Stator assembly with retention clip for gas turbine engine

A gas turbine engine comprising:

• a fan section including a plurality of fan blades rotatable about an engine axis;
• a compressor section in fluid communication with the fan section;
• a turbine section driving the fan section;
• and
• a stator assembly comprising:
• a first shroud and a second shroud each extending about the engine axis, the first shroud defining an array of first openings, and the second shroud defining an array of second openings;
• a plurality of airfoils each including an airfoil body extending between first and second end portions, the first end portion situated in a respective one of the array of first openings, and the second end portion situated in a respective one of the array of second openings;
• and
• a plurality of retention clips each including an elongated body and at least one locking feature, the body extending between opposed clip end portions and between opposed sidewalls that cooperate to establish a perimeter of the body, the at least one locking feature extending inwardly from a respective one of the clip end portions of the body, and the at least one locking feature of each of the plurality of retention clips compressibly received through a respective one of the first end portions to limit movement of the plurality of airfoils;
• wherein the body defines a reference plane extending through the clip end portions and through the sidewalls of the body, and wherein the at least one locking feature extends along the reference plane in a first, compressed state, but extends outwardly from the reference plane in a second, decompressed state to define the ramp sloping towards one of the clip end portions, and wherein the reference plane has an arcuate profile establishing opposed concave and convex sides of the body;
• and
• wherein the at least one locking feature is an elongated tab having a terminal end that abuts against an external wall of the first end portion in the second, decompressed state to oppose withdraw of a respective one of the plurality of retention clips from a retention aperture of the first end portion when located in the installed position.

A method of assembling a stator assembly for a gas turbine engine comprising:

• providing a shroud defining a shroud opening;
• moving an end portion of an airfoil into the shroud opening, the end portion defining a retention aperture;
• and
• moving a retention clip relative to the retention aperture, wherein the retention clip includes a body and at least one locking feature extending from the body, the body extends between opposed clip end portions and between opposed sidewalls that cooperate to establish a perimeter of the body, the at least one looking feature is decompressible from the body to define a ramp sloping towards one of the clip end portions, and including moving one of the clip end portions into the retention aperture to cause the at least one locking feature to compress such that the at least one locking feature deflects inward and then through the retention aperture to cause the at least one locking feature to decompress such that the retention clip limits movement of the airfoil relative to the shroud;
• and
• wherein the at least one locking feature is an elongated tab having a terminal end that abuts against an external wall of the end portion of the airfoil to oppose withdraw of the retention clip from the retention aperture;
• and
• wherein the body defines a reference plane extending through the clip end portions and through the sidewall of the body, wherein the at least one locking feature extends along the reference plane in response to the compressing, but extends outwardly from the reference plane in response to the decompressing to define the ramp, and wherein the reference plane has an arcuate profile establishing opposed concave and convex sides of the body.