Patent ID: 8662843

Claim:
An adaptive twist system for a rotor blade, the adaptive twist system comprising: a slider mechanism coupled to a spar and to a skin, the slider mechanism configured to provide structural connectivity between the spar and the skin; a skin adapter located between the slider mechanism and the skin, the skin adapter extending under a nose cap to form a compressive seal and sliding movement therebetween, the nose cap adjacent the spar; an actuator configured to drive the slider mechanism; wherein the slider mechanism is configured to translate the skin relative to the spar in a spanwise direction, thereby causing the rotor blade to twist; wherein the slider mechanism comprises: a screw drive shaft located in spanwise direction along the rotor blade; a fixed collar coupled to the skin, the fixed collar including a bearing to allow a first portion of the fixed collar to rotate along with the screw drive, while a second portion of the fixed collar remains fixed relative to the skin; a threaded collar coupled to the spar, the threaded collar including receiving threads such that rotation of the screw drive shaft causes the threaded collar to translate relative to the fixed collar.