Hughes Helicopters, Inc.

Evan P Sampatacos

A low drag, bearingless coupling is provided between a blade and hub of a helicopter rotor system by coupling the hub and blade together by means of a planar, elastic flexure or element which extends between the blade and the hub in a generally azimuthal direction in the rotor plane. The thickness of the flexure is such so that it is smaller than the adjacent blade or hub thicknesses so that the aerodynamic cross section presented by the flexure to air flow is negligible. The flexure is particularly characterized by having a bend in the coupling between the hub and blade. In the illustrated embodiment the flexure is integral and 'W'-shaped with a 'U'-shaped segment of the 'W'-shaped flexure extending between each side of the adjacent blade and hub arms. The flexure may be made of rod having a circular cross section or of flat plate formed in a shape to have the desired elastic and resilient characteristics.

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Cypress, CA, United States of America

Evan P Sampatacos