Segmented rotor blade trim tab

An aircraft rotor comprising:

• a rotor blade having a length with opposite top and bottom surfaces, and opposite forward and rearward edges;
• at least one trim tab on the rotor blade, the trim tab being a rigid panel having a length that extends along the rotor blade rearward edge, a forward edge that is secured to the rotor blade, and a rearward edge that is spaced outwardly from the rotor blade rearward edge;
• the rotor blade having an upper layer of material and a lower layer of material, the upper layer of material extends across the trim tab forward edge and the lower layer of material extends across the trim tab forward edge with the trim tab forward edge being sandwiched between the rotor blade upper layer of material and lower layer of material;
• and,
• the trim tab being encapsulated in flexible material.

An aircraft rotor comprising:

• a composite material rotor blade having a length with opposite top and bottom surfaces, and opposite forward and rearward edges;
• a metallic trim tab on the rotor blade, the trim tab being a rigid panel having a length that extends along the rotor blade length, a forward edge that is secured to the rotor blade, and a rearward edge that is spaced outwardly from the rotor blade rearward edge;
• and,
• the trim tab being encapsulated in a flexible material.

An aircraft rotor comprising:

• a rotor blade having a longitudinal length with opposite top and bottom surfaces, and laterally opposite forward and rearward edges;
• a plurality of trim tabs on the rotor blade, each of the trim tabs being a rigid panel having a longitudinal length that extends along a portion of the rotor blade length, a forward edge that is secured to the rotor blade and a laterally opposite rearward edge that is spaced outwardly from the rotor blade rearward edge, and the plurality of trim tabs being spatially arranged along the rotor blade length with there being a longitudinal spacing between adjacent trim tabs;
• and,
• each of the plurality of trim tabs being encapsulated in a flexible material.

An aircraft rotor comprising:

• a rotor blade having a length with opposite top and bottom surfaces, and opposite forward and rearward edges;
• and,
• at least one trim tab on the rotor blade, the trim tab being a rigid panel having a length that extends along the rotor blade rearward edge, a forward edge that is secured to the rotor blade, and a rearward edge that is spaced outwardly from the rotor blade rearward edge;
• the trim tab being covered by a flexible material;
• the flexible material having a forward portion adjacent the forward edge of the trim tab and a rearward portion adjacent the rearward edge of the trim tab, the forward portion of the flexible material having a reduced thickness from the rearward portion of the flexible material;
• and,
• the rotor blade having an upper layer defining the blade top surface and a lower layer defining the blade bottom surface, the upper layer and lower layer overlapping the forward portion of the flexible material providing smooth surfaces as the upper and lower layers transition to the flexible material rearward portion.

An aircraft rotor comprising:

• a composite material rotor blade having a length with opposite top and bottom surfaces, and opposite forward and rearward edges;
• a metallic trim tab on the rotor blade, the trim tab being a rigid panel having a length that extends along the rotor blade length, a forward edge that is secured to the rotor blade, and a rearward edge that is spaced outwardly from the rotor blade rearward edge;
• and,
• the trim tab being covered by a flexible material;
• the flexible material having a forward portion adjacent the forward edge of the trim tab and a rearward portion adjacent the rearward edge of the trim tab, the forward portion of the flexible material having a reduced thickness from the rearward portion of the flexible material;
• and,
• the rotor blade having an upper layer defining the blade top surface and a lower layer defining the blade bottom surface, the upper layer and lower layer overlapping the forward portion of the flexible material providing smooth surfaces as the upper and lower layers transition to the flexible material rearward portion.

An aircraft rotor comprising:

• a rotor blade having a longitudinal length with opposite top and bottom surfaces, and laterally opposite forward and rearward edges;
• a plurality of trim tabs on the rotor blade, each of the trim tabs being a rigid panel having a longitudinal length that extends along a portion of the rotor blade length, a forward edge that is secured to the rotor blade and a laterally opposite rearward edge that is spaced outwardly from the rotor blade rearward edge, and the plurality of trim tabs being spatially arranged along the rotor blade length with there being a longitudinal spacing between adjacent trim tabs;
• the trim tab being covered by a flexible material;
• the flexible material having a forward portion adjacent the forward edge of the trim tab and a rearward portion adjacent the rearward edge of the trim tab, the forward portion of the flexible material having a reduced thickness from the rearward portion of the flexible material;
• and,
• the rotor blade having an upper layer defining the blade top surface and a lower layer defining the blade bottom surface, the upper layer and lower layer overlapping the forward portion of the flexible material providing smooth surfaces as the upper and lower layers transition to the flexible material rearward portion.