Airbus Helicopters

Mathias Fournier

Sylvain Berthalon

Scott Grant

Jean-Romain Bihel

Stephane Mazet

Guillaume Fiocchi

Stéphane Mazet

A propeller provided with interchangeable blades, and to a method of mounting such interchangeable blades on the propeller. The propeller comprises a hub, fastening fittings, rotation guide devices for guiding the fastening fittings in rotation relative to the hub, locking parts, and blades. The fastening fittings are configured to be assembled into the hub from the inside of the hub, and the locking parts lock respective ones of the fastening fittings onto the hub. The blades are fastened to respective ones of the fastening fittings outside the hub and can thus easily be replaced with other blades without removing the propeller.

Propeller provided with interchangeable blades and a method of mounting interchangeable blades on a propeller

A lead-lag damper arranged inside a blade of a rotor of a rotary wing aircraft. The lead-lag damper comprises an inner strength member provided with a cage in which a ball-joint connection is arranged, an outer strength member for securing to the blade, and an elastomer material member arranged between the two strength members. The two strength members and the elastomer material member extending beyond the zone around the cage so that the relative movements between two strength members resulting from the movements of the blade are damped by deformations of the elastomer material member, at least a portion of the lead-lag damper being designed to occupy a portion of the inside of the blade that is conventionally filled with foam.

Lead-lag damper integrated inside a blade of a rotor

Growing community of inventors

Aix en Provence, France

Mathias Fournier