Lightweight propeller blade with improved retention capacity

Abstract

A propeller blade assembly includes a spar extending along a propeller blade axis and an outer sleeve surrounding the spar portion at a root end of the rotor blade assembly. The spar is adhesively bonded to the outer sleeve at an interface portion. A spar maximum diameter along the interface portion is larger than an outer sleeve minimum diameter along the interface portion. A method of assembling a propeller blade includes installing an outer sleeve over a spar at a root end of the spar, the spar a not fully cured composite component, and urging the spar into compressive conformance with the outer sleeve at an interface portion of the propeller blade assembly. A spar maximum diameter along the interface portion is larger than an outer sleeve minimum diameter along the interface portion. The spar is cured thereby adhesively bonding the spar to the outer sleeve at the interface portion.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.