Textron Innovations Inc.

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Jesse J Wrabel

Suvankar Mishra

John R McCullough

Andrew Paul Haldeman

Carl A May

Dalton T Hampton

Vance Newton Cribb, Iii

James A Cordell

Randall Willnow

A method is provided in one example embodiment and may include positioning at least one nozzle within a hollow portion of a rotor blade at a distance associated with a span of the rotor blade and providing, via the at least one nozzle, a liquid foam mixture in the hollow portion, wherein the liquid foam expands and becomes a solid foam material that fills the hollow portion of the rotor blade. Another method is provided in another example embodiment and may include providing a plurality of openings for a rotor blade that are positioned proximate to a hollow portion of the rotor blade and providing a liquid foam mixture in the hollow portion of the rotor blade through at least one opening of the rotor blade, wherein the liquid foam mixture expands and becomes a solid foam material that fills the hollow portion of the rotor blade.

Methods for forming rotor blades having foam cores

A method is provided in one example embodiment and may include forming a ply stack comprising a plurality of uncured composite plies, wherein one or more uncured composite ply of the plurality of uncured composite plies comprises a plurality of perforations that extend, at least partially, through a thickness of the one or more uncured composite ply; and compacting the ply stack to form a composite structure. The plurality of perforations may provide paths for volatiles to be removed through the thickness of the one or more uncured composite ply of the ply stack during the compacting. Volatiles may also be removed through edges of the ply stack during the compacting. In some instances, all uncured composite plies of the ply stack may include a plurality of perforations that extend, at least partially, through the thickness of each uncured composite ply.

Methods for forming composite structures

A method of repairing a core stiffened structure can include removing a damaged portion of the core stiffened structure; creating a cutout in a portion of a repair core member; fitting the repair core member onto an existing core member such that the cutout mates with a portion of the existing core member; bonding the repair core member to the existing core member; and placing a skin patch over the repair core member.

Method of repairing a core stiffened structure

Growing community of inventors

Fort Worth, TX, United States of America

Jesse J Wrabel