Parachuting aid method and device

• US 8,132,760 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2004
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Haas, Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Michener, Joshua J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sanderson, Joseph W
• Application Number:
  US10/998,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20060054744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,661 Days
• Field of Search: 244/137.1, 244/137.3, 244/137.4, 244/138.R
• US Class Current: 244/137.1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/08 the articles being load-carrying devices

Abstract

A parachuting method may include: (1) determining a release point where parachute items must be released from an aircraft, (2) determining a first end point that is located on a straight reference line downstream of the release point where the release of parachute items must stop, (3) determining a second end point that is located on the straight reference line downstream of the first end point where parachuting is ended, (4) performing a first parachuting sequence by guiding the aircraft along the straight reference line and releasing some of the items to be parachuted between the release point and the first end point, (5) determining a flight circuit for the aircraft to return from the second end point to follow the straight reference line until it reaches the second end point, and (6) performing additional parachuting sequences.

Claims

1. A method of parachuting items from an aircraft to a ground reception area, the method comprising:

determining a release point where the items to be parachuted must be released from the aircraft, the release point depending on a predetermined reception point located on the ground reception area;

determining an alignment point that forms with the release point a straight reference line that is parallel with a center line provided on the reception area, the alignment point being located at a predetermined distance from the release point, upstream of the latter in the direction of flight of the aircraft;

determining a first end point that is located on the straight reference line downstream of the release point where the release of the items to be parachuted must stop so as to prevent them from overshooting the reception area; and

determining a second end point that is located on the straight reference line downstream of the first end point where a parachuting sequence is ended;

performing a first parachuting sequence by;

guiding the aircraft along the straight reference line; and

releasing, during the guidance, some of the items to be parachuted between the release point and the first end point,

determining a flight circuit for the aircraft to return from the second end point to the alignment point and then to follow the straight reference line until it reaches the second end point, wherein the flight circuit is determined by;

determining a first auxiliary point that is located in a horizontal plane containing the straight reference line at a particular distance from the second end point, the segment of a straight line containing the first auxiliary point and the second end point being perpendicular to the straight reference line,

determining a second auxiliary point that is located in the horizontal plane, the segment of a straight line formed by the first and second auxiliary points being parallel with the straight reference line and perpendicular to the segment of a straight line formed by the second auxiliary point and the alignment point, and

determining the flight circuit as a circuit that the aircraft may follow in the horizontal plane and that passes successively through the second end point, the first auxiliary point, the second auxiliary point, and the alignment point before rejoining the second end point again by following the straight reference line;

performing a number n of additional parachuting sequences, n being an integer greater than or equal to 1, by;

automatically guiding the aircraft to complete the flight circuit n times,

releasing, during the automatic guidance, items to be parachuted each time the aircraft passes between the release point and the first end point along the straight reference line, and

updating, before each parachute release, the straight reference line and the points located thereon according to characteristics of the next parachute release;

establishing the total number of parachuting sequences at a time of preparing for a parachuting mission;

providing, during each parachuting sequence, an operator an opportunity to modify, before reaching the second end point of the current parachuting sequence, the number of parachuting sequences so as to command an additional parachuting sequence or command an exit from the parachuting sequences and continue a flight plan; and

continuing the flight plan, after the second end point has been reached and the parachuting sequences have been completed, wherein;

a longitudinal difference and a lateral difference between the release point and the reception point depend on the position of the load to be parachuted inside the aircraft.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a number p of parachuting sequences before the flight of the aircraft, p being an integer greater than or equal to 1; and

automatically controlling the flight of the aircraft to carry out the first parachuting sequence and a number p−

1 of additional parachuting sequences.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising commanding, during the flight, an additional parachuting sequence before arriving at the second end point.

4. A method of parachuting items from an aircraft to a ground reception area, the method comprising:

determining a release point where the items to be parachuted must be released from the aircraft, the release point depending on a predetermined reception point located on the ground reception area;

determining an alignment point that forms with the release point a straight reference line that is parallel with a center line provided on the reception area, the alignment point being located at a predetermined distance from the release point, upstream of the latter in the direction of flight of the aircraft;

determining a first end point that is located on the straight reference line downstream of the release point where the release of the items to be parachuted must stop so as to prevent them from overshooting the reception area; and

determining a second end point that is located on the straight reference line downstream of the first end point where a parachuting sequence is ended;

performing a first parachuting sequence by;

guiding the aircraft along the straight reference line; and

releasing, during the guidance, some of the items to be parachuted between the release point and the first end point,

determining a flight circuit for the aircraft to return from the second end point to the alignment point and then to follow the straight reference line until it reaches the second end point, wherein the flight circuit is determined by;

determining a first auxiliary point that is located in a horizontal plane containing the straight reference line at a particular distance from the second end point, the segment of a straight line containing the first auxiliary point and the second end point being perpendicular to the straight reference line,

determining a second auxiliary point that is located in the horizontal plane, the segment of a straight line formed by the first and second auxiliary points being parallel with the straight reference line and perpendicular to the segment of a straight line formed by the second auxiliary point and the alignment point, and

determining the flight circuit as a circuit that the aircraft may follow in the horizontal plane and that passes successively through the second end point, the first auxiliary point, the second auxiliary point, and the alignment point before rejoining the second end point again by following the straight reference line;

performing a number n of additional parachuting sequences, n being an integer greater than or equal to 1, by;

automatically guiding the aircraft to complete the flight circuit n times,

releasing, during the automatic guidance, items to be parachuted each time the aircraft passes between the release point and the first end point along the straight reference line, and

updating, before each parachute release, the straight reference line and the points located thereon according to characteristics of the next parachute release;

establishing the total number of parachuting sequences at a time of preparing for a parachuting mission;

providing, during each parachuting sequence, an operator an opportunity to modify, before reaching the second end point of the current parachuting sequence, the number of parachuting sequences so as to command an additional parachuting sequence or command an exit from the parachuting sequences and continue a flight plan; and

continuing the flight plan, after the second end point has been reached and the parachuting sequences have been completed, wherein;

the first auxiliary point is determined using the modifiable parameters of the particular distance and the direction of turn of the aircraft after the second end point, and

a longitudinal difference and a lateral difference between the release point and the reception point depend on the position of the load to be parachuted inside the aircraft.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining a number p of parachuting sequences before the flight of the aircraft, p being an integer greater than or equal to 1; and

automatically controlling the flight of the aircraft to carry out the first parachuting sequence and a number p−

1 of additional parachuting sequences.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising commanding, during the flight, an additional parachuting sequence before arriving at the second end point.