Gas turbine engine composite blade

A composite airfoil comprising:

• a three-dimensional composite core extending longitudinally and having a chord-wise direction, having a core in-plane thickness extending between opposing sides in a through-plane direction generally perpendicular to the chord-wise and longitudinal directions;
• a composite skin covering the opposing sides and having an exterior surface providing an airfoil contour, the skin having a total skin in-plane thickness corresponding to a sum of thicknesses through the skin in the through-plane direction from each of the opposing sides to their adjoining exterior surface, a sum of the core in-plane and skin in-plane thicknesses at a central portion of the composite airfoil being a total in-plane thickness, with the total skin in-plane thickness at the central portion being less than 50% of the total in-plane thickness;
• and
• wherein the composite core includes a recess near a leading edge of the airfoil, and a reinforcement secured over the recess with the composite skin arranged between and directly interconnecting the reinforcement and composite core;
• and
• wherein the total skin in-plane thickness is 10% of the total in-plane thickness over a root from which the airfoil longitudinally extends.

A composite airfoil comprising:

• a three-dimensional composite core extending longitudinally and having a chord-wise direction, having a core in-plane thickness extending between opposing sides in a through-plane direction generally perpendicular to the chord-wise and longitudinal directions;
• a composite skin covering the opposing sides and having an exterior surface providing an airfoil contour, the skin having a total skin in-plane thickness corresponding to a sum of thicknesses through the skin in the through-plane direction from each of the opposing sides to their adjoining exterior surface, a sum of the core in-plane and skin in-plane thicknesses at a central portion of the composite airfoil being a total in-plane thickness, with the total skin in-plane thickness at the central portion being less than 50% of the total in-plane thickness;
• and
• wherein the composite core and composite skin provide at least a portion of the airfoil and a root from which the airfoil longitudinally extends;
• and
• wherein the total skin in-plane thickness is substantially constant along 80% of the radial distance outward from the root.

A method of manufacturing a composite airfoil comprising:

• providing a fibrous preform core;
• covering the fibrous preform core in at least one dry woven layer to provide a skin;
• inserting the covered fibrous preform core in a mold cavity;
• and
• impregnating the covered fibrous preform core with resin to produce the composite airfoil wherein a total skin thickness is less than a core thickness at a central portion of the composite airfoil, wherein the total skin thickness is between 25% to 35% of the total thickness of the airfoil at the central portion;
• and
• wherein a total skin in-plane thickness is 10% of a total in-plane thickness over a root from which the airfoil longitudinally extends.