Can a contra-rotating helicopter simply tilt its entire rotor set instead of using a cyclic?
Juan de la Cierva, inventor of the autogyro, on the C.30 went to a tilting rotor. Most autogyros tilt the entire rotor for cyclic control. Some autogyros apply engine torque to the main rotor to assist in achieving short takeoffs. Now for this brief time, the autogyro is functioning like a helicopter, and the main rotor is driven by the engine prior to takeoff. There is now a torque from the engine acting on the airframe, that requires more pilot hand force to control the rotor while the engine is driving the rotor. Counter-rotating rotors on a helicopter would neutralize the reaction torque into the airframe. So yes for a very small helicopter, it should be possible to tilt the main rotor for cyclic control, without hydraulic power assist. If one is going to use a swashplate for collective control, it is easier to just control cyclic conventionally.
Here is one example of a helicopter that tilted the rotor for the cyclic:
http://www.aviastar.org/helicopters_eng/bensen_zipster.php