Patent ID: 8632653

Claim:
A method comprising the steps of: forming a 0-degree, planar curved web ply of contiguous, adjoined fiber composite strips by placing the strips to lay contiguously adjoined on a flat surface and in the shape of a planar arc so that the fibers are in a 0-degree direction aligned with a full length of a longitudinal centerline of the planar arc without distortion; trimming the web ply to conform to the shape of a perimeter of a planar curved web surface of a mandrel, said mandrel having first and second side cap surfaces which meet the web surface to form first and second corners respectively; laying up the web ply onto the web surface of the mandrel to have 0-degree fiber orientation substantially aligned with the full length of a longitudinal centerline of the web surface; and laying up a 0-degree cap ply of fiber composite tape onto the first cap surface to form a splice with the web ply along the first corner of the mandrel, the tape comprising a plurality of tape fibers having 0-degree fiber orientation substantially aligned with a longitudinal centerline of the first cap surface, and the splice forming a continuous, substantially 0-degree ply lying across the web surface and the first cap surface.