Rotor blade inspection fixture

An apparatus for determining the contours of a rotor blade having a pitch axis, a multiplicity of airfoil sections along its span wherein each airfoil section has a reference line passing substantially from the leading edge to the trailing edge which comprises:

• a base having means for supporting the rotor blade;
• a frame adapted to be detachably connected to a predetermined airfoil section along the span of the rotor blade;
• a trolley slidably connected to said base for movement along the span of the rotor blade and having said frame connected thereto by means permitting,
• said frame to pivot with respect to said trolley about a line which is substantially coincident with the rotor blade pitch axis,
• said frame to move vertically with respect to said trolley
• said frame to move horizontally with respect to said trolley
• a first measuring means connected to said frame so as to permit it to move with respect to the airfoil section in a direction substantially parallel to said reference line, for determining the distance a preselected point located on the surface of the airfoil is located from the leading edge of said airfoil section along a line parallel to said reference line;
• a second measuring means connected to said frame for determining the distance said preselected point is located from said reference line along a line perpendicular to said reference line, said second measuring means being connected to said frame so as to permit it to move with respect to said airfoil section along a line substantially paralled to said line perpendicular to said reference line, thereby permitting the determination of the location of a multiplicity of points along the surface of the airfoil thus determining its contour;
• a third measuring means connected to said base for measuring the distance said frame is located from a preselected reference point along a line substantially parallel to the rotor blade pitch axis;
• a fourth measuring means connected to said trolley for measuring the magnitude of the angular rotation of said frame with respect to said trolley from a predetermined reference line, thereby permitting the magnitude of the angle of said reference line of said airfoil section to said predetermined reference line to be determined;
• a fifth measuring means connected to said trolley for measuring the distance said frame has moved vertically a predetermined point along said reference line of said, thereby permitting a determination of the chordwise bow of the rotor blade;
• and
• a sixth measuring means connected to said trolley for measuring the distance said frame has moved horizontally to a predetermined point along a line perpendicular to, thereby permitting a determination of the magnitude of the flapwise bow of the rotor blade.