Patent ID: 7686576

Claim:
A method of assembling a gas turbine engine, said method comprising: forming at least one stator ring passage within at least a portion of a radially inner surface of a casing; providing at least one stator ring segment that is sized to be inserted into the at least one stator ring passage; forming at least one substantially axial stator blade passage in at least a portion of the at least one stator ring segment; inserting a dovetail portion of at least one stator blade into at least a portion of the at least one substantially axial stator blade passage; and forming at least one radial passage by removing at least a portion of the at least one stator ring segment and at least a portion of the dovetail portion of the at least one stator blade such that at least a portion of the at least one radial passage is adjacent to the at least one substantially axial stator blade passage.