Adaptive rotor blade

• Main Author: SCOTT, MARK W
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 28.08.2013
• Subjects: AEROPLANES; AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TOTRANSPORTATION; COSMONAUTICS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HELICOPTERS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE; TRANSPORTING

MISSION ADAPTIVE ROTOR BLADE ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rotor assembly (12) for a rotary wing aircraft (10) includes a plurality of rotor blades (20) operably connected to a rotor shaft (22). Two or more active adaptive devices, such as flaps (28), air outlets (36) or jet tip outlets (48), are located at one or more rotor blades (20) of the plurality of rotor blades. The one or more active adaptive devices (28, 36, 48) are operably connected to an aircraft flight control system (34) such that, when activated, the one or more active adaptive devices (28, 36, 48) change one or more operational characteristics of the rotor assembly (12). A method of operating a rotor assembly (12) of a rotary wing aircraft (10) includes rotating a plurality of rotor blades (20) about a rotor shaft (22). Two or more active adaptive devices (28, 36, 48) located at one or more rotor blades (20) of the plurality of rotor blades are activated and change one or more operational characteristics of the rotor assembly (12).