A method of forming a dual-tapered composite laminate structure having a longitudinal axis, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a plurality of finite sub-laminate cards, each card of the plurality of cards having the same shape and size as the other ones of the plurality of cards and having opposing planar surfaces oriented in a single card plane, opposing primary edges of the opposing planar surfaces, and opposing secondary edges of the opposing planar surfaces, the opposing secondary edges being perpendicular to the opposing primary edges;
- establishing a tool surface by positioning of a first card of the plurality of cards in a direction aligned with the longitudinal axis of the structure to be formed;
- stacking at least a second card of the plurality of cards atop the first card of the plurality of cards, the stacking occurring in an offset manner, so that at least opposing primary edges of the second card do contact the first card;
- stacking a last card of the plurality of cards atop the at least second card of the plurality of cards in the offset manner so as to define a top surface of the structure,
- wherein:
- each of the plurality of cards is stacked atop adjacently positioned cards of the plurality of cards in a direction orthogonal to the opposing planar surfaces and the opposing primary and secondary edges of the plurality of cards;
- the offset distance is defined as a distance between respective cards of the opposing primary edges of the opposing planar surfaces of adjacently positioned cards of the plurality of cards;
- one of the opposing primary edges of the opposing planar surfaces of adjacently positioned cards of the plurality of cards defines a top tapered portion of the top surface the composite laminate structure;
- the other of the opposing primary edges of the opposing planar surfaces of adjacently positioned cards of the plurality of cards defines a tool tapered portion of the tool surface of the composite laminate structure, the tool tapered portion being oppositely oriented relative to the top tapered portion,
- each card of the plurality of cards contains four distinct ply layers;
- and
- two of the four distinct ply layers within each card of the plurality of cards are offset at an angle relative to another two of the four distinct ply layers, the angle being between 22 and 70 degrees.