Bearingless tail rotor for helicopters
AssigneeTextron Inc.
InventorsVas H. Brogdon, Cecil E. Covington, Richard E. Wheelis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A helicopter tail rotor structure includes a thin, flat, tension-bearing strap of fibers extending spanwise, and is to be centrally secured by a hub to a helicopter tail mast. Flex sections are formed inboard of substantially equally divided portions of said fibers which extend as top and bottom blade spars from the outboard margins of the flex sections. Preferably, the planes of the flex sections and the planes of the spars are oriented at predetermined nose-up twist angles, one relative to the other.
Claims8
A structural member for helicopter tail rotor, comprising:
- a unitary thin flat tension-bearing strap of integrated fibers extending span-wise substantially uniform in width and including a central section adapted for attachment to a hub on a helicopter tail mast with adjacent flex sections thinner than the central section and positioned between said central section and blade root locations, said straps being divided substantially equally outboard of said blade root locations to form upper and lower parallel spars, an upper and lower spar extending from the region of each of said blade root locations to blade tip locations to provide half-thick reinforcing spars parallel to each other and spaced apart along the upper and lower surfaces of the blade bodies for incorporation into and strengthening of the blade bodies.
A tension bearing member for incorporation into a tail rotor of a helicopter comprising:
- a unitary molded fiber strap unit having spaced thin flat twist sections on opposite ends of a flat central anchor section, said strap having a pair of parallel blade spars extending away from each of said twist sections and each pair being of substantially the same width as said twist sections and about one-half thickness and extending in diametrically opposite directions beyond the ends of said twist sections to form two pairs of confronting spars spaced apart in an upper and lower relation for incorporation into blade bodies.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.