Multi-cover gas turbine engine component

1. A method of forming a gas turbine engine component comprising:

forming a recessed region in a sidewall of a main body;

dividing the recessed region into a plurality of pockets between one or more ribs such that the plurality of pockets are surrounded by a perimeter of the recessed region;

contouring a cover according to an external surface contour of the main body such that a perimeter of the cover is dimensioned to mate with the perimeter of the recessed region;

dividing the cover to form a plurality of cover skins subsequent to the contouring step;

positioning the plurality of cover skins to enclose respective ones of the plurality of pockets; and

welding the plurality of cover skins to the main body along the one or more ribs subsequent to the positioning step;

wherein the plurality of cover skins includes a peripheral cover skin and one or more localized cover skins, the peripheral cover skin comprising a perimeter of the cover such that the peripheral cover skin surrounds the one or more localized cover skins subsequent to the positioning step;

wherein the one or more ribs include a first set of ribs and a second set of ribs, each one of the second set of ribs extending from at least one of the first set of ribs, and the positioning step includes situating one or more of the plurality of cover skins over the second set of ribs; and

wherein the second set of ribs are spaced apart from the plurality of cover skins.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the welding step includes welding the peripheral cover skin to the main body along the perimeter of the recessed region.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein each one of the one or more ribs includes a raised protrusion that extends outwardly from a pedestal portion, the pedestal portion dimensioned to support an opposed pair of the plurality of cover skins, and the raised protrusion is dimensioned to abut against the opposed pair.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein the raised protrusion is dimensioned to extend outwardly from external surfaces of the opposed pair subsequent to the positioning step, and the raised protrusion is consumed during the welding step.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the external surface contour of the main body and external surfaces of the plurality of cover skins cooperate to define a pressure side or a suction side of an airfoil.

6. A method of forming a gas turbine engine component comprising:

forming a recessed region in a sidewall of a main body;

dividing the recessed region into a plurality of pockets between one or more ribs such that the plurality of pockets are surrounded by a perimeter of the recessed region;

contouring a cover according to an external surface contour of the main body such that a perimeter of the cover is dimensioned to mate with the perimeter of the recessed region;

dividing the cover to form a plurality of cover skins subsequent to the contouring step;

positioning the plurality of cover skins to enclose respective ones of the plurality of pockets; and

welding the plurality of cover skins to the main body along the one or more ribs subsequent to the positioning step;

wherein the step of dividing the cover occurs such that the plurality of cover skins includes a peripheral cover skin and a plurality of localized cover skins, the peripheral cover skin comprising a perimeter of the cover;

wherein the positioning step includes positioning the peripheral cover skin to surround the plurality of localized cover skins;

wherein the welding step includes welding the peripheral cover skin to the main body along the perimeter of the recessed region; and

wherein the positioning step occurs such that the localized cover skins are spaced apart from each other and from the perimeter of the recessed region.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein:

the step of dividing the recessed region includes forming a second set of ribs in the recessed region such that each rib of the second set of ribs extends from a respective rib of the first set of ribs; and

wherein the positioning step includes situating one or more of the plurality of cover skins over the second set of ribs such that the second set of ribs are spaced apart from the plurality of cover skins.

8. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the step of dividing the cover occurs such that the plurality of localized cover skins exclude the perimeter of the cover.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 , further comprising:

forming the main body; and

wherein positioning step occurs such that the external surface contour of the main body and external surfaces of the plurality of cover skins cooperate to define a pressure side or a suction side of an airfoil.

10. The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the airfoil is a fan blade.

11. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein:

the step of dividing the covers occurs such that the plurality of localized cover skins includes a first cover skin having a plurality of branch segments extending from an elongated body;

the step of dividing the recessed region includes forming a first rib of the one or more ribs; and

the positioning step occurs such that the first rib follows a perimeter of the first cover skin along each of the plurality of branch segments and along the elongated body.

12. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

forming the main body to establish a portion of an airfoil;

wherein the airfoil includes an airfoil body extending between leading and trailing edges in a chordwise direction and extending from a root section in a spanwise direction, the airfoil body comprises the main body, and the airfoil body defines pressure and suction sides separated in a thickness direction; and

wherein the positioning step occurs such that the external surface contour of the main body and external surfaces of the plurality of cover skins cooperate to define the pressure side or the suction side of the airfoil.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the airfoil is a fan blade.