Abstract: A connector is provided for joining two electrical harnesses. Each harness is formed from a flexible printed circuit board which provides a plurality of conductive tracks, and each harness has a substantially planar terminating region at which the conductive tracks of the harness fan out. One or more receiving holes are formed in each terminating region to extend to respective conductive tracks. A connector includes a connection formation which is between respective terminating regions of the two electrical harnesses. The connector further includes a housing configured to hold the respective terminating regions of the two electrical harnesses in face-to-face relationship with the connection formation sandwiched therebetween.

Abstract: An elongate fireseal having two ends joined by a longitudinal axis. The fireseal comprises at least two portions having D-shaped cross section and adjacent portions share a common dividing wall. Each end of the fireseal is configured to interlock with a complementary opposite end of the same or a further fireseal.

Abstract: A mounting system for mounting a blade to a rotor body includes a pitch control mechanism including an anchor and a pitch change rod extending radially outwardly from the anchor to join to a base of the blade. The anchor and the rod are rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the rod to vary the blade pitch. The pitch control mechanism further includes a torque-transmitting formation between the blade and the anchor such that pitch-varying torque can be transmitted to the blade through the torque-transmitting formation while allowing relative radial movement between the blade and the anchor. The system includes a primary bearing formation, which transmits blade centrifugal loads to the rotor body while accommodating variation of the blade pitch, and secondary bearing formation, which transmits pitch change mechanism centrifugal loads to the rotor body while accommodating rotation of the anchor and the rod during variation of the blade pitch.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a component having first and second layers, the first and/or second layers including one or more depressions provided on a surface of the respective layer. The method including: arranging the first and second layers so that they face one another and with the depressions on inner facing surfaces of the layers; diffusion bonding the first and second layers together about their edges; applying a first differential pressure across each of the first and second layers to evacuate an inner space defined by the layers, thereby forming one or more depressions on an outer facing surface of the first or second layer; and applying a second differential pressure across each of the first and second layers to expand the inner space defined by the layers.

Abstract: A method of designing a nacelle for a gas turbine engine includes defining an initial geometry for the nacelle, pivoting, at each of one or more positions on a highlight and in a plane of a respective longitudinal section, a front portion of a section of an intake lip lying in the respective longitudinal section about the highlight, and obtaining an altered geometry for the nacelle by adjusting surfaces of the intake neighboring the pivoted front portion to smoothly blend the surfaces of the pivoted front portion to unadjusted surfaces of the intake further removed from the pivoted front portion.

Abstract: A protective leading edge strip component for an aerofoil is formed from a sheet of PEEK fabric woven in two-dimensions by draping the sheet over a male moulding tool (12) the shape of which represents the shape of a leading edge of the aerofoil, and applying a female moulding tool (14) so as to trap a portion of the PEEK fabric between the two moulding tools and applying heat and pressure.

Abstract: A particle damper is formed using a solid freeform manufacturing technique. A filler provides support for the closing wall of the cavity as it is formed. Apertures allow at least a portion of the filler to be removed. A particle fill of between 90 and 95% is achieved either by removing sufficient filler to reach this fill or removing excess filler and re-filling with damping particles.

Abstract: The present invention is concerned with a method of discriminating between, in a surface of a transition metal alloy, transition metals in different oxidation states using surface sensor molecules adapted to associate selectively with one of the transition metals. In particular, the present invention provides a method of identifying degradation in aircraft components such as turbine blades, engine casings and aerofoils. In embodiments, a surface sensor molecule comprising an oxidation state discriminating group, such as an imidazole, and a fluorescein probe is applied in aqueous solution to the surface of a service-run Ni alloy aircraft component. The sensor molecule selectively associates with transition metals in oxidation states greater than zero such that fluorescence imaging can be used to identify areas of degradation.

Abstract: A balanced rotor component for a gas turbine engine having a aerofoil with a root and an rotor with an axial aerofoil root slot. The aerofoil root has a cavity which holds a balance weight. The cavity is open along at least one wall and the balance weight is spaced from the slot wall to minimise stress concentrations.

Abstract: A rotational assembly comprises a first shaft having a plurality of circumferentially arranged axially extending outer splines on an outer surface thereof and a second shaft having a plurality of circumferentially arranged axially extending inner splines on an inner surface of an axially extending shaft recess. The first shaft is located with the shaft recess such that the outer splines are engaged with the inner splines. At least one biasing element is also provided which is arranged to rotationally bias the first and second shafts towards one another such that the driving faces of the inner and outer splines are forced together.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine comprising a turbine section cooling system and a method of cooling a turbine section of a gas turbine engine is provided. The gas turbine engine comprises in flow series a compressor section, a combustor, and a turbine section, the engine further comprising a turbine section cooling system. The turbine section cooling system including a first compressed air bleed arrangement and a second compressed air bleed arrangement. The first compressed air bleed arrangement bleeds a first flow of compressed air from a high pressure stage of the compressor section. The first flow of compressed air bypasses the combustor and arrives at the turbine section to form a sealing and/or cooling flow at a row of stator vanes upstream of an adjacent rotor disc. The second compressed air bleed arrangement bleeds a second flow of compressed air from one or more lower pressure stages of the compressor section.

Abstract: An intershaft seal for inner and outer coaxial shafts which rotate relative to each other. The seal is located in an annular space between the shafts and maintains an axial pressure differential between a fluid pressure on the first side of the seal and a fluid pressure on the other, second side of the seal. The seal comprises a sealing ring which is coaxial with the shafts and which forms a sealing contact with the outer shaft to maintain the pressure differential.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a propfan engine comprising: one or more rotor stages comprising a plurality of rotors; and an outer wall comprising an outer profile, at least a portion of the outer profile defining a substantially circular cross-section, wherein the diameter of the substantially circular cross-section increases in the direction of flow over the outer wall and downstream of a leading edge of the rotors, and the diameter increases at substantially all points defining the circumference of the substantially circular cross-section.

Abstract: A boundary layer energizer (20) for energizing a boundary layer flow over a surface (22), the boundary layer energizer (20) comprising a plurality of passages (24), each passage terminating in a respective hole (26) provided on the surface (22), the holes being arranged in a cluster (23) on the surface, wherein the plurality of passages are angled with respect to one another at the surface such that, when in use, a vortex (24) is formed by a fluid flowing through the plurality of passages.

Abstract: A tool or fixture having a locating device for locating the tool or fixture on an article. The locating device is formed from a series of plates laminated together and having a spring element and a catch element where the catch element locates the tool or fixture in a machine bed. The catch element is retractable into the body of the locating device to protect if from damage when the tool of fixture is being stored or transported.

Abstract: A tail section for an aerospace vehicle is provided. The tail section comprises a rudder which is movable about an axis to generate a yawing moment on the aerospace vehicle. The tail section further comprises a thruster having, in flow series, an air intake, an electrically powered device for accelerating the air received through the intake, and an air outlet which directs the accelerated air to increase the yawing moment generated by the rudder.

Abstract: High cycle fatigue testing is required with regard to a large number of components in order to evaluate their performance and capabilities. Typically such components are mounted such that an excitation mechanism such as through use of air jets can be utilized in order to stimulate vibration. In order to isolate a desired vibration mode generally, an isolation device is utilized. The isolation device presents an edge to a node within the component in order to inhibit vibration modes other than that of interest. Unfortunately, prior isolation elements tend to wear resulting in spurious results. By providing an isolation element within an isolation device, a fatigue test arrangement can be achieved in which both axial movement in the direction of a spring upon which the element is presented as well as lateral movement can be achieved.

Abstract: A compliant element has first and second sections which are separated by a gap. The first and second sections have respective surfaces opposing each other across the gap. The first and second sections are interconnected by flexure elements which are integral with the first and second sections and which extend across the gap. At least part of each flexure element extends obliquely across the gap. Movement of the sections towards and away from each other is accompanied by flexing of the flexure elements.

Abstract: A separator device is provided for separating dirt particles from a flow of cooling air fed to airfoils of the turbine section of a gas turbine engine. In use the separator device extends across a conduit which bypasses the combustor of the engine to convey pressurized cooling air carrying dirt particles from the compressor section of the engine to openings which direct the air into the airfoils. The separator device is configured to direct a first portion of the impinging cooling air flow away from the openings and to allow a second portion of the impinging cooling air to continue to the openings. The first portion of cooling air has a higher concentration of the coarsest dirt particles carried by the cooling air than the second portion of cooling air.

Abstract: A safety connector (2) comprising: a first member (4) and a second member (6) movably coupled to one another; wherein the first and/or second members (4, 6) comprise a retention mechanism (14a, 14b, 16); wherein the retention mechanism (14a, 14b, 16) has a first configuration which prevents relative movement between the first and second members (4, 6) and a second configuration which allows relative movement between the first and second members (4, 6); and wherein the retention mechanism (14a, 14b, 16) changes from the first configuration to the second configuration when a force between the first and second members (4, 6) exceeds a predetermined threshold force.