Attack helicopter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12296979-B2
Application number	US-202118268418-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2021
Priority date	Dec 30, 2020
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

An attack helicopter has a body exposed to air flow during the flight of the respective air vehicle, at least one ammunition fired to attack a target, at least one machine cannon enabling the ammunition to be fired, at least one ammunition duct on the body, enabling the ammunition to be placed therein and the ammunition to be transferred to the machine cannon, and a butt line arranged so as to extend lengthwise on the air vehicle and symmetrically divide the air vehicle in two.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An attack helicopter ( 1 ) comprising:
a body ( 2 ) exposed to air flow during flight of the attack helicopter ( 1 );
at least one ammunition (M) fired to attack a target;
at least one machine cannon ( 3 ) enabling the ammunition (M) to be fired;
at least one ammunition duct ( 4 ) on the body ( 2 ) and arranged along a butt line (BL) that extends lengthwise on the attack helicopter ( 1 ) and symmetrically divides the attack helicopter ( 1 ) in two, the at least one ammunition duct ( 4 ) enabling the ammunition (M) to be placed therein and the ammunition (M) to be transferred to the machine cannon ( 3 ), wherein the ammunition duct ( 4 ) enables all of the ammunition (M) to be located on the body ( 2 ) and to extend along the direction on which the butt line (BL) extends, prevents the accumulation of ammunition (M) at a single point and thus a high mass at the single point in the body ( 2 ), through allowing each of the ammunition (M) to be transmitted in the same direction one after another and enabling the ammunition (M) to be efficiently placed on the body ( 2 );
more than one rotary actuator ( 5 ) located on the body ( 2 ) so as to be spaced apart from each other and enabling the ammunition (M) to be transmitted uninterruptedly and continuously along the ammunition duct ( 4 );
more than one gear ( 6 ) enabling the drive received from the rotary actuator ( 5 ) to be transmitted; and
more than one rotary retainer ( 7 ) located on the body ( 2 ) so as to be spaced apart from each other and to be able to rotate about its own axis and enabling the ammunition (M) to be transmitted by being pushed towards the machine cannon ( 3 ) by means of the drive transmitted from the gear ( 6 ).

2. The attack helicopter ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ammunition duct ( 4 ) is located on the body ( 2 ) and on the sides of the body ( 2 ), extends to be almost mirror symmetrical with respect to the butt line (BL), thereby enabling the ammunition (M) to be efficiently placed on the body ( 2 ).

3. The attack helicopter ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ammunition duct ( 4 ) is provided on the body ( 2 ) so as to face from the body ( 2 ) to the outside of the attack helicopter ( 1 ) and extends almost exactly along the direction in which the butt line (BL) extends, thereby enabling the ammunition (M) to be efficiently placed on the body ( 2 ).

4. The attack helicopter ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein based on a plane of symmetry(S) that symmetrically divides the attack helicopter ( 1 ) along the butt line (BL) into two and on an inclination angle (θ) that the ammunition (M) forms with the plane of symmetry(S), the ammunition duct ( 4 ) enables the blockage risk of ammunition (M) to be reduced during firing by enabling the ammunition (M) to be positioned so as to form an inclination angle (θ) with the plane of symmetry(S).

5. The attack helicopter ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ammunition duct ( 4 ) contacts the surface in such a way that there is almost no gap left between the ammunition duct ( 4 ) and the machine cannon ( 3 ), wherein the ammunition duct ( 4 ) is one-piece with the body ( 2 ) in such a way as to be form compatible therewith in terms of aerodynamics, and extends almost exactly along the direction in which the butt line (BL) extends, thereby aerodynamically improving the air flow taking place over it.

6. The attack helicopter ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , comprising at least two ammunition ducts ( 4 ) located on the sides of the body ( 2 ); and at least one passage section ( 9 ) located between the at least two ammunition ducts ( 4 ), enabling the ammunition ducts ( 4 ) to have an integrated form, thereby enabling the ammunition (M) to be passed through the ammunition ducts ( 4 ) located on the sides to be delivered uninterruptedly and continuously to the machine cannon ( 3 ).

7. The attack helicopter ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , comprising at least one feeding inlet (F) located on the ammunition duct ( 4 ) and enabling the ammunition (M) to be placed in the ammunition duct ( 4 ) by a technician, at least one empty casing (B), which is the remaining part when ammunition (M) transmitted from the ammunition duct ( 4 ) is fired; the machine cannon ( 3 ) transmitting the empty casings (B) towards the feeding inlet (F) to be directed back to the ammunition duct ( 4 ), thereby reducing a positional shift of the center of gravity of the attack helicopter ( 1 ) during firing.

8. The attack helicopter ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the ammunition duct ( 4 ) has an almost rectangular cross-section.

9. The attack helicopter ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ammunition duct ( 4 ) extends almost exactly along the direction in which the butt line (BL) extends and reduces the blockage risk of ammunition (M) during firing based on its radiused cross-sectional transitions.

10. The attack helicopter ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the machine cannon ( 3 ) has a single feeding or double feeding system configuration.

11. The attack helicopter ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a tail ( 10 ) as a control surface in the rear side of the attack helicopter ( 1 ); the ammunition duct ( 4 ) protruding towards the butt line (BL) almost in the tail ( 10 ) region of the attack helicopter ( 1 ) and allowing the ammunition (M) to be placed almost exactly in a co-aligned manner with the body ( 2 ) due to its form-compatibility with the body ( 2 ).

12. An attack helicopter ( 1 ) comprising:
a body ( 2 ) exposed to air flow during flight of the attack helicopter ( 1 );
at least one ammunition (M) fired to attack a target;
at least one machine cannon ( 3 ) enabling the ammunition (M) to be fired;
at least one ammunition duct ( 4 ) on the body ( 2 ) and arranged along a butt line (BL) that extends lengthwise on the attack helicopter ( 1 ) and symmetrically divides the attack helicopter ( 1 ) in two, the at least one ammunition duct ( 4 ) enabling the ammunition (M) to be placed therein and the ammunition (M) to be transferred to the machine cannon ( 3 ), wherein the ammunition duct ( 4 ) enables all of the ammunition (M) to be located on the body ( 2 ) and to extend along the direction on which the butt line (BL) extends, prevents the accumulation of ammunition (M) at a single point and thus a high mass at the single point in the body ( 2 ), through allowing each of the ammunition (M) to be transmitted in the same direction one after another and enabling the ammunition (M) to be efficiently placed on the body ( 2 ); and
wherein the ammunition (M) is positioned in at least two rows and at least one separator wall ( 8 ) is provided between each row, thereby preventing the ammunition (M) in different rows from contacting each other and reducing the blockage risk of ammunition (M) during firing.

13. The attack helicopter ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the separator wall ( 8 ) reduces the blockage risk of ammunition (M) by having a beveled, radiused and/or notched form.

Assignees

• Tusas Turk Havacilik Ve Uzay Sanayii Anonim Sirketi

Inventors

• Sahin Burhan

Classifications

• B64C27/04 Primary

  Helicopters · CPC title

• B64D7/02 Primary

  the armaments being firearms · CPC title