Method of automatically triggering an emergency buoyancy system for a hybrid helicopter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9315263-B2
Application number	US-201314070658-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2013
Priority date	Nov 14, 2012
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

A method of automatically triggering an emergency buoyancy system ( 10 ) for a hybrid helicopter ( 20 ) having a fuselage ( 21 ), two half-wings ( 23, 23′ ), and two propulsive propellers ( 24, 24 ′). During the method, said emergency buoyancy system ( 10 ) is primed, and then if a risk of said hybrid helicopter ( 20 ) ditching is detected, two retractable wing undercarriages ( 28, 28′ ) are deployed, each wing undercarriage ( 28, 28′ ) being fastened under a respective half-wing ( 23, 23′ ) and being provided with at least one immersion sensor ( 16 ). Finally, if the beginning of said hybrid helicopter ( 20 ) ditching is detected, at least one main inflatable bag ( 11, 11′ ) 7 B suitable for being arranged under such fuselage ( 21 ) and at least one secondary inflatable bag ( 12, 12′ ) suitable for being arranged under each half-wing ( 23, 23′ ) are inflated so as to ensure that said hybrid helicopter ( 20 ) floats in stable manner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of triggering an emergency buoyancy system for an aircraft having a fuselage and two half-wings situated on either side of the fuselage, the method comprising:
arranging at least one main inflatable bag in the bottom portion of the fuselage;
arranging at least one secondary inflatable bag under each of the two half-wings;
arranging at least one retractable wing undercarriage under each of the two half-wings, each retractable wing undercarriage being provided with at least one immersion sensor;
fastening each secondary inflatable bag to at least one of (i) a hub of a wheel positioned at the end of each wing undercarriage, and (ii) a hinged support connected to the wing undercarriage by a hinge;
priming the emergency buoyancy system;
determining whether there is a risk of the aircraft ditching;
deploying each retractable wing undercarriage from a retracted position to a deployed position when a risk of ditching is determined;
detecting the beginning of an aircraft ditching with at least one of the immersion sensors; and
inflating each main and secondary inflatable bag when the aircraft ditching is detected.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining whether there is a risk of the aircraft ditching comprises determining whether the aircraft is below a predetermined height.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each wing undercarriage has at least three immersion sensors, wherein detecting the beginning of the aircraft ditching of is detected by at least two immersion sensors of a wing undercarriage indicating immersion.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each wing undercarriage is deployed after a pilot of the aircraft has validated the risk of ditching.

5. An emergency buoyancy system for an aircraft having a fuselage and two half-wings situated on either side of the fuselage, the emergency buoyancy system comprising:
at least one main inflatable bag suitable for being arranged under the fuselage;
at least one secondary inflatable bag suitable for being arranged under each half-wing;
a plurality of immersion sensors for determining the beginning of the aircraft ditching;
at least one retractable wing undercarriage arranged under each half-wing and moveable between a retracted position to a deployed position, each retractable wing undercarriage provided with at least one of the plurality of immersion sensors;
priming means for priming said emergency buoyancy system;
anticipation means for determining whether there is a risk of the aircraft ditching;
deployment means for deploying each wing undercarriage if the risk of the aircraft ditching is determined by the anticipation mean;
a trigger connected to the priming means to order the inflation of the inflatable bags; and
an inflation system having at least one fluid generator for inflating the inflatable bags, the inflation system being connected to the trigger
wherein the retractable wing undercarriage has a deployed height being greater than a radius of a propulsive propeller disposed on each of the two half-wings, wherein the at least one immersion sensor is disposed below the propulsive propeller when the retractable wing undercarriage is in the deployed position.

6. The emergency buoyancy system according to claim 5 , wherein the anticipation means comprise a height sensor for sensing the height of the aircraft, the risk of ditching being established when the aircraft is below a predetermined height.

7. The emergency buoyancy system according to claim 5 , wherein each secondary inflatable bag is fastened to the retractable wing undercarriage in a hub of a wheel positioned at an end of each wing undercarriage.

8. The emergency buoyancy system according to claim 5 , wherein each secondary inflatable bag is fastened to a hinged support, wherein the hinged support is connected to the wing undercarriage by a hinge, the hinged support being deployed by an actuator as soon as the beginning of ditching has been detected.

9. The emergency buoyancy system according to claim 5 , wherein each wing undercarriage includes at least three immersion sensors, wherein the inflation system inflates the main and secondary inflatable bags when at least two immersion sensors of one retractable wing undercarriage indicate immersion.

10. The emergency buoyancy system according to claim 5 , wherein the emergency buoyancy system includes validation means enabling a pilot of the aircraft to validate the risk of the aircraft ditching.

11. A hybrid helicopter comprising:
a fuselage;
a main rotor situated above the fuselage;
two half-wings situated on either side of the fuselage;
at least one propulsive propeller disposed on each half-wing;
at least one retractable wing undercarriage arranged under each half-wing and moveable between a retracted position to a deployed position; and
an emergency buoyancy system, wherein the emergency buoyancy system comprises:
a main inflatable bag arranged under the fuselage;
a secondary inflatable bag arranged under each half-wing;
at least one immersion sensor disposed on each retractable wing undercarriage for indicating a beginning of the helicopter ditching,
wherein the emergency buoyancy system inflates the main and secondary inflatable bags when the immersion sensor indicates the beginning of the helicopter ditching;
wherein the retractable wing undercarriage has a deployed height being greater than a radius of the propulsive propeller, wherein the at least one immersion sensor is disposed below the propulsive propeller when the retractable wing undercarriage is in the deployed position.

12. The helicopter according to claim 11 , wherein the emergency buoyance system includes a sensor for providing a signal indicating there is a risk of the helicopter ditching.

13. The helicopter according to claim 12 wherein the sensor comprises a height sensor for determining whether the helicopter is below a predetermined height, and below the predetermined height, the sensor provides the signal indicating the risk of the helicopter ditching.

14. The helicopter according to claim 12 , wherein each wing undercarriage moved to the deployed position by an actuator when the sensor indicates the risk of the helicopter ditching.

15. The helicopter according to claim 12 , wherein each secondary inflatable bag is fastened to a hinged support, wherein the hinged support is connected to the retractable wing undercarriage by a hinge, the hinged support being deployed by an actuator as soon as the beginning of ditching has been detected.

16. The helicopter according to claim 11 , wherein each wing undercarriage has at least three immersion sensors, wherein the emergency buoyancy system inflates the main and secondary inflatable bags when at least two immersion sensors of one retractable wing undercarriage indicate immersion.

17. The helicopter according to claim 11 , wherein each secondary inflatable bag is fastened to the retractable wing undercarriage in a hub of a wheel positioned at an end of each wing undercarriage.

Assignees

• Airbus Helicopters

Inventors

• Cacciaguerra Bruno

Classifications

• B64D25/18

  Flotation gear · CPC title

• B64C27/26

  characterised by provision of fixed wings · CPC title

• B64C25/56 Primary

  inflatable · CPC title

• B64C27/04

  Helicopters · CPC title

• B64C2025/325

  specially adapted for helicopters · CPC title