Back to results
US 11,691,753 B2Granted
Systems and methods for aerial aircraft resupply
AssigneeTextron Innovations Inc.
InventorsJeffrey Paul Nissen, Troy Cyril Schank, Brent Chadwick Ross, Steven Ray Ivans
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aerial resupply system (ARS) including a supply aircraft. The supply aircraft includes at least one of supply fuel, an ordinance, and data. The supply aircraft also includes a retractable boom system (RBS) configured for selective stowage within a fuselage of the supply aircraft and configured to supply at least one of supply fuel, the ordinance, and data to a location external to the fuselage.
Claims8
An aerial resupply system (ARS), comprising:
- a supply aircraft, comprising:
- at least one of supply fuel, an ordinance, and data;
- a retractable boom system (RBS) configured for selective stowage within a fuselage of the supply aircraft and configured to supply at least one of supply fuel, the ordinance, and data to a location external to the fuselage;
- a rigid portion movable relative to the fuselage and configured for selectively changing an amount of the rigid portion disposed outside the fuselage;
- a flexible conduit at least partially carried by the rigid portion;
- and
- an ordinance supply rack carried by the rigid portion, the ordinance supply rack comprising a first arm rotatable relative to the rigid portion and a second arm rotatable relative to the rigid portion, wherein the flexible conduit is disposed between the first arm and the second arm;
- wherein a distal end portion of the flexible conduit is configured to be disposed outside the rigid portion when the flexible conduit is pressurized with fuel and wherein the distal end portion is configured to remain flexible when the distal end portion is pressurized with fuel.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.