A cutterbar assembly (48) and draper assembly (50) for a harvesting machinehaving aharvesting header which are operable to flex and thereby follow an uneventerrain. A fore-and-aftdraper includes a draper frame (244,252,256) swingably supported on a headerframe (42) ata pivot (254) to project forwardly therefrom and having a draper belt (250)supported on thedraper frame to present a rearwardly moving run for conveying the croprearwardly. A cutterbarassembly (48) adjacent a forward margin thereof for swinging relative to theheader frame as thecutterbar assembly flexes up and down. The cutterbar assembly (48) isrelatively inflexible alonga section (282) defined between laterally outer margins of the fore-and-aftdraper, wherein theforward margin (256,258) of the draper frame and generally the entirecutterbar assembly sectionmove together as the draper frame swings (244,252,256) relative to the headerframe (42).
