Temporarily installed aircraft observer door plug, chair, sonotube ejection and control system

• US 20100206988A1
• Filed: 10/15/2008
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 1281329 Alberta Ltd.
• Original Assignee: 1281329 Alberta Ltd.
• Inventors: Woodland, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,807,482 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/129.500
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/1407 Doors; surrounding frames
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/1484 Windows B64C1/1492 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/18 Floors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/20 specially adapted for freight
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/02 Dropping, ejecting, or releasing articles jettisonable fuel reservoirs B64D37/12
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00 Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/06 Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats crew seat constructions for emergency purposes B64D25/04
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0616 with ejection means
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/062 Belts or other passenger restraint means for passenger seats
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 7/00 Arrangements of military equipment, e.g. armaments, armament accessories, or military shielding, in aircraft; Adaptations of armament mountings for aircraft dropping bombs or the like B64D1/00; armaments or mountings therefor per se F41

Abstract

The system and apparatus of the present invention is generally comprised of a non-dedicated, temporarily installed, aircraft observer bubble door, chair, sonotube ejection system, mission electronics LRU rack and workstation assembly which are affixed to the Air Deployment System (ADS) rails, cargo tie down “D” rings, seat belt restraint ring bolt sockets, and litter bar of a host aircraft, thereby precluding the requirement for dedicated airframe modifications. One embodiment of the present invention also utilizes a multi-axis, articulated, foldable chair temporarily installed in conjunction with a segmented or one piece pressurized observer bubble door plug and door retraction system. The door plug assembly is designed to accommodate the simultaneous use of a sonotube stores launch system, a missile defense system, and an observer bubble window. The door plug also accommodates fitment around the envelope of a special mission strut which extends through the interior to the exterior of the host aircraft beneath the door plug'"'"'s lower periphery. The door plug is also moveably mounted within a temporary retraction rail system which interfaces mechanically to the permanent door retraction rails and the aircraft floor or ADS rail system. When the host aircraft is not equipped with an ADS rail system, the retract rails, chair stanchion, mission electronics racks, and workstation assemblies are mounted to an adaptive floor plate (AFP) which can be modified to interface with various cargo floor “D” rings, or other cargo tie down mechanisms and bolt patterns such that several types of dissimilar aircraft can utilize the subject apparatus either with or without ADS rails installed. Once installed the subject apparatus can be stowed outboard of the fuselage cargo transit envelope to permit use of the ADS rail system in-flight, without affecting normal air drop operations, crew egress, the flight performance envelope, or emergency procedures of the host aircraft.

Claims

1. An aircraft based observer chair, bubble door plug and door plug retraction mechanism equipped with a sonotube stores launch system, temporarily installed using the host aircraft floor cargo tie down rings and/or the air deployment system (ADS) rails, moveably mounted within the orifice of a side door opening without the use of a pallet, or permanent airframe modifications, the apparatus comprising:

a) one or more aircraft floor and ADS rail mounting plates,

b) a pressurized, observer bubble door plug,

c) a door plug retraction mechanism,

d) a sonotube stores launch system,

e) a collapsible workstation, mission LRU and control system, and,

f) a horizontally articulated, stanchion post pivot arm operator chair attached to an aircraft floor or ADS rail mounting plate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the aircraft is a fixed wing aircraft.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the aircraft is a rotary wing aircraft.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is installed on the host aircraft using one or more temporary mounting plates affixed to the cargo floor tie down rings.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is installed on the host aircraft using one or more temporary mounting plates affixed to the aircraft ADS rail system.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the observer bubble door plug retraction mechanism is temporarily affixed to the existing door retraction rails.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pressurized observer door plug incorporates a hinged, removable leaning bar.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pressurized observer door plug incorporates an integrated observer heating, cooling and bubble defogging system. integrated observer heating, cooling and bubble defogging system.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pressurized door plug incorporates at least one or more, sonotube compatible stores launch systems

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the sonotube launch system stows outboard of the host aircraft ADS rails to permit air drop activities.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the collapsible workstation, mission LRU and control system is temporarily installed using a mounting plate secured to the ADS rail system and host fuselage seat belt sockets.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the collapsible workstation, mission LRU and control system is temporarily installed using a mounting plate secured to the host aircraft floor cargo rings and fuselage seat belt sockets.

17. The apparatus of claims 15 and 16, wherein the workstation unit is divided into modules and incorporates a plurality of quick disconnect locking hinges which can be disengaged to permit separation of the individual modules, removal of the entire workstation from the mission LRU rack, or collapse of the all modules for stowage.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein one or more of the collapsible workstation modules incorporates a self contained operator oxygen supply, control system, and quick release oxygen mask means.

19. The apparatus of claims 15, 16, and 17 wherein the collapsible workstation, stows outboard of the host aircraft ADS rails to permit air drop activities.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the collapsible workstation, mission LRU and control system accommodates a collapsible secondary user interface means temporarily installed on one or more crew chair armrests remotely located away from the collapsible workstation and mission LRU rack.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mounting plate installed stanchion post pivot arm operator chair achieves articulation through;

a) 360 degrees about the stanchion post at the base of the pivot arm, b) 360 degrees rotation about the vertical axis at the end of the pivot arm, c) adjustment in the horizontal axis by a telescoping pivot arm sleeve and lock bolt, d) adjustment in the vertical axis about the stanchion post by a moveable collar, and e) horizontal adjustment at the end of the pivot arm to allow the observer to move forward or back from the protruding door plug bubble envelope.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the temporarily installed workstation and mission LRU electronics are connected to one or more pressurized, removable, aircraft ditching hatches which are equipped with positioning, satellite communication or other antennas affixed to the exterior surface of the temporarily installed special mission ditching hatches

9. A one piece pressurized aircraft observer bubble door plug which incorporates a segmented two piece clear observation bubble using transparent glazing in the upper part connected to a composite or metal protruding kick panel in the lower part.

10. A one piece pressurized aircraft door plug which is contoured and indented about its lower proximity to accommodate the pressurized seal around the periphery of an articulated or fixed position payload strut which transits from the interior to the exterior of the aircraft under the door plug.

11. A pressurized aircraft door plug segmented into two interlocking pieces which incorporates an upper and lower panel wherein the lower panel is contoured and indented to accommodate the pressurized seal around the periphery of an articulated or fixed position payload strut which transits from the interior to the exterior of the aircraft under the lower door plug panel.

12. A pressurized aircraft bubble door plug segmented into two interlocking pieces which incorporates an upper and lower panel wherein at least one panel is equipped with a video sensor system, an infra-red, RF, or radar based missile detection and laser counter measures system housed within a fairing attached to the exterior surface of the lower door panel.

22. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the articulated pivot arm chair is foldable for stowage outboard of the host aircraft ADS rails to permit air drop activities.