Load bearing vane structure for thrust reversal

A method of providing a fixed vane structure for reversing the thrust direction of a jet engine, including the steps of:

• a. positioning and holding a plurality of beams in parallel vertical planes, the medial longitudinal lines of the beams following a convex curved surface when viewed from above;
• b. adjusting the spacing between said vertical planes to progressively decrease in a direction from the center of said convex surface to the outer sides;
• c. forming individual slots having predetermined angulated edges in said beams by electrical discharge machining;
• d. passing successive vanes through correspondingly aligned slots in a transverse direction in said beams to provide an egg crate like interlocked grid structure, the predetermined angulated edges of the successive slots being as required to provide a minimum clearance when each vane is passed through all of the beams in a manner to follow said convex curved surface;
• e. brazing the vanes to the beams at the points they pass through the slots, the decrease in spacing between said vertical planes being such that the chord length of each vane portion between successive beams are equal;
• and,
• f. securing said vane structure in a permanent position in a side opening of said jet engine to intercept and guide reverse thrust gases from said engine.