What is the Starflex rotor?

The distinctive feature of the Star Flex lies in doing away with the usual breakdown into separate parts: with it there is only one piece, which leads to greater simplicity and higher reliability. The approach sought both greater strength and a reduction in weight. The resulting assembly was described as light, simple and strong, in keeping with a design that had to rely on straightforward construction and low-cost maintenance.

The head had first been used a few years earlier on the SA360 Dauphin, and would go on to revolutionize rotor head design. In the early 1970s, Aérospatiale had launched a development programme to replace the ageing Alouette II, with which the French company wanted to carve out a place in the light helicopter market, then dominated by the five-seat Hughes 500 and Bell 206.

The parts manufactured for these assemblies are considered critical parts, because they are vital to the helicopter. They are designed to offer a long service life and simplified maintenance procedures when the time comes to apply them. Heavier helicopters, by contrast, could not turn to composite technologies for their rotor heads.