Turning gear apparatus (10) for rotating a shaft (11) comprises a rotary drive arrangement (12) and a transmission system including a pivot arm (20). The rotary drive arrangement (12) is fixed, for example to a vessel hull (14), and the pivot arm (20) is pivotable between a first, shaft-disengaged, position and a second, shaft-engaged position where the rotary drive arrangement (12) is operably coupled to the shaft (11), thereby permitting control over rotation of the shaft (11) by the rotary drive arrangement (12).

An apparatus for controlling a rotor of a rotary wing aircraft, including a stationary frame, a rotary propulsion shaft extending through the frame, the propulsion shaft having a first shaft portion and a second shaft portion coupled to the first shaft portion at a joint, the first shaft portion being configured to be coupled to a drive unit and the second shaft portion being pivotable relative to a centerline of the first shaft portion in two degrees of freedom about the joint, and at least one actuator coupled to the stationary frame at one end and connected to the second shaft portion at the other end so that the second shaft portion rotates relative to the at least one actuator, the at least one actuator being configured to pivot the second shaft portion in the two degrees of freedom.