Abstract: Contoured load carrying filament reinforced matrix structure which may be in the form of an airfoil or hydrofoil and comprising a plurality of elongated coextensive tubes disposed in side-by-side relationship to form a tube assembly and individually of sufficient cross section to project substantially from one side to the other of the cross sectional contour of the foil with the opposite cross sectional extremities of such tubes cooperating to form a composite cross sectional contour defining the contour of such foil. A skin is wrapped around the composite tube assembly and is bonded thereto to secure such filament wound tubes in position and provide for good load distribution when such foil is loaded.

Abstract: A tubular member which is ideally suited as a drive shaft for transmitting power from an engine to a remote station such as the drive shaft for a helicopter tail rotor or a remotely mounted propeller or rotor and a method of fabricating said member. The tubular member has a cylindrical body portion and at least one conical end portion with an integral, radial flange upstanding therefrom. The wall of the tubular member is composed of a plastic having embedded therein at least one layer of continuous filaments of fibrous reinforcing material with each layer of such material comprising two adjacent thicknesses of filaments. The filaments are in parallel alignment in each thickness and in diagonal orientation between thicknesses at a first helix angle in the cylindrical body portion and at a second, greater helix angle, in the conical end portion.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of manufacturing a filament wound blade including the steps of forming a spar by winding a plurality of resin impregnated filaments in side-by-side relationship between a pair of spaced apart spools. The spools are held in their spaced apart orientation to maintain the filaments in their unidirectional orientation and a flexible bondable bag fitted over the spar filaments and inflated to assume a generally cylindrical configuration. Resin impregnated shell filaments are wound in a helical pattern about such bag to form a shell and the bag then deflated and placed in a female mold defining the desired contour of such blade, and such bag then re-inflated to thereby cause the shell to assume such desired contour.