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US 2010/0166568 A1Published application
Composite-Steel Hybrid Mast for Rotorcraft
AssigneeBell Helicopter Textron Inc.
InventorSherman S. Lin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A composite-steel hybrid mast for a rotorcraft includes a tubular, steel portion having an internal surface defining a space therein and a composite portion disposed within the space defined by the internal surface of the steel portion and held in a fixed spatial relationship with respect to the internal surface of the steel portion.
Claims18
A composite-steel hybrid mast for a rotorcraft, comprising:
- a tubular, steel portion having an internal surface defining a space therein;
- and
- a composite portion disposed within the space defined by the internal surface of the steel portion and held in a fixed spatial relationship with respect to the internal surface of the steel portion.
A method for making a composite-steel hybrid mast for a rotorcraft, comprising:
- providing a tubular, steel portion comprising an internal surface defining a space therein;
- preparing a composite portion comprising a fiber-reinforced, polymeric, composite material on an expandable mandrel;
- placing the expandable mandrel, with the composite portion thereon, into the space defined by the internal surface of the steel portion;
- expanding the expandable mandrel;
- curing the composite portion;
- unexpanding the expandable mandrel;
- and
- removing the expandable mandrel from the composite portion.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.