Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation

Lockheed Martin Corporation

Frank M Caputo

Timothy James Conti

Sven Roy Lofstrom

Eric Charles Boyle

Robert D Higbie

Eric S Parsons

Kevin P Leahy

Ryan Lehto

Joseph Pantalone, Iii

Joshua A Breon

William P Fallon, Jr

Keith M Schenone

Claude George Matalanis

Kenneth F Deyo

Andrew Paul Scott

Alicia Fernandez

Corey D Jones

Jeffrey George Sauer

Jonathan Bremmer

Richard Joseph Simkulak

Robert A Lacko

Eric Dunn

Krzysztof Kopanski

Benjamin Isabella

Joseph B Ozelski

Marc A Antonetz

Christopher Michael Colschen

David P Baranowski

Daniel Ciesielski

A rotor blade configured to be installed on a rotary wing aircraft includes a spar including an inboard portion extending from a root of the rotor blade to a first spanwise position of the rotor blade and an outboard portion meeting the inboard portion at the first spanwise position. The rotor blade further includes an upper skin and a lower skin coupled the outboard portion of the spar. The first spanwise position is defined by a most inboard point at which the upper and lower skins are coupled to the spar. The inboard portion includes a top layer, a bottom layer, and an inner cavity. The top layer has a substantially constant first thickness and the bottom layer has a substantially constant second thickness, and the distance between an outer surface of the top layer and an outer surface of the bottom layer is substantially constant.

Commonly manufactured rotor blade

An apparatus for securing first and second skins to a core in a composite rotor blade includes an elongated member configured to be installed through a passage in the core of the composite rotor blade. The elongated member has a first end configured to be attached to an outer surface of the first skin and a second end configured to be attached to an outer surface of the second skin. The apparatus also includes a first patch configured to adhere the first end to the outer surface of the first skin, and a second patch configured to adhere the second end to the outer surface of the second skin such the elongated member extends from the outer surfaces of the first and second skins through the passage in the core.

Securing assembly for a rotor blade

A method of mounting a replacement tip section to an exposed end of a rotor blade includes removing an existing tip section from the rotor blade to create the exposed end of the rotor blade, installing the rotor blade having the exposed end onto a holding fixture, assembling the replacement tip section about the exposed end of the rotor blade, positioning a bonding fixture about the replacement tip section, and curing the replacement tip section to the exposed end of the rotor blade.

Method of removal and replacement of a tip section of a rotor blade

An electrical conductor assembly for a rotor blade includes a substrate and at least one electrical conductor. The substrate includes an inboard end portion and an outboard end portion. The at least one electrical conductor is attached to the substrate and extends between the inboard end portion and the outboard end portion. The at least one electrical conductor is configured to transmit electricity along a length of the rotor blade. The inboard end portion and the outboard end portion are structured such that when the electrical conductor assembly is installed within the rotor blade, the inboard end portion is securable relative to the rotor blade and the outboard end portion is movable relative to the rotor blade.

Electrical conductor system for a rotor blade and method of manufacturing the electrical conductor system

A method of modifying a rotor blade is provided for a rotor blade including a spar having an inboard portion with a substantially constant overall height, the inboard portion further including a top layer having a substantially constant first thickness and a bottom layer having a substantially constant second thickness. The method includes removing a root portion of the inboard portion to thereby modify the rotor blade and installing a cuff configured to couple to the rotor blade to an aircraft.

A system for regenerating fastener holes in a replacement tip section of a rotor blade includes a first fixture, a second fixture, and a third fixture positionable adjacent a tip section of the rotor blade. The first fixture is used to verify a position of an opening formed in the spar. The second fixture includes a removable bushing having a drillable opening. The drillable opening is aligned with the at least one opening formed in the spar and defines at least one hole to be formed in the replacement tip section. The third fixture includes a countersink opening. The countersink opening is aligned with the at least one hole to be formed in the replacement tip section and the at least one opening formed in the spar to define a countersink feature to be formed in the at least one hole.

Method and apparatus for locating and forming fastener holes in a replacement tip section of a rotor blade

A rotor blade of a rotary wing aircraft includes a core defining a trailing edge of the rotor blade and a skin extending from the trailing edge defining an opening including the core. The skin defines an aerodynamic surface of the rotor blade. The rotor blade additionally includes at least one trim tab assembly including a trim portion extending from the core beyond the trailing edge of the rotor blade and an actuation system including at least one actuator disposed within the core. The actuation system is operable to adjust an angle of the trim portion relative to the rotor blade.

Rotor blade internal structure for trailing edge actuation

A method of constructing a mandrel generally complementary to a spar cavity of a spar includes connecting a first component and a second component to form a central space there between and inserting a center component within the central space such that the center component retains the first component and second component in a desired position forming an outer surface of the mandrel which corresponds to an inner surface of the spar cavity.

Method of assembling a composite spar removable mandrel

A bushing assembly for receiving a fastener includes a first bushing portion and a second bushing portion arranged coaxially with the first bushing portion. The second bushing portion defines at least part of an opening for receiving the fastener. The second bushing portion is rotatable relative to the first bushing portion about an axis of rotation to adjust a position of the opening about a first axis and a second axis independently relative to the first bushing portion and the second bushing portion. The first axis is coplanar with and perpendicular to the second axis.

Bushing alignment system

A heater mat assembly for a rotor blade spar is provided including a plurality of electrically conductive heater wires extending in a spaced parallel configuration along a path of the rotor blade spar. An electrical current is flowed through the plurality of heater wires to inhibit ice accumulation on a portion of the rotor blade spar. At least one layer of a first insulating material is arranged adjacent a first side of each of the plurality of heater wires such that the at least one layer of the first insulating material is disposed between the plurality of heater wires and an adjacent surface of the rotor blade spar. The first insulating material comprises a thermally and electrically insulating material.

Blade heater mat insulation

A main rotor trim tab retention system includes, a blade housing having flanges separated by a cavity defined between the flanges, and a trim tab assembly. The trim tab assembly includes, a trim tab having an aerodynamic surface, at least one arm extending from the trim tab positionable within the cavity while the trim tab extends outward from the cavity, and a spherical bearing connecting the trim tab and the at least one arm, the spherical bearing having a first axis which is substantially perpendicular to the aerodynamic surface of the trim tab. The at least one arm is pivotable about the spherical bearing about a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis to rotate the trim tab relative to the blade housing.

Main rotor trim tab retention system, an aircraft employing same and a method of replacing a trim tab assembly from blade housing

A method of assembling a rotor blade assembly includes determining a first spanwise moment of a first component of the rotor blade assembly and comparing the first spanwise moment to a target first spanwise moment. The first spanwise moment of the first component is adjusted based on a result of the comparison. A second spanwise moment of a second component of the rotor blade assembly is determined and compared to a target second spanwise moment. The second spanwise moment of the second component is adjusted based on a result of the comparison. The first component is assembled to the second component, resulting in a rotor blade assembly meeting a target spanwise moment of the rotor blade assembly.

Growing community of inventors

Cheshire, CT, United States of America

Frank M Caputo