Temporarily-installed aircraft observer door plug, chair, sonotube ejection and control system

• US 9,567,060 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2016
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 1281329 Alberta Ltd.
• Original Assignee: 1281329 Alberta Ltd.
• Inventors: Woodland, Richard L. K., Neyedly, Ross J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin P
• Application Number:
  US15/232,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20160347478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 189 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/1407 Doors; surrounding frames
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/1484 Windows B64C1/1492 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/18 Floors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/20 specially adapted for freight
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/02 Dropping, ejecting, or releasing articles jettisonable fuel reservoirs B64D37/12
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00 Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/06 Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats crew seat constructions for emergency purposes B64D25/04
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0616 with ejection means
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/062 Belts or other passenger restraint means for passenger seats
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 7/00 Arrangements of military equipment, e.g. armaments, armament accessories, or military shielding, in aircraft; Adaptations of armament mountings for aircraft dropping bombs or the like B64D1/00; armaments or mountings therefor per se F41

Abstract

In one embodiment, a non-dedicated, temporarily-installed, aircraft observer bubble door, chair, sonotube ejection system, mission electronics LRU rack and workstation assembly are affixed to a host aircraft, thereby precluding the requirement for dedicated airframe modifications. One embodiment of the present invention also utilizes a multi-axis, articulated, foldable chair temporarily-installed in conjunction with a segmented or one piece pressurized observer bubble door plug and door retraction system. Once installed the subject apparatus can be stowed outboard of the fuselage cargo transit envelope to permit use of the ADS rail system in-flight, without affecting normal air drop operations, crew egress, the flight performance envelope, or emergency procedures of the host aircraft.

Claims

1. A method of installing a temporarily-mounted control system on an aircraft comprising:

removing a door of the aircraft, wherein removal of the door creates an opening in the fuselage of the aircraft;

attaching one or more workstation assemblies to the aircraft, wherein the attaching comprises;

mounting the workstation assemblies on one or more line-replaceable unit (LRU) racks; and

connecting the one or more LRU racks to one or more mounting plates, wherein the mounting plates are connected to one or more adaptive floor plates, each adaptive floor plate being connected to a floor of the aircraft;

attaching an observer chair assembly to the floor of the aircraft, wherein the observer chair assembly is further connected to the one or more workstation assemblies; and

attaching a temporary door plug and a retraction rail assembly to the aircraft, wherein;

the temporary door plug is adapted to fit the opening in the fuselage of the aircraft;

the temporary door plug is attached to the retraction rail assembly; and

the retraction rail assembly is connected to the fuselage of the aircraft.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more of the LRU racks are contoured, wherein the contour complies with a fuselage curvature of the aircraft.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mounting plates are further operable to connect the one or more LRU racks to the floor of the aircraft via an upper surface of an Air Deployment System (ADS) rail connected to the floor of the aircraft.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein removing the door of the aircraft comprises opening the door vertically and stowing the door in a locked position.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the workstation assemblies comprise a plurality of physically connected modules, wherein the physically connected modules comprise one or more of:

an overhead module;

an upper display module;

a lower display module;

or

a tactile interface module.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein two or more of the physically connected modules are physically connected at least by one or more locking hinges.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more workstation assemblies is further electronically interfaced to one or more of:

a data bus of the aircraft;

or

a modified ditching hatch plug.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the connecting the observer chair assembly to the one or more workstation assemblies comprises a connection between the one or more workstation assemblies and a control interface of the observer chair assembly, wherein the connection comprises at least power and data cables.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the temporary door plug comprises a segmented two-piece observation bubble comprising a protruding upper segment portion and a protruding lower segment portion, wherein:

the upper segment portion comprises a transparent glazing;

the lower segment portion comprises a composite or metal protruding kick panel; and

the segmented two-piece observation bubble is continuous in shape from the upper segment portion through the lower segment portion.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the temporary door plug further comprises:

a door plug upper panel comprising the segmented two-piece observation bubble; and

a door plug lower panel.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the temporary door plug further comprises one or more upper rail support struts operable to interface with the retraction rail assembly.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the temporary door plug comprises:

a door plug upper panel; and

a door plug lower panel which is contoured and indented about its lower proximity to accommodate a pressurized seal around the periphery of an articulated- or fixed-position payload strut which transits from the interior to the exterior of the aircraft.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the door plug upper panel further comprises:

a tube port that provides an orifice through the door plug upper panel; and

a valve interfaced with the tube port that is operable between an open position and a closed position.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the temporary door plug further comprises two or more interlocking latches that are operable to:

join the door plug lower panel and the door plug upper panel; and

disengage the door plug lower panel from the door plug upper panel.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein connecting the retraction rail assembly to the fuselage of the aircraft comprises:

aligning an upper portion of the retraction rail assembly with a retraction rail guide of the aircraft; and

connecting a lower portion of the retraction rail assembly to the floor of the aircraft using fore and aft lower rail attachment fittings operable to interface to a door retract mounting plate of the aircraft.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the attaching the observer chair assembly to the floor of the aircraft comprises:

attaching a stanchion post mounting plate to the floor of the aircraft; and

attaching a stanchion post of the observer chair assembly to the stanchion post mounting plate.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the stanchion post is further connected to the fuselage of the aircraft using an upper stanchion brace and a plurality of restraint bolts.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the observer chair assembly further comprises:

a telescoping pivot arm operable to interface with the stanchion post; and

an observer chair operable to interface with the telescoping pivot arm.

19. A method of installing a sonotube launch system in a temporarily-mounted door plug assembly of an aircraft comprising:

attaching a temporary door plug and a retraction rail assembly to an opening in the fuselage of the aircraft, wherein the temporary door plug comprises;

a tube port that provides an orifice through the temporary door plug; and

a sonotube iris valve connected to the tube port on an interior side of the temporary door plug, wherein the sonotube iris valve is operable between an open position and a closed position; and

mounting the sonotube launch system on the temporary door plug, wherein;

the sonotube launch system comprises a tube; and

mounting the sonotube launch system comprises attaching the tube of the sonotube launch system to the sonotube iris valve via a plurality of bayonet latches.

20. A temporarily-mounted control system for an aircraft comprising:

a temporary door plug assembly, wherein;

the temporary door plug assembly is configured to fit in an opening in a fuselage of the aircraft, the opening being created by removal of a door of the aircraft; and

the temporary door plug assembly is connected to the aircraft using one or more retraction rail assemblies;

a workstation assembly, wherein;

the workstation is mounted on a line-replaceable unit (LRU) rack, wherein the LRU rack is temporarily connected to a floor of the aircraft using one or more mounting plates, wherein the mounting plates are connected to;

one or more adaptive floor plates, each adaptive floor plate being connected to a floor of the aircraft;

or

one or more Air Deployment System (ADS) rails of the aircraft; and

an observer chair assembly comprising an observer chair mounted on a stanchion post connected to the floor of the aircraft, wherein;

the observer chair assembly is connected to the workstation assembly via a power and data cable harness; and

the stanchion post allows the observer chair to be rotated to face either the workstation assembly or the temporary door plug assembly.