Patent ID: 7942365

Claim:
A rotary-wing aircraft comprising: a main gearbox; a variable speed gearbox in meshing engagement with said main gearbox, said variable speed gearbox including a gear path having a clutch and a reduced gear path having a freewheel unit, said main gearbox driven at a first speed in response to engagement of said clutch such that a freewheel output of said freewheel unit overruns a freewheel input of said freewheel unit, said main gearbox driven at a second speed less than said first speed in response to disengagement of said clutch such that a clutch output of said clutch rotates at a speed less than a clutch input of said clutch, said freewheel output driven by said freewheel input; and a tail drive system driven by said variable speed gearbox.