Above: Technicians at Van Horn Aviation, on the left, piece together plies of carbon fiber and other materials for Bell 206 tail-rotor blades, and on the right, lay up a main- rotor blade for the same aircraft model.


Right: While some carbon-fiber panels are the length of the blade, others are mere inches across, and all must be placed with precision.


Below right: One of the autoclaves, where a blade will spend six hours curing, is secured.


Below left: Titanium root fittings are machined in-house, as are all custom metal components.


SEPTEMBER 2022 ROTOR 53


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