Air-launchable container for deploying air vehicle
First Claim
1. An air-launched container that in turn launches an air vehicle, the container comprising:
- a sleeve that defines a volume therein that receives the air vehicle;
a deployable drag device attached to the sleeve;
a release mechanism within the sleeve, for mechanically releasing the air vehicle from the sleeve; and
a nose that is mechanically coupled to the sleeve, and that separates from the sleeve and the air vehicle as the air vehicle is launched from the sleeve; and
wherein, when the release mechanism is released, the air vehicle is fully contained within the volume defined by the sleeve, and is free to slide within the volume relative to the sleeve and the nose, after release of the release mechanism and prior to separation of the nose from the sleeve and the air vehicle, wherein a forward sliding of the air vehicle causes the separation of the nose from the sleeve.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A container is used to launch a small aircraft, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), from a host aircraft. The container protects the UAV from stresses during the initial ejection from a launcher that is part of the host aircraft. The initial stresses may be due to turbulence in the vicinity of the host aircraft, high airspeed, and/or tumbling that may result from the ejection from the host aircraft moving at a high airspeed. The container may deploy a drag device, such as a drogue chute, to slow the container down and reorient the container, prior to deployment of the UAV from the container. During the time between ejection from the host aircraft and deployment from the container, the UAV may be powered up and acquire data, such as global positioning system (GPS) data, to allow the UAV a “hot start” enabling immediate mission commencement.
31 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An air-launched container that in turn launches an air vehicle, the container comprising:
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a sleeve that defines a volume therein that receives the air vehicle; a deployable drag device attached to the sleeve; a release mechanism within the sleeve, for mechanically releasing the air vehicle from the sleeve; and a nose that is mechanically coupled to the sleeve, and that separates from the sleeve and the air vehicle as the air vehicle is launched from the sleeve; and wherein, when the release mechanism is released, the air vehicle is fully contained within the volume defined by the sleeve, and is free to slide within the volume relative to the sleeve and the nose, after release of the release mechanism and prior to separation of the nose from the sleeve and the air vehicle, wherein a forward sliding of the air vehicle causes the separation of the nose from the sleeve. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification