Aircraft smart skin technology is a revolutionary new technology that can change the future advanced aircraft design

and structural health monitoring (SHM) is one of its essential functions. To realize the SHM of aircraft smart skin

it is necessary to integrate large-scale and flexible sensor networks into aircraft structures. According to the actual requirements and limitations of aircraft smart skin applications

combined with different structural health monitoring methods

the design

manufacturing process and function realization of the corresponding flexible sensor networks are reviewed. Finally

the key challenges faced by the development of aircraft smart skin technology in the future are summarized and prospected.