I guess what I don't get is what takes the loads that go forward and
backward (thrust) and also side to side (torsion). Does the blade
"pivot" off of the big bearing (and hence put big loads on the pitch
change mechanism)? IOW why isn't a support further out on the hub
needed.

It would seem like you could grab the end of the blade and just push
it around and the relatively sharp corner on the hub between numbers
25 and 26/27 (looks like an o-ring and the spacer/pre-load shim and
snap ring) would just gouge into the hub sleeve.

Thanks for the comments. It's kind of fun figuring out this
mechanism.

Joe