Method for fabricating an advanced composite aerostructure article having an integral co-cured fly away hollow mandrel

Abstract

A novel method is disclosed for fabricating a co-cured advanced composite integral one piece aerostructure article. The method comprises assembling on a composite bond jig a first uncured composite layer in the shape of at least one surface of a composite aerostructure article, the first composite layer having at least one uncured resin-impregnated laminate layer. At least one longitudinally extending hollow mandrel is secured on the upper surface of the first composite layer. A second uncured composite layer is assembled on the bond jig over the upper outer surface of the hollow mandrel and at least a portion of the first uncured composite layer, the second uncured composite layer having at least one uncured resin-impregnated layer. The lay up assembled on the composite bond jig is subjected to a cycle of predetermined pressure and temperature to cure such resin impregnated layers to form a unitary co-cured one-piece aerostructure article.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.