Gas turbine blade

A method of cooling a gas turbine blade, the gas turbine blade having:

• a blade root and a blade aerofoil, the blade root being attached to a first end of the blade aerofoil,
• a blade tip attached to a second end of the blade aerofoil;
• a cooling fluid plenum extending inside the gas turbine blade through the blade root, the blade aerofoil and the blade tip;
• a blade root impingement plate in the cooling fluid plenum inside the blade root and a blade tip impingement plate in the cooling fluid plenum inside the blade tip, the blade tip impingement plate having at least one cooling fluid hole configured and arranged to enable a cooling fluid to flow from the blade tip into the blade aerofoil via the cooling fluid hole or holes;
• and
• a pipe extending in the cooling fluid plenum from the blade root impingement plate to the blade tip impingement plate, and the pipe being configured and arranged to transport the cooling fluid from the blade root to the blade tip, the pipe being open at each end and unperforated between the ends;
• and
• the blade root impingement plate being configured and arranged to direct the cooling fluid from the blade root to the pipe, the method comprising:
• directing the cooling fluid from the blade root to the blade tip through the pipe;
• and
• directing the cooling fluid from the blade tip to the blade aerofoil through the blade tip impingement plate.