Helicopter pitch controls

A rotor system for use in a rotary-wing aircraft, the rotor system comprising:

• a gear module driven by a rotor gearbox, the gear module including,
• a servo having an output shaft linearly moveable along an axis,
• a rotating pitch change shaft which rotates about the axis,
• a pitch change assembly for transforming linear movement of the output shaft to rotational movement of the pitch change shaft, the pitch change assembly including,
• a flexible rod movable along the axis, the flexible rod including a first end having a plate fixedly coupled with the output shaft and a second end operably coupled with the pitch change shaft, and
• a bearing having a rotational outer surface coupled for rotation with the pitch change shaft and a non-rotating inner surface operably coupled with the flexible rod for linear movement,
• wherein the bearing is the only bearing in the pitch change assembly;
• and
• rotor blades which rotate about the axis and whose pitch is changed according to motion of the pitch change shaft.

A gear module comprising:

• a servo having an output shaft linearly moveable along an axis;
• a rotating pitch change shaft which rotates about the axis,
• a pitch change assembly for coupling linear movement of the output shaft to rotational movement of the pitch change shaft, the pitch change assembly including,
• a flexible rod movable along the axis, the flexible rod including a first end having a plate fixedly coupled with the output shaft by a plurality of fasteners and a second end,
• a bearing shaft surrounding a portion of the flexible rod, the bearing shaft coupled with the second end of the flexible rod by a first fastener, and
• a bearing having a rotational outer surface coupled for rotation with the pitch change shaft and a non-rotating inner surface operably coupled with the flexible rod for-linear movement,
• wherein an outer diameter portion of the bearing shaft is coupled with the inner surface of the bearing by a second fastener.