Rotor blade or stator vane for a gas turbine engine

Claim 1

An aerofoil blade or vane for a gas turbine engine comprising: a hollow aerofoil portion fabricated from two separately cast elements and having an interior cooling passage for receiving a supply of cooling fluid, said aerofoil portion having an exit passage of minimum thickness along its trailing edge communicating with said interior passage for discharge of the cooling fluid therefrom; one of said separately cast elements including a nose portion, spaced convex and concave side walls extending from said nose portion, and a flank extending from one of said side walls and forming a portion of the trailing edge; a joint face formed by said flank and by a rear edge of the other of said walls; said other of said cast elements forming a second flank for the other of said side walls when attached to said one of said cast elements at said joint face, said second flank being a minor portion of the other of said side walls and forming another portion of said trailing edge and being separated from said first flank to define said exit passage for the cooling fluid along the trailing edge; and means metallurgically attaching the other of said cast elements to said first cast element to form the aerofoil portion of the blade or vane with said exit passage of the trailing edge being of minimum thickness.