Aircraft recovery chute

• US 4,445,654 A
• Filed: 06/21/1982
• Issued: 05/01/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dana Handbury, James W. Handbury
• Original Assignee: Dana Handbury, James W. Handbury
• Inventors: Handbury, James W., Handbury, Dana
• Primary Examiner(s): Barefoot, Galen L.
• Application Number:
  US06/390,513
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 244/138 R, 244/139, 244/140, 244/141, 244/142, 244/147, 244/148, 244/149, 244/152, 244/DIG. 1, 244/16, 244/13, 244/110 D
• US Class Current: 244/139
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 31/0285 Safety devices

Abstract

An ultralight aircraft and/or pilot recovery system includes a parachute having a canopy connected by means of a plurality of shroud lines to a first elongated cable having a length to position the parachute clear of the aircraft engine and propeller with a second cable for connecting the parachute to the frame of the aircraft and including a harness worn by the pilot which includes a pouch for containing the canopy folded within an inner pouch to permit the pilot to grasp and toss the chute clear of the aircraft for deployment for recovery of the aircraft. An alternate embodiment provides for connecting the parachute to the harness worn by the pilot and securing the harness to the aircraft to thereby give the pilot the option to recover the aircraft or cut loose from the aircraft for pilot recovery only.

Claims

1. A parachute system for recovery of an ultralight aircraft and/or pilot, said system comprising:

a parachute having a canopy with a plurality of shroud lines and a first elongated cable having a length to position the parachute clear of the engine of said aircraft and connected at one end to the ends of the shroud lines and including attachment means on the other end for attachment to an ultralight aircraft;

a pilot harness to be worn by a pilot and releasably attached to an aircraft and including a chute pack positioned on the chest of the pilot for containing the parachute; and

said attachment means includes quick release clamp means for selective attachment to said aircraft through said harness and directly to said aircraft for support of an aircraft for controlled substantially vertical descent of said aircraft and pilot.

2. The recovery system of claim 1 wherein:

said aircraft includes a central root tube extending along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and said clamp means is attached to the end of a cable attached to said root tube.

3. The recovery system of claim 1 wherein said clamp means is connected to said harness;

and

said harness is attached to said aircraft so that said pilot and said aircraft are supported by said harness.

4. The recovery system of claim 1 in combination with an ultralight aircraft wherein said aircraft is a high wing open frame type having a pilots seat beneath the wings and landing gear extending beneath the pilots seat, said pilot harness is attached adjacent to said pilots seat so that the pilot remains in the pilots seat during descent by the parachute.

5. The recovery system of claim 4 wherein said first elongated cable is connected to the harness;

and

said harness is detachably connected to the frame of the aircraft.

6. The recovery system of claim 5 including a deployment bag in which said chute is packed for placing in said pack and for containing the chute to permit the pilot to throw the chute clear of the aircraft for deployment thereof.

7. The recovery system of claim 4 including a second elongated cable having one end connected to the root tube of the aircraft;

and

the other end including a loop temporarily secured to the aircraft frame adjacent the pilot seat for attachment to said clamp means.

8. The recovery system of claim 5 wherein said first elongated cable is a vinyl coated stainless steel cable having length to position the canopy at least twenty-six feet from the aircraft.

9. The recovery system of claim 8 wherein said canopy is about twenty-eight feet in diameter and constructed of about 1.1 ounce ripstop nylon coated to a 0-3 CFM porosity.

10. A parachute system for selective recovery of an ultralight aircraft and/or pilot, said systems comprising:

a parachute having a canopy with a plurality of shroud lines and a first elongated cable having a length to position the parachute clear of the engine and propeller of the aircraft and connected at one end to the ends of the shroud lines and including attachment means on the other end for attachment to an ultralight aircraft;

a pilot harness to be worn by a pilot and releaseably attachable to the frame of an aircraft adjacent the pilot seat and including a chute pack for containing the parachute; and

said attachment means includes quick release clamp means for selective attachment to said aircraft for support of said aircraft and a pilot therein through said harness and

said cable attached to the frame of said aircraft.

11. The recovery system of claim 10 in combination with an ultralight aircraft wherein said aircraft is a high wing open frame type having a fixed pilot'"'"'s seat secured to the aircraft frame beneath the wings, and said aircraft including landing gear extending beneath the pilot'"'"'s seat;

said parachute being connected to said aircraft so that descent of said aircraft under control of said parachute takes place with the pilot seated in the pilot'"'"'s seat.

12. The recovery system of claim 11 wherein:

said aircraft includes a central root tube extending along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and said clamp means is attached to the end of a cable attached to said root tube.

13. The recovery system of claim 12 including a deployment bag in which said chute is packed for placing in said pack and for containing the chute to permit the pilot to throw the chute forward and clear of the aircraft for deployment thereof forward of the wing.