Fan blade protection system

A laminate nose cap for protecting a resinous composite fan blade from erosion caused by impingement of high relative velocity liquid droplets, comprising:

• an erosion resisting member defining an outer layer of said laminate nose cap, said erosion resisting member being formed from a material composition having a predetermined yield strength for (1) elastically deforming responsive to said impingement by said liquid droplets, and (2) allowing said erosion resisting member to have a sufficiently thin predetermined material thickness for manual formability about at least a portion of said fan blade having an aerodynamic contour devoid of recesses;
• and,
• an elastomeric bonding tape having a pair of opposing surfaces adhesively coated for (1) laminately bonding said impact resisting member to a portion of an external surface of said fan blade, and (2) providing an energy dissipative layer intermediate said impact resisting member and said fan blade, said laminate nose cap being riveted to said fan blade in addition to said laminate bonding where said elastomeric bonding tape being of predetermined spring rate and having a predetermined thickness for substantially preventing said impact resisting member from contacting an external surface of said fan blade during said elastic deformation of said impact resistant member responsive to said impingement by said liquid droplets.