A differential pre-cone rotary wing arrangement includes a first rotor assembly having a first set of rotor blades rotatable about an axis, the first set of rotor blades having a first pre-cone angle, and a second rotor assembly having a second set of rotor blades rotatable about the axis, the second set of rotor blades having a second pre-cone angle, the second pre-cone angle is different than the first pre-cone angle.

An aircraft is provided including an airframe, an extending tail, and a counter rotating, coaxial main rotor assembly including an upper rotor assembly and a lower rotor assembly. A translational thrust system positioned at the extending tail, the translational thrust system providing translational thrust to the airframe. A cockpit in the airframe, the cockpit including two seats and a single collective control input positioned between the two seats.

An aircraft composed of an airframe, an extending tail, a counter rotating, coaxial main rotor assembly including an upper rotor assembly and a lower rotor assembly, and a translational thrust system positioned at the extending tail. The translational thrust system provides translational thrust to the airframe. The aircraft also includes a rotor hover figure of merit greater than about 0.79 for a C.sub.T/ between about 0.085 and about 0.125.

An aircraft is provided including an airframe, an extending tail, a counter-rotating, coaxial main rotor assembly having an upper rotor assembly and a lower rotor assembly, and a translational thrust system including a propeller positioned at the extending tail. The translational thrust system is configured to provide translational thrust to the airframe when the aircraft is in a non-autorotation state and to generate power when in an autorotation state. A gearbox interconnects the propeller and the main rotor assembly to drive the main rotor assembly and the translational thrust system in the non-autorotation state. When the aircraft is in autorotation, the power generated by the propeller drives rotation of the main rotor assembly via the gearbox.

An aircraft includes an airframe having an extending tail, a counter rotating, coaxial main rotor assembly disposed at the airframe including an upper rotor assembly and a lower rotor assembly, and a translational thrust system positioned at the extending tail and providing translational thrust to the airframe, the translational thrust system including a propeller. A gearbox system is operably connected to the main rotor assembly and the propeller to drive rotation of the main rotor assembly and the propeller. The gearbox is configured to maintain a main rotor assembly tip speed below Mach 0.9 and a propeller helical tip speed below Mach 0.88.

An aircraft is provided including an airframe, an extending tail, and a counter rotating, coaxial main rotor assembly including an upper rotor assembly and a lower rotor assembly. A translational thrust system positioned at the extending tail, the translational thrust system providing translational thrust to the airframe. The main rotor assembly and the translational thrust system are configured to provide hover nose down, hover nose up and hover level modes of flight.

An aircraft is provided including an airframe, an extending tail, and a counter rotating coaxial main rotor assembly including an upper rotor assembly and a lower rotor assembly. A translational thrust system including a propeller is positioned at the extending tail. The translational thrust system provides translational thrust to the airframe. A drive system is configured to operate both the main rotor system and the translational thrust system. The drive system includes a clutch configured to selectively couple or decouple the propeller from the drive system.

A rotor assembly includes a yoke operably associated with a rotor blade. The yoke includes a first device and a second device that attach the rotor blade to the yoke. The first device is configured to allow transverse movement of the rotor blade about a chord axis and rotational movement about a pitch-change axis. The second device is configured to allow rotational movement of the rotor blade solely about the pitch-change axis. The method includes rotating rotor assembly about a first plane of rotation, while retaining a relatively stiff out-of-plane rotation and a relatively soft in-plane rotation during flight.

An aircraft is provide including an airframe, an extending tail, and a counter rotating, coaxial main rotor assembly including an upper rotor assembly and a lower rotor assembly. A translational thrust system positioned at the extending tail, the translational thrust system providing translational thrust to the airframe. At least one flight control computer configured to independently control the upper rotor assembly and the lower rotor assembly through a fly-by-wire control system. A plurality of sensors to detect sensor data of at least one environmental condition and at least one aircraft state data, wherein the sensors provide the sensor data to the flight control computer.

An aircraft is provided including an airframe, an extending tail, and a counter rotating, coaxial main rotor assembly including an upper rotor assembly composed of a plurality of blades and a lower rotor assembly composed of a plurality of blades. A translational thrust system positioned at the extending tail, the translational thrust system providing translational thrust to the airframe. A flight control system to control the upper rotor assembly and the lower rotor assembly, wherein the flight control system is configured to control lift offset of the upper rotor assembly and the lower rotor assembly.