Method and apparatus for the manufacture of fiber reinforced structures wherein tooling and a delivery head are employed for the placement of discrete, elongated fiber elements in mutually superimposed relationship to define reinforcement or stiffening members on fiber elements for the interiors or exteriors of composite shells and the consolidation of the fibers to form the cured composite structure. A consolidation medium is provided for the positioning and control of the fiber elements on the hard tooling and during the curing of the fiber elements. Method and apparatus for the manufacture of fiber reinforced structures.