초록 ▼

Leading edge weights for helicopter rotor blades are required to provide blade chordwise balance and maintain rotor inertia. Provision for retention of the leading edge weights in a high centrifugal force field, after failure of the primary adhesive bond, is necessary. The invention discloses wrappi

Leading edge weights for helicopter rotor blades are required to provide blade chordwise balance and maintain rotor inertia. Provision for retention of the leading edge weights in a high centrifugal force field, after failure of the primary adhesive bond, is necessary. The invention discloses wrapping a prepreg strap around the conical or cylindrical outboard end of each weight segment. The weight segment is then placed in the rotor blade spar and goes through the spar cure cycle with it. Primary retention is provided by adhesive bonding between the weight and the spar. Secondary retention is by hoop tension in the strap, acting through interlaminar shears at the co-cured interface with the spar.

대표청구항 ▼

A rotor blade for a helicopter or the like, comprising: a leading edge and a trailing edge; a weight assembly installed in said blade adjacent to said leading edge, said weight assembly including a weight element having an outboard end and a retention element at least partially surrounding said weig

A rotor blade for a helicopter or the like, comprising: a leading edge and a trailing edge; a weight assembly installed in said blade adjacent to said leading edge, said weight assembly including a weight element having an outboard end and a retention element at least partially surrounding said weight element, said retention element comprising a strap which is mapped about the outboard end of the weight element; a spar: wherein said strap is co-cured with the spar and the weight element has a length sufficient to ensure that the co-cured joint between the strap and the spar is strong enough to permit the strap to substantially solely retain the weight element during operation of the rotor blade.