Device for assisting with the extinguishing of fires by water-bombing aircraft

• US 5,878,819 A
• Filed: 07/31/1997
• Issued: 03/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sextant Avionique
• Original Assignee: Sextant Avionique
• Inventors: Faivre, Fran.cedilla.ois, Denoize, Xavier, Parus, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dinh Q
• Application Number:
  US08/875,403
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 169/53, 169/56, 169/60, 169/61, 169/36, 239/171, 244/136, 244/137.1, 244/137.4, 701/213, 701/214
• US Class Current: 169/53
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/0228 with delivery of fire extinguishing material by air or aircraft fire-fighting aircraft B64D1/16
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/18 by spraying, e.g. insecticides spraying apparatus per se B05B

Abstract

A device for assisting the extinguishing of fires by water-bombing aircraft. The device includes at least one sensor for sensing the source of the fire, a device for pinpointing the position of the aircraft, a geographical database and a calculator for calculating the route of the aircraft as a function of its position and the position of the source as pinpointed in the database.

Claims

1. Device for assisting with the extinguishing of fires by a water-bombing aircraft, characterized in that it has at least one sensor for sensing the source of the fire, means for pinpointing the position of the aircraft, a geographical database and means for calculating the route of the aircraft as a function of the position of this aircraft and of the position of the source as pinpointed in the database.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the geographical database has in memory a grid of the surrounding terrain in latitude, longitude and altitude.

3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the means of calculating the route of the aircraft comprise:

a computer for locating the source of the fire, connected to the means for pinpointing the position of the aircraft, to the sensor and to the geographical database;

a route and guidance computer connected to the location computer, to the means for pinpointing the position of the aircraft and to the geographical database;

a drop signal computer connected to the route and guidance computer, to the means for pinpointing the position of the aircraft and to the geographical database;

a computer for calculating the escape route of the aircraft connected to the drop signal computer, to the means for pinpointing the position of the aircraft and to the geographical database.

4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises means for identifying the source of the fire.

5. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the drop signal computer determines the instant at which this signal is sent as a function of the speed of the aircraft, its position, the wind speed and the mass of the payload of water to be dropped.

6. Device according to of claim 3, characterized in that since the drop signal computer calculates the line of sight of the aircraft, it generates the drop signal as a function of the position of the point at which the line of sight intersects the geographical database, the computer also calculating this point of intersection.

7. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for pinpointing the position of the aircraft consist of the aircraft system.

8. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor is sensitive to temperature.

9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the sensor is an infrared camera.

10. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the means of calculating the route of the aircraft are connected to means for displaying information to the pilot, the information being supplied superimposed on the external landscape using a head-up display and/or in the form of symbols on a head-down display.

11. Device according to claim 10, characterized in that the drop signal is given acoustically.

12. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that since the drop signal computer calculates the line of sight of the aircraft, it generates the drop signal a function of the position of the point at which the line of sight intersects the geographical database, the computer also calculating this point of intersection.

13. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that since the drop signal computer calculates the line of sight of the aircraft, it generates the drop signal a function of the position of the point at which the line of sight intersects the geographical database, the computer also calculating this point of intersection.

14. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the means for pinpointing the position of the aircraft consist of the aircraft system.

15. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the means for pinpointing the position of the aircraft consist of the aircraft system.

16. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the means for pinpointing the position of the aircraft consist of the aircraft system.

17. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the means for pinpointing the position of the aircraft consist of the aircraft system.

18. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the means for pinpointing the position of the aircraft consist of the aircraft system.

19. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that the means for pinpointing the position of the aircraft consist of the aircraft system.

20. Device according to claim 13, characterized in that the means for pinpointing the position of the aircraft consist of the aircraft system.