What main rotor component extends between the rotating swashplate to the main rotor blade?

• A. Dampers
• B. Swashplate
• C. Pitch Control Rods
• D. Tail Rotor Head

Answer: (C)

The key idea is how pilot input gets from the swashplate to each blade to change pitch. The component that does this work is the pitch control rods (also called pitch links). These rods run from the rotating swashplate out to the blade grips on the rotor hub and push or pull to change each blade’s pitch as the swashplate tilts or moves collectively. This linkage is what translates the swashplate’s angular movement into the different pitch angles required for cyclic and collective control. Dampers smooth vibration but don’t carry the pitch change from swashplate to blade, and the tail rotor head handles yaw, not main rotor blade pitch. The swashplate itself is the interface, but the actual transfer to the blades is accomplished by these pitch control rods.