Assist system and method for aircraft ground operation
AssigneePratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
InventorDaniel Alecu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aircraft assist system described herein includes an aircraft coupling counterpart attached to a strut of a landing gear of an aircraft, and an assist vehicle. The assist vehicle includes a frame, ground-engaging wheels mounted to the frame, a power source for driving one or more of the ground-engaging wheels, and a vehicle coupling counterpart for engagement with the aircraft coupling counterpart. The aircraft coupling counterpart and the vehicle coupling counterpart define a swivel connection for transferring a propulsive force from the takeoff assist vehicle to the aircraft. The aircraft coupling counterpart is disengageable from the vehicle coupling counterpart by upward movement of the aircraft coupling counterpart relative to the vehicle coupling counterpart.
Claims19
A two-wheeled aircraft assist motorcycle comprising:
- a frame;
- two ground-engaging wheels mounted to the frame and arranged in tandem;
- a power source for driving one or both of the ground-engaging wheels;
- and
- a vehicle coupling counterpart for engagement with an aircraft coupling counterpart of an aircraft to define a swivel connection for transferring a propulsive force from the two-wheeled aircraft assist motorcycle to the aircraft, the vehicle coupling counterpart including an upwardly tapered projection having an electric port for transferring electric power from the two-wheeled aircraft assist motorcycle to the aircraft.
A method of propelling an aircraft with an assist vehicle during a takeoff roll, the method comprising:
- with the assist vehicle coupled to a landing gear of the aircraft and disposed aft of the landing gear, propelling the aircraft with the assist vehicle by transferring a propulsive force from the assist vehicle to the aircraft via the landing gear during the takeoff roll;
- and
- after propelling the aircraft with the assist vehicle during the takeoff roll, decoupling the assist vehicle from the landing gear of the aircraft,
- wherein the assist vehicle is an unmanned two-wheeled motorcycle.
A method of propelling an aircraft on ground using a two-wheeled unmanned motorcycle, the method comprising:
- coupling the two-wheeled unmanned motorcycle to a landing gear of the aircraft;
- and
- propelling the aircraft with the two-wheeled unmanned motorcycle by transferring a propulsive force from the two-wheeled unmanned motorcycle to the aircraft via the landing gear when the aircraft is on ground.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.