Distress beacon integrated in the vertical tailplane of an aircraft

• US 9,958,530 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2014
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Colin, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chuong P
• Application Number:
  US14/534,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20150130663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,272 Days
• Field of Search: 342385, 701 14, 340981
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0065 Black boxes, devices automatically broadcasting distress signals
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 25/20 Releasing of crash position indicators
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0231 Emergency, distress or locator beacons

Abstract

The vertical tailplane of the aircraft is equipped with a distress beacon. The floatability of the vertical tailplane is taken advantage of in order to keep the distress beacon on the surface of the water in the case of an accident caused by a forced landing on the sea.

Claims

1. A vertical tailplane of an aircraft, comprising:

a distress beacon being generally cylindrical in shape with a generally circular cross-section and a generally cylindrical exterior side-surface,

a fixing device that is water-soluble, wherein said fixing device forms a clamping collar that engagees the generally cylindrical exterior side-surface of the distress beacon,

a housing for receiving the distress beacon and the fixing device within said housing, said housing is closed by a radome forming an aerodynamic surface transparent to the waves likely to the transmitted by the beacon,

said housing being hermetically sealed and maintained at a predefined internal pressure;

wherein the distress beacon comprises a battery and a heating unit provided for maintaining the battery at a temperature higher than a reference temperature;

wherein the radome forms a leading edge of the vertical tailplane.

2. The vertical tailplane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distress beacon comprises a float.

3. The vertical tailplane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the internal pressure is higher than 1 bar.

4. The vertical tailplane as claimed in claim 1, wherein said distress beacon is held in its housing by water-soluble fixing devices.

5. The vertical tailplane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distress beacon is arranged inside the radome in the leading edge of the vertical tailplane.

6. The vertical tailplane as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said radome is equipped with one or more privileged fracture zones.

7. An aircraft comprising a vertical tailplane, the tailplane comprising:

a distress beacon being generally cylindrical in shape with a generally circular cross-section and a generally cylindrical exterior side-surface,

a fixing device that is water-soluble, wherein said fixing device forms a clampling collar that engages the generally cylindrical exterior side-surface of the distress beacon,

a housing for receiving the distress beacon and the fixing device within said housing, said housing is closed by a radome forming an aerodynamic surface transparent to the waves likely to the transmitted by the beacon,

said housing being hermetically sealed and maintained at a predefined internal pressure;

wherein the distress beacon comprises a battery and a heating unit provided for maintaining the battery at a temperature higher than a reference temperature;

wherein the radome forms a leading edge of the vertical tailplane.

8. An aircraft comprising a vertical tailplane, the tailplane comprising:

a distress beacon being generally cylindrical in shape with a generally circular cross-section and a generally cylindrical exterior side-surface,

a fixing device that is water-soluble, wherein said fixing device forms a clamping collar that engages the generally cylindrical exterior side-surface of the distress beacon,

a housing for receiving the distress beacon and the fixing device within said housing, said housing is closed by a radome forming an aerodynamic surface transparent to the waves likely to the transmitted by the beacon,

said housing being hermetically sealed and maintained at a predefined internal pressure;

wherein the distress beacon comprises a battery and a heating unit provided for maintaining the battery at a temperature higher than a reference temperature;

wherein the radome forms a leading edge of the vertical tailplane;

wherein the radome is equipped with one or more privileged fracture zones such that a portion of the leading edge of the vertical tailplane is fracturably removable.