Miniature aircraft catapult
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorsEric P. Young, John Reynolds, Mathew Curran, Joseph Wurts
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A catapult for launching an aircraft is disclosed including a rail assembly having first and second ends. A support structure is provided for supporting the rail assembly above the ground at various upward angles. A container having an open end is releasably mounted on the first end of the rail assembly, the container for mounting the aircraft therein with a portion of the front end of the aircraft extending out of the open end. A device is provided for extracting the aircraft from the container and moving it from the first end to the second end of the rail assembly and release it when reaching the second end.
Claims21
An aircraft catapult assembly comprising,
- a rail having first and second ends;
- support means for supporting said rail above the ground at various upward angles;
- an aircraft towing assembly movably mounted on said rail, said towing assembly movable from said first end to said second end of said rail,
- first means for releasably connecting the wings of the aircraft to said aircraft towing assembly such that as said aircraft towing assembly is moved from said first end of said rail to said second end, the aircraft is towed there along and released when said towing assembly reaches said second end of said rail;
- an aircraft container having an open end for releasably mounting the aircraft therein such that the leading edge of the wing of the aircraft extends out of the container, said container releasably mounted to said first end of said rail;
- second means to releasably hold said towing assembly at said first end of said rail;
- biasing means for urging said aircraft towing assembly toward said second end of said rail;
- and
- such when said first means releases said aircraft towing assembly, said towing assembly is moved from said first end to said second end of said rail and the aircraft is moved along therewith and is released by said first means.
A catapult for launching an aircraft comprising;
- a rail assembly having first and second ends;
- support means for supporting said rail assembly above the ground at various upward angles;
- a container having an open end releasably mounted on said first end of said rail assembly, said container for mounting the aircraft therein with a portion of the front end of the aircraft extending out said open end;
- means to extract the aircraft from said container and move it from said first end to said second end of said rail assembly and release it when reaching said second end.
16 The catapult as set forth in claim 15 wherein said second cable release assembly further includes:
- a cable coupled to said pin;
- and
- a foot pedal coupled to said cable such that when said foot pedal is depressed, said cable moves said pin to said second position.
The catapult as set forth in claim 16 comprising:
- a pulley mounted on said second end of said rail;
- at least one bungee cord attached to said towing assembly and extendable to said second end of said rail and about said pulley and at least partially back to said first end of said rail;
- and
- fourth means to secure said at least one bungee cord to said fitting at said first end of said rail.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.