An inner swashplate 204, suitable for a helicopter rotor head, has an inner surface (fig.3,211) in contact with a split part-spherical bearing element 250 having a first part (fig.5,252) and a second part (fig.5,252). In a first aspect, the swashplate is suitable for a coaxial counter-rotating rotor head having a first bearing where the two parts of the part-spherical element are coupled together and seated in contact with the inner swashplate’s inner surface within an opening (fig.3,215). The inner swashplate is coupled to an outer swashplate 202, to rotate relative to the outer swashplate about a fixed axis, the inner and outer swashplates tilt together on the part-spherical element. In a second aspect, a helicopter rotor head is assembled by providing the inner swashplate onto a drive shaft (fig.1,106), providing the first and second part-spherical bearing element parts onto respective portions of the driveshaft. The inner swashplate inner surface is of part-spherical form.
Swash plate assembly
2025-07-16
Patent
Electronic Resource
English