Gas turbine engine stator case

A gas turbine engine comprising a stator and a rotor rotatably mounted on the stator, the rotor having a plurality of circumferential rows of blades, each of said blades extending radially outward from a root to a tip, said stator including a case comprising:

• a tubular shell extending axially between a forward end and an aft end opposite said forward end, the shell having an interior surface defining a hollow interior sized and shaped for receiving at least a portion of the rotor of the gas turbine engine;
• a circular forward flange extending radially outward from the forward end of the shell for connecting the case to a first stator component positioned in front of the shell;
• a circular aft flange extending radially outward from the aft end of the shell for connecting the case to a second stator component positioned behind the shell;
• a continuous circular rib extending radially outward from the shell between adjacent rows of blades of said plurality of rows of blades, the rib having a radially and axially extending cross section sized and shaped for adjusting transient deflections of the shell to generally match transient deflections of the tips of said plurality of rotor blades thereby to reduce a transient clearance between the interior surface of the tubular shell and the tips of said plurality of rotor blades.