Patent ID: 7424988

Claim:
A rotor rotatable in one direction about a rotor axis, said rotor including a hub and a plurality of elongated blades connected with said hub, each of said blades extending generally radially outwardly from said hub and being movable relative to said hub about a pitch axis extending along its length, each of said blades having a leading edge and a trailing edge with respect to rotation of said rotor in said one direction, each said blade being equipped with a second aerodynamic surface rotatably attached to said blade about an axis generally oriented radially outwardly from said hub, said axis of said aerodynamic surface being located aft of the pitch axis of the blade, and a third aerodynamic surface attached to said second aerodynamic surface; a control system capable of controlling the lift generated by said rotor blades by directing an actuator that in turn varies the airloads on said third aerodynamic surface, the airloads from said third aerodynamic surface being used to generate moments to assist in rotating said second aerodynamic surface; and a mechanism for preventing undesired motion of said second aerodynamic surface or said rotor blade.