Slowrotor, i have no wish to start that debate again, but the Hiller photo can be seen as a demonstration in the difference between statics and dynamics. What it really comes down to is how much the blades weigh in comparison with the two guys straddling them. The deflection can be proportioned to frequency, which from the photo implies a relatively high frequency 1st order flapping mode.
My earlier debate with Dave was that this still does not significantly reduce the pitch link lead angle. Basically one 1/4 cycle of the spin and bending stiffened blade is not much less azimuth than the 1/4 cycle of a spin only stiffened blade, for such a long blade. So dynamically even a high effective hinge offset blade can be seen as relatively soft.
Don't forget that for a blade strike to occur you really need two things: reduced g on the fuselage and large cyclic inputs causing blade flexure. For the first point i'm sure we can rely on Chief TP Kevin Bredenbeck not to rush into anything without thinking about it. For the second point i'm sure that a relatively stiff rotor will reduce the cyclic input required for a given pitch/roll rate. There is the uncertainty of a new FBW system, but this will have had most of it's shakedown on the Schweizer 333 development prototype.
All in all guys, lets not hex this thing before Sikorsky have had a chance to prove it.
