Deployable apparatus to prevent helicopter rollover

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11618588-B2
Application number	US-202017069413-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2020
Priority date	Apr 19, 2017
Publication date	Apr 4, 2023
Grant date	Apr 4, 2023

Abstract

The present invention includes an apparatus for preventing aircraft rollover upon a water landing comprising: a deployable first and/or second boom affixed by a first end to the aircraft and capable of deployment substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft; and a first and/or second air bladder attached to a second end of the first and/or second boom, wherein the first and/or second air bladders are configured to inflate when an aircraft lands in the water, wherein deployment of the first and second boom and air bladder prevents aircraft rollover upon water landing; or a deployable keel affixed by a first end to the aircraft and capable of deployment substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis and opposite a rotor of the aircraft upon a water landing, wherein the keel is sized to prevent aircraft rollover upon deployment; or both.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for preventing aircraft rollover upon a water landing of an aircraft that is supported by a plurality of float kits of the aircraft, the apparatus comprising:
a deployable keel affixed by a first end to the aircraft and capable of deployment substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis and opposite a rotor of the aircraft upon a water landing, wherein the keel is sized to prevent aircraft rollover upon deployment, and wherein the keel is defined further as comprising a support and fabric, wherein the fabric deploys between the support and the aircraft.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the keel is affixed at either a front of the aircraft and fans out from back to front of the aircraft, or the keel is affixed to a rear of the aircraft and deploys from front to back.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the keel is defined further as comprising weight at the end opposite the attachment of the keel to the aircraft.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a deployable sail, a parachute, sea anchor, or a weight that deploys from a tail boom at or about a tail rotor upon water landing to provide a weathercock.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a first, a second, or both a first and second deployable boom, each of the first boom, the second boom, or both being attached by a first end to the aircraft; and a first air bladder attached to a second end of the first boom; a second air bladder attached to the second end of the second boom, or both; wherein the first, the second, or both the first and second booms and the first, the second, or both, the first and second deployable air bladders, are deploy upon a water landing.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a first weight attached to a second end of the first boom, a second weight attached to a second end of the second boom, or both a first and a second weight attached to the first and second boom, respectively, wherein the first, the second, or both the first and second weights are deployed upon a water landing.

7. An aircraft comprising:
a plurality of float kits comprising air bladders that deploy around the aircraft upon a water landing, wherein the air bladders support the aircraft in the water; and
a deployable keel affixed by a first end to the aircraft and capable of deployment substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis and opposite a rotor of the aircraft upon a water landing, wherein the keel is sized to prevent aircraft rollover and wherein the keel is defined further as comprising a support and fabric, wherein the fabric deploys between the support and the aircraft.

8. The aircraft of claim 7 , wherein the keel is affixed at either a front of the aircraft and fans out from back to front of the aircraft, or the keel is affixed to a rear of the aircraft and deploys from front to back.

9. The aircraft of claim 7 , wherein the keel is defined further as comprising weight at the end opposite the attachment of the keel to the aircraft.

10. The aircraft of claim 7 , further comprising at least one of a deployable sail, a parachute, sea anchor, or a weight that deploys from a tail boom at or about a tail rotor upon water landing to provide a weathercock.

11. The aircraft of claim 7 , further comprising a first, a second, or both a first and second deployable boom, each of the first boom, the second boom, or both being attached by a first end to the aircraft; and a first air bladder attached to a second end of the first boom; a second air bladder attached to the second end of the second boom, or both; wherein the first, the second, or both the first and second booms and the first, the second, or both, the first and second deployable air bladders, are deploy upon a water landing.

12. The aircraft of claim 11 , further comprising a first weight attached to a second end of the first boom, a second weight attached to a second end of the second boom, or both a first and a second weight attached to the first and second boom, respectively, wherein the first, the second, or both the first and second weights are deployed upon a water landing.

13. A method of preventing aircraft rollover upon a water landing of an aircraft that is supported by a plurality of float kits of the aircraft, the method comprising:
selecting a sea state and an aircraft; and
sizing a deployable keel affixed by a first end to the aircraft and capable of deployment substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis and opposite a rotor of the aircraft upon a water landing, wherein the keel is sized to prevent aircraft rollover upon deployment, and wherein the keel is defined further as comprising a support and fabric, and deploying the fabric between the support and the aircraft.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising affixing the keel at either a front of the aircraft that fans out from back to front of the aircraft, or affixing the keel to a rear of the aircraft that deploys from front to back.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the keel is defined further as comprising weight at the end opposite the attachment of the keel to the aircraft.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising deploying at least one of a deployable sail, a parachute, sea anchor, or a weight from a tail boom at or about a tail rotor upon water landing to provide a weathercock.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising sizing a first, a second, or both a first and second deployable boom, each of the first boom, the second boom, or both being attached by a first end to the aircraft; and a first air bladder attached to a second end of the first boom; a second air bladder attached to the second end of the second boom, or both; wherein the first, the second, or both the first and second booms and the first, the second, or both, the first and second deployable air bladders, are deploy upon a water landing.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising attaching a first weight to a second end of the first boom, attaching a second weight to a second end of the second boom, or attaching both a first and a second weight to the first and second boom, respectively, wherein the first, the second, or both the first and second weights are deployed upon a water landing.

Assignees

• Bell Textron Inc
• Textron Innovations Inc

Inventors

• Poster Scott David
• Peryea Martin

Classifications

• B64C25/56

  inflatable · CPC title

• B64F1/221 Primary

  for handling seaplanes · CPC title

• B64D25/18 Primary

  Flotation gear · CPC title

• B64C27/06

  with single rotor · CPC title