Dave,
You could put your drawing skills to work and sketch out a hub proposal for ABT. I'm curious how control for root and tip would package into a single hub. In particular i'm interested how the FBW actuators would link into the system. Independant Blade Control clearly needs an actuator per blade, with azimuthal control, although if i'm understanding correctly it only benefits 4+ blade rotors.
I've always been a proponent of the Lockheed mechanical system, since to me once the gyro dynamics are understood it gives a good bang for the buck. Although a fatigue hardened luddite
, i accept that once active blade twist becomes a design feature maybe a mechanical system will no longer perform. Then again, with tip servos linked in to the root pitch control a flexible blade would find it's own twist...
A helicopter will never be faster or more efficient than an aeroplane, but it is more flexible. The trick is to improve the flexibility without increasing the cost...
Mart