Partially-metallic blade for a gas turbine

A gas turbine aircraft engine fan blade comprising:

• a shank portion;
• a solid section;
• a multiplicity of spaced-apart segments;
• and a plurality of solid spars, wherein said solid section, said segments, and said solid spars are attached together to define a rotatable airfoil portion, and wherein said rotatable airfoil portion includes:
• a) a leading edge;
• b) a trailing edge;
• c) a pressure side;
• d) a suction side, said sides joined together at said edges to define an airfoil shape having a chord line extending from said leading edge to said trailing edge and having a thickness-wise direction perpendicular to said chord line and extending from said pressure side to said suction side;
• e) a blade root attached to said shank portion;
• f) a blade tip;
• and
• g) a radial axis extending outward toward said blade tip and inward toward said blade root,
• wherein said solid section consists essentially of a metal material, said solid section including partially said pressure and suction sides proximate and including said blade tip from said leading edge to said trailing edge and proximate and including said leading and trailing edges from said blade root to said blade tip,
• wherein said segments consist essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of composites, structural foams, syntactic foams, and mixtures thereof, said segments together bounded in part by said solid section proximate said blade tip, said leading edge, and said trailing edge, and
• wherein said solid spars separate and are attached to said segments, said solid spars consisting essentially of a metal material.