Fan blade with integrated composite fan blade cover

1. A fan blade comprising:

a body including a pressure side and a suction side, the pressure and suction sides being disposed between and connected to a leading edge and a trailing edge, the pressure side and suction side also being disposed between and connected to a base and a tip;

the suction side including a plurality of cavities that extend through the suction side and towards the pressure side, the plurality of cavities being surrounded by a slot that extends outwardly away from the plurality of cavities and into the body;

a cover that overlays the plurality of cavities and that includes a peripheral edge that is received in the slot and that is at least partially covered by the lip, wherein the body further includes a lip that extends inwardly towards the plurality of cavities and that at least partially defines the slot, wherein the slot includes an inner wall disposed opposite the slot from the lip and the peripheral edge of the cover that is received in the slot is at least partially covered by the lip, and wherein the plurality of cavities are separated by a wall that terminates at an outer edge, the outer edge of the wall being coplanar with the inner wall of the slot.

2. The fan blade of claim 1 further including a coating disposed over the cover.

3. The fan blade of claim 2 wherein thicknesses of the coating and the lip are equal.

4. The fan blade of claim 2 wherein the coating and the lip each include outer surfaces that are flush with each other.

5. The fan blade of claim 1 wherein the plurality of cavities are separated by walls that extend towards the suction side of the body.

6. The fan blade of claim 5 wherein the walls each terminate at an outer edge that is coplanar with the slot.

7. The fan blade of claim 1 wherein the plurality of cavities accommodate a filler material.

8. The fan blade of claim 1 wherein the plurality of cavities are filled with a sacrificial material.

9. The fan blade of claim 1 wherein the cover is fabricated from fibers and resin.

10. The fan blade of claim 1 wherein the cover is fabricated from a fluoroelastomer.

11. A fan blade assembly comprising:

a hub coupled to a plurality of radially outwardly extending fan blades, each fan blade including

a body including a pressure side and a suction side, the pressure and suction sides being disposed between and connected to a leading edge and a trailing edge, the pressure side and suction side also being disposed between and connected to a base and a tip;

the suction side including a plurality of cavities that extend through the suction side and towards the pressure side, the plurality of cavities being surrounded by a slot that extends outwardly away from the plurality of cavities and into the body;

a cover that overlays the plurality of cavities and that includes a peripheral edge that is received in the slot and that is at least partially covered by the lip;

a coating disposed over the cover;

wherein the coating is flush with the lip and wherein the body further includes a lip that extends inwardly towards the plurality of cavities and that at least partially defines the slot, wherein the slot includes an inner wall disposed opposite the slot from the lip and the peripheral edge of the cover that is received in the slot is at least partially covered by the lip, and wherein the plurality of cavities are separated by a wall that terminates at an outer edge, the outer edge of the wall being coplanar with the inner wall of the slot.

12. The fan blade of claim 11 wherein the plurality of cavities are separated by walls that extend towards the suction side of the body, wherein

outer edges of the walls that separate the plurality of cavities are coplanar with the inner wall of the slot.

13. The fan blade assembly of claim 11 wherein at least one of the plurality of cavities accommodates a filler material.

14. A method for fabricating a fan blade of a turbofan gas turbine engine, the method comprising:

manufacturing a body including a pressure side and a suction side, the pressure and suction sides being disposed between and connected to a leading edge and a trailing edge, the pressure side and suction side also being disposed between and connected to a base and a tip, the suction side including a plurality of cavities that extend through the suction side and towards the pressure side, the cavities being surrounded by a slot that extends outwardly away from the cavities and into the body, the body further including a lip that extends inwardly towards the cavities and that at least partially defines the slot, wherein the slot includes an inner wall disposed opposite the slot from the lip, the plurality of cavities being separated by a wall that terminates at an outer edge, the outer edge of the wall being coplanar with the inner wall of the slot;

providing a cover that includes a peripheral edge, the cover being sized so that the peripheral edge is received in the slot;

covering the cavities with the cover by inserting the peripheral edge of the cover into the slot of the body so that the lip at least partially covers the cover; and

coating the cover with a coating layer sufficiently thick so that the coating layer is flush with the lip.

15. The method of claim 14 further including:

at least partially filling the cavities with a sacrificial material before the cavities are covered with the cover, the sacrificial material decomposing when exposed to heat; and

curing the cover and the coating.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the cover is fabricated from a fluoroelastomer.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the body is manufactured from a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, titanium, a titanium alloy and combinations thereof.