Patent ID: 8905719

Claim:
A composite gas turbine engine structure comprising: an annular composite retention ring circumscribed about a centerline axis, composite airfoils mounted on and integral with and extending radially away from the retention ring, the retention ring including annular composite plies, a circumferentially segmented airfoil ring including airfoil ring segments disposed around one of an outer and inner circumferences of the retention ring, each of the airfoil ring segments including an annular base and radially extending clockwise and counter-clockwise airfoil segments at clockwise and counter-clockwise ends of the annular base, each of the composite airfoils including circumferentially adjacent ones of the clockwise and counter-clockwise airfoil segments, a flowpath shell circumferentially disposed around the segmented airfoil ring and trapping the annular bases between the flowpath shell and the retention ring, and the composite airfoils extending through slots in the flowpath shell.