VTOL aircraft convertible shipping container and method of use

• US 5,119,935 A
• Filed: 01/29/1991
• Issued: 06/09/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Grumman Aerospace Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Grumman Aerospace Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Powers, Robert C., Kress, Robert W., Stump, Joseph W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gehman, Bryon P.
• Application Number:
  US07/647,347
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 206/335, 52/64, 52/71, 244/1 R, 220/4.28, 220/6, 220/1.5
• US Class Current: 206/335
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/22 for handling aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/36 Other airport installations ground installations for de-icing aircraft B64F5/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/50 Handling or transporting aircraft components

Abstract

A metal container stores a VTOL aircraft during shipment to a sea vessel or large vehicle where it then functions as a portable weather-tight hangar which can be secured in available deck space. When on board a ship'"'"'s deck, the walls of the container unfold so that the structure may be converted to a take-off and landing pad that provides an exhaust system for the hot lift engine gases that eliminates the hazard to ship'"'"'s crew, prevents heat damage to the deck and eliminates "suck down" effects characteristic of certain VTOL aircraft configurations. Triangular panels are removably secured together to form the cover of the container; and when unfolded and flattened, these panels are inserted in the corners of the unfolded structure so as to extend the heat shield.

Claims

1. A convertible shipping container for aircraft comprising:

a plurality of interconnected walls hingedly connected and unfoldable to mutually coplanar contiguous relation to form a take-off and landing pad;

stiffeners secured to the walls and positioned in spaced parallel relation to each other;

the stiffeners having a series of spaced openings therein for venting heated aircraft exhaust gases;

a top wall of the container comprising a plurality of triangular separable sections of identical shape releaseably fastened in coplanar contiguous relation to form a parallelogram.

2. A convertible shipping container for aircraft comprising:

a plurality of interconnected walls hingedly connected and unfoldable to mutually coplanar contiguous relation to form a take-off and landing pad;

stiffeners secured to the walls and positioned in spaced parallel relation to each other;

the stiffeners having a series of spaced openings therein for venting heated aircraft exhaust gases;

a top wall of the container comprising a plurality of triangular separable sections of identical shape releaseably fastened in coplanar contiguous relation to form a parallelogram;

end stiffeners on each wall being beveled to form miter joints between the walls when they are uprighted into a container configuration;

each wall having a base panel to which the stiffeners are secured; and

a mesh panel for supporting an aircraft and for passing exhaust gases therethrough for venting longitudinally through the stiffener openings as well as through transverse passageways formed between adjacent stiffeners.

3. A convertible shipping container and portable storage hangar for aircraft adapted to rest on a ship deck and comprising:

a plurality of interconnected walls hingedly connected and unfoldable to mutually coplanar contiguous relation to form a ship deck heat shield;

wherein a top wall of the container comprises a plurality of triangular separable sections releaseably fastened in coplanar contiguous relation to form a parallelogram;

stiffeners secured to the walls and positioned in spaced parallel relation to each other;

the stiffeners having a series of spaced openings therein for venting heated aircraft exhaust gases;

end stiffeners on each wall being beveled to form miter joints between the walls when they are uprighted into a container configuration;

further wherein each wall has

(a) a base panel to which the stiffeners are secured; and

(b) a mesh panel for supporting an aircraft and for passing exhaust gases therethrough for venting longitudinally through the stiffener openings as well as through transverse passageways formed between adjacent stiffeners.

4. A method for convertibly crating an aircraft for shipment, the steps comprising:

placing an aircraft into a container having hingedly connected side and bottom walls;

covering the open container with a plurality of coplanar contiguous triangular members releaseably secured to each other;

removing the triangular members upon delivery of the container to a ship deck;

unfolding the side walls to form a flat continuous heat shield over the deck; and

placing the individual triangular members in each corner created between edges of adjacent side walls to complete a heat shield for hot aircraft engine exhaust gases.