Textron Innovations Inc.

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Tim Ledbetter

Paul Branson Sherrill

Frank B Stamps

Russell S Cole

Richard Erler Rauber

Patrick R Tisdale

Drew Alan Sutton

David Popelka

James Braswell, Jr

Robert Alan Self

Keith Alan Stanney

Thomas C Campbell

Nathan Patrick Green

Ron Measom

Mark E Wasikowski

Tricia Hiros

Michael J Southerland

Kelli Yates

James Lee Braswell

A rotor blade has a spanwise axis, a root comprising an anchor having an anchor surface configured to form at least one of a normal angle relative to the spanwise axis and an acute angle relative to the spanwise axis, and a selectively removable tip comprising a connector having a connector surface configured to complement the anchor surface.

Removable rotor blade tip

The present invention includes a span-balance pocket in a surface of a rotor blade, the span-balance pocket including an inboard surface and an outboard surface; and one or more weights disposed in the span-balance pocket to span-balance the rotor blade; and at least one of one or more retention devices to retain the one or more weights against the outboard surface of the span-balance pocket or the span-balance pocket is machined or molded into a tip block of the rotor blade.

Rotor span-balance pocket

An assembly for providing flexure to a blade of a rotary blade system includes an upper support plate having an upper curved surface, a lower support plate having a lower curved surface, and a yoke positioned therebetween. At least one of the upper and lower yoke surfaces has a layer of cushioning material positioned thereon and secured thereto. An alternate embodiment includes an assembly for providing flexure to a blade of a rotary blade system, including, an upper support plate having an upper curved surface, a lower support plate having a lower curved surface, and a yoke positioned therebetween and directly contacting the support plates wherein one of the curved surfaces is a non-circular arc that does not form part of the circumference of a circle. Another alternate embodiment includes a similar assembly having a twist-shank type of yoke for providing rotation of attached blades about their respective pitch axes.

Assembly for providing flexure to blade system

Growing community of inventors

Fort Worth, TX, United States of America

Tim Ledbetter