Flight test equipment installation system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016244186-A1
Application number	US-201414320297-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 30, 2014
Priority date	Jun 30, 2014
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A pallet system for a vehicle may include a cargo pallet having an orthogonal shape. A pallet adapter may be mounted on the cargo pallet. The pallet adapter may be sized and shaped complementary to the cargo pallet and may be attached to an upper side of the cargo pallet. The pallet adapter may include a panel assembly having frame members covered by one or more top skin panels and/or bottom skin panels. The pallet system may include one or more flight test equipment units mounted to the panel assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A pallet system for a vehicle, comprising:
a cargo pallet; a pallet adapter sized and shaped complementary to the cargo pallet and attached to an upper side of the cargo pallet, the pallet adapter including:
a panel assembly including frame members covered by one or more top skin panels and/or bottom skin panels; and
one or more flight test equipment units mounted to the panel assembly.

2 . The pallet system of claim 1 , wherein the pallet adapter further includes:
a flight test equipment mounting system for adjustably positioning the flight test equipment on the panel assembly; and the flight test equipment mounting system coupling one or more of the flight test equipment units to the panel assembly.

3 . The pallet system of claim 2 , wherein the flight test equipment mounting system includes:
a plurality of seat tracks mounted to the top of the panel assembly, each seat track having a hollow groove extending along a length of the seat track; one or more seat track fittings slidable along the hollow groove and being fixedly positionable at one of a plurality of discrete locations along the seat track; and one or more flight test equipment units mounted to the seat tracks.

4 . The pallet system of claim 3 , wherein the flight test equipment mounting system includes:
one or more flight test equipment support beams mounted to corresponding ones of the seat tracks; and a flight test equipment support panel mounted on top of the flight test equipment support beams in spaced relation to the top of the panel assembly and supporting the flight test equipment.

5 . The pallet system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a shim interposed between a pallet lock and a pallet support beam, the shim having a thickness configured to limit vertical movement of the pallet support beam relative to a cargo compartment floor.

6 . The pallet system of claim 1 , further including:
at least one seat having a seat base mounted to seat tracks on the panel assembly for accommodating an occupant.

7 . The pallet system of claim 1 , wherein:
one of more the pallet assemblies may include one or more flight test equipment units configured as electronics.

8 . The pallet system of claim 1 , wherein:
one of more the pallet assemblies may include one or more flight test equipment units configured as ballast tanks.

9 . The pallet system of claim 1 , further including:
at least one flexible conduit connector coupling fluid conduits of an immediately adjacent pair of pallet assemblies.

10 . An aircraft, comprising:
a cargo compartment floor having one or more pallet locks; a plurality of pallet assemblies secured to the cargo compartment floor, each pallet assembly including: a standardized cargo pallet having a flat, orthogonal shape; a pallet adapter sized and shaped complementary to the cargo pallet and mechanically fastened to an upper side of the cargo pallet, the pallet adapter including:
a panel assembly formed of frame members covered by one top and bottom skin panels and having a hollow interior; and
one or more flight test equipment units mounted to the panel assembly.

11 . The aircraft of claim 10 , wherein:
the one or more flight test equipment units of two or more panel assemblies being electrically and/or communicatively coupled by one or more electrical connectors on terminal ends of electrical wiring extending out of the panel assemblies.

12 . The aircraft of claim 10 , wherein:
at least two of the pallet assemblies each include at least one ballast tank and being fluidly coupled by fluid conduits; and at least one flexible conduit connector coupling the fluid conduits of an immediately adjacent pair of pallet assemblies.

13 . The aircraft of claim 10 , wherein:
at least one pair of the pallet assemblies are positioned in forward-aft or side-by-side relation to one another on the cargo compartment floor and defining a gap between perimeter edges of the pallet assemblies; and one or more gap covers installed over the gap between the pallet assemblies.

14 . A method of installing flight test equipment in a vehicle, comprising:
mounting one or more flight test equipment units on a plurality of pallet assemblies, each pallet assembly including a standardized cargo pallet and a pallet adapter sized complementary to the cargo pallet and attached to an upper side thereof, the pallet adapter including a panel assembly supporting the one or more flight test equipment units; interconnecting the flight test equipment of the pallet assemblies to form a flight test equipment setup; testing the flight test equipment setup in an off-vehicle location; and installing the pallet assemblies on a cargo compartment floor of a vehicle.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
locking the pallets assemblies in position on the cargo compartment floor using one or more pallet locks.

16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
limiting vertical movement of the pallet assembly using a shim interposed between a pallet support beam and a pallet lock.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein:
mounting at least one passenger seat to a pallet assembly.

18 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
adjusting a forward-aft position of the flight test equipment using seat tracks coupled to the pallet assemblies.

19 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
electrically interconnecting the flight test equipment using wiring connectors extending out of wiring holes formed in one or more panel assemblies.

20 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
fluidly connecting fluid conduits of ballast tanks mounted to adjacent pallet assemblies using a flexible conduit connector.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Brown Luke

Classifications

• B64F5/60 Primary

  Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems · CPC title

• B64D11/0696

  Means for fastening seats to floors, e.g. to floor rails · CPC title

• B64D9/003

  Devices for retaining pallets or freight containers · CPC title

• B64D9/00

  Equipment for handling freight; Equipment for facilitating passenger embarkation or the like · CPC title

• B64C1/20

  specially adapted for freight · CPC title