A mandrel assembly for manufacturing a CMC turbine blade, the mandrel assembly comprising: a tip section including a pressure side and a suction side; a root section including a pressure side and a suction side; and a plurality of ceramic matrix composite (CMC) plies laid up from one side to the other across a cross section of the mandrel assembly and interposed between the tip section and the root section ; characterized by the plurality of CMC plies defining a reinforcement lattice structure within the CMC turbine blade, wherein the tip section comprises a leading edge part connected to a trailing edge part , and wherein the root section comprises a leading edge part connected to a trailing edge part ; and wherein one of the leading edge part of the tip section and the leading edge part of the root section comprises a connector on an end facing the other of the leading edge part of the tip section and the leading edge part of the root section , and wherein the other of the leading edge part of the tip section and the leading edge part of the root section comprises a connector receiver on an end facing the one of the leading edge part of the tip section and the leading edge part of the root section , and wherein one of the trailing edge part of the tip section and the trailing edge part of the root section comprises a connector on an end facing the other of the trailing edge part of the tip section and the trailing edge part of the root section , and wherein the other of the trailing edge part of the tip section and the trailing edge part of the root section comprises a connector receiver on an end facing the one of the trailing edge part of the tip section and the trailing edge part of the root section , the plurality of CMC plies each including an alignment opening through which respective ones of the connectors are disposed in engagement with the connector receivers . a tip section including a pressure side and a suction side; a root section including a pressure side and a suction side; and a plurality of ceramic matrix composite (CMC) plies laid up from one side to the other across a cross section of the mandrel assembly and interposed between the tip section and the root section ; characterized by the plurality of CMC plies defining a reinforcement lattice structure within the CMC turbine blade, wherein the tip section comprises a leading edge part connected to a trailing edge part , and wherein the root section comprises a leading edge part connected to a trailing edge part ; and wherein one of the leading edge part of the tip section and the leading edge part of the root section comprises a connector on an end facing the other of the leading edge part of the tip section and the leading edge part of the root section , and wherein the other of the leading edge part of the tip section and the leading edge part of the root section comprises a connector receiver on an end facing the one of the leading edge part of the tip section and the leading edge part of the root section , and wherein one of the trailing edge part of the tip section and the trailing edge part of the root section comprises a connector on an end facing the other of the trailing edge part of the tip section and the trailing edge part of the root section , and wherein the other of the trailing edge part of the tip section and the trailing edge part of the root section comprises a connector receiver on an end facing the one of the trailing edge part of the tip section and the trailing edge part of the root section , the plurality of CMC plies each including an alignment opening through which respective ones of the connectors are disposed in engagement with the connector receivers . <EOS>