Apparatus and method for air-to-air arming of aerial vehicles
First Claim
1. An apparatus for air-to-air transfer of at least one ordnance unit from a first airborne aerial vehicle to a second airborne aerial vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
- pylon installed on the second airborne aerial vehicle and intended to receive the at least one ordnance unit transferred from the first airborne aerial vehicle to the second airborne aerial vehicle;
an ordnance transfer assembly providing for the carriage of the at least one ordnance unit on a rigid surface from the first airborne aerial vehicle to the second airborne aerial vehicle; and
an ordnance carriage cradle connected to the ordnance transfer assembly for storing the at least one ordnance unit;
a pylon adapter to verify the connection of the at least one ordnance unit to the pylon installed on the second airborne aerial vehicle, the pylon adapter comprising a mechanical connector to the pylon;
a power generator device to provide power for the movement of the ordnance transfer assembly.
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Abstract
A transfer of ordnance units from a first aerial vehicle to a second aerial vehicle performed while both vehicles are airborne. The first aircraft is used as an ordnance storage, ordnance delivery and ordnance supplier platform. The second aircraft has the functionality and capability of delivering the received ordnance to designated targets. The first aircraft includes an ordnance storage apparatus, an ordnance transfer assembly, a computer-based highly accurate ordnance transfer control apparatus, and an ordnance transfer apparatus operating crew. The ordnance transfer assembly establishes temporarily a transfer link between the aircraft and utilizes an ordnance conveyor mechanism for the delivery of the ordnance units. The second aircraft includes a multi-use multi-purpose pylon that receives the transferred ordnance in the proper manner. The aircrafts can be uninhabited.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. An apparatus for air-to-air transfer of at least one ordnance unit from a first airborne aerial vehicle to a second airborne aerial vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
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pylon installed on the second airborne aerial vehicle and intended to receive the at least one ordnance unit transferred from the first airborne aerial vehicle to the second airborne aerial vehicle; an ordnance transfer assembly providing for the carriage of the at least one ordnance unit on a rigid surface from the first airborne aerial vehicle to the second airborne aerial vehicle; and an ordnance carriage cradle connected to the ordnance transfer assembly for storing the at least one ordnance unit; a pylon adapter to verify the connection of the at least one ordnance unit to the pylon installed on the second airborne aerial vehicle, the pylon adapter comprising a mechanical connector to the pylon; a power generator device to provide power for the movement of the ordnance transfer assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
a second arm section comprising a foldable aerodynamic control surface assembly to provide for the lift for the ordnance and aerodynamic control of the arm during movement of the arm between the first airborne aerial vehicle and the second airborne aerial vehicle; at least one actuator unit to provide for slideable movement of the arm sections in respect to each other; an externally mounted ordnance conveyor mechanism to provide for the transfer of the at least one ordnance unit from the first airborne aerial vehicle to the second airborne aerial vehicle, the ordnance conveyor mechanism comprising; a moveable ordnance carriage cradle device to carry the at least one ordnance unit along the extended mechanical arm from the first arm section of the mechanical arm via the intermediate arm sections of the mechanical arm to the second arm section of the mechanical arm in order to transfer the at least one ordnance unit between the first airborne aerial vehicle and the second airborne aerial vehicle; and at least two movement direction bars extended along, the mechanized arm sections in order to provide support and direction to the moveable ordnance carriage cradle device; and a power generator to provide power for the movement of the ordnance carriage cradle device along the at least two interlinked arm sections of the arm.
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21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the moveable ordnance carriage cradle device coupled to the ordnance conveyor mechanism associated with the arm, the ordnance carriage cradle device comprising:
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a cradle body to support operational elements of the ordnance carriage cradle device; at least two ordnance unit positioning bars to provide upward movement to the at least one ordnance unit where the ordnance unit is positioned in relation to the pylon; at least two ordnance unit gripping arms to hold the at least one ordnance unit on the ordnance carriage cradle during the transfer of the at least one ordnance unit between the first airborne aerial vehicle and the second airborne aerial vehicle; and a guidance boom device attached to the cradle body to provide in the final phase of the ordnance transfer the establishment of contact with an engagement rod installed on the pylon.
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22. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first airborne aerial vehicle is a manned cargo aircraft.
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23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the first airborne aerial vehicle is a Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules.
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24. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first airborne aerial vehicle is an unmanned or an uninhabited aircraft.
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25. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second airborne aerial vehicle is a manned aircraft.
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26. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second airborne aerial vehicle is an unmanned or uninhabited aerial vehicle.
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27. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first aerial vehicle and the second aerial vehicle are space platforms.
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28. A method for air-to-air transfer of at least one ordnance unit from a first airborne aerial vehicle to a second airborne aerial vehicle, the method comprising:
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loading the at least one ordnance unit into an ordnance storage rack installed within an internal cargo space of the first airborne aerial vehicle; transferring the at least one ordnance unit from the ordnance storage rack installed within the cargo space of the first airborne aerial vehicle into an ordnance carriage cradle associated with an ordnance transfer assembly secured at a first end to the first airborne aerial vehicle while a second end is provided with a freedom of movement to enable bi-directional movement of the second end between the first airborne aerial vehicle and the second airborne aerial vehicle, the ordnance carriage cradle comprising a pylon adapter to verify connection of the at least one ordnance unit during an air-to-air ordnance transfer, the pylon adapter comprising; a mechanical connector to the pylon; manipulating the extendible arm to provide for the bi-directional, movement of the arm between the first airborne aerial vehicle and the second airborne aerial vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification