# US 2014/0151502 A1 · Fly-in landing pad for lift-fan aircraft

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- Number: US 2014/0151502 A1
- Document ID: US20140151502A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/694,434
- Filed: 2012-12-03
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-03
- Inventors: Patrick A. Kosheleff
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140151502A1

## CPC

- B64F 1/007: {Helicopter portable landing pads}
- B64F 1/26: for reducing engine or jet noise; Protecting airports from jet erosion
- B64F: GROUND OR AIRCRAFT-CARRIER-DECK INSTALLATIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH AIRCRAFT; DESIGNING, MANUFACTURING, ASSEMBLING, CLEANING, MAINTAINING OR REPAIRING AIRCRAFT, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; HANDLING, TRANSPORTING, TESTING OR INSPECTING AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A lift-fan airplane lands vertically on dirt, kicking up debris but bringing a landing pad for use by others. The landing pad comprises many long slats hinged to each other at the sides. The slats are of generally increasing widths for rolling up into a tight spiral. This compact state allows low-drag air transport. After landing, the spiral is unrolled. A central slat has two stub axles sticking out the ends. Two men place a large wheel onto each stub axle, then push on the wheels to unroll the landing pad on the ground. An upturned wall at the end of the pad deflects upward the downwash from landing lift-fan VTOL airplanes, creating a shadow zone free of flying debris. This creates safe parking for massed operations. Inflated balloons, wedge-shaped to streamline necessary protuberances, detach and fill any large potholes under the landing pad.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A lift-fan airplane carrying a cargo; said airplane having a fuselage, pylons and two wings; said pylons each containing a said lift fan; said cargo being a landing pad; said airplane landing vertically and bringing said landing pad for use by vertically-landing subsequent aircraft; said fuselage having a large lengthwise cavity open at least downward; prior to flight, said landing pad having been rolled up to a compact state; said compact state occupying most or all of said large lengthwise cavity; said compact state lasting throughout time of flight; after said airplane has landed, said compact state will be unrolled to a deployed state;
before takeoff, said compact state comprising two “roll-packs” and a base plate; said roll-packs located side-by-side and supported at the bottom by said base plate;
first said roll-pack comprising many slats of substantially the same thickness; each said slat being much longer than it is wide, thereby having two long edges; most said slats having half of a hinge at each said long edge; for most said slats, each said half of a hinge mating with another said half of a hinge to make a hinge between two adjacent said slats; said hinges cooperating to make a bendable chain of said many slats; said bendable chain having two end slats; one said end slat being hinged to said base plate; the other said end slat, or else some other nearby said slat, being designated the “central slat”; said central slat including two stub shafts sticking out its ends;
before flight of said airplane, said bendable chain having been subjected to a winding up, thereby forming a spiral roll around said central slat; the cross section of said spiral roll depending on slat widths; said slat widths established by a rule;
said rule being that a first said slat is wider, by an increment of substantially two said slat thicknesses, than the width of the next interior slat which will lie flat adjacent said first slat after said winding up;
said rule implementing the fact that said slats had to get generally wider to enclose the more interior said slats as said winding up progressed; said rule furthermore letting said many slats wind up with close clearances against each other, with little empty space, thereby creating said first roll-pack;
said rule not applying to the two narrowest said slats, nor to said central slat if it is a said end slat; said first roll-pack having a cross section which is substantially a rectangle; said rectangle being stood on one end when said first roll-pack is on said base plate;
the other main half of said compact state being a second said roll-pack; said second roll-pack being a second spiral roll made up of more slats generally similar to those in said first roll-pack; said second spiral roll also assembled to a substantially rectangular cross section also stood on one end when put on said base plate;
said roll-packs placed on said base plate with the spirals of said spiral rolls oriented in opposite directions; a gap between said roll-packs; hoists passing through said gap; the bottom of each said hoist connected to said base plate; an upper part of each said hoist connecting to substantially the ceiling of said large lengthwise cavity; said hoists capable of lowering said base plate; said hoists and said base plate being in an upper position for takeoff, putting most or all of the volume of said compact state within said large lengthwise cavity;
after landing, said hoists extending downward, placing said base plate on the ground;
said deployed state beginning as said first roll-pack undergoes processing by a first set of operations listed as five steps:
(1) two wheels of diameter about twice the height of said stub shafts above the ground; said wheels placed at opposite ends of said first roll-pack;
(2) said wheels each having a bore in the center; said wheels stood upright adjacent to said stub shafts; said wheels moved inward so that said stub shafts are journaled in said bores;
(3) rotation applied to said wheels to start them rolling on the ground; said rolling continuing and taking said first roll-pack away from said base plate; said first roll-pack unwinding; said unwinding laying most of said many slats one after the other on the ground;
(4) said unwinding proceeding until said central slat is approached or reached; said unwinding stopping;
(5) said wheels disconnecting from said first roll-pack; said central slat then being lowered toward the ground, substantially ending said processing of said first roll-pack;
said second roll-pack undergoing processing by a second set of operations; said second set being substantially a mirror image of said first set, in that alternate unwinding proceeds in a direction opposite to that of said unwinding and on the other side of said base plate; said second roll-pack having its own central slat; said own central slat eventually undergoing lowering toward the ground; said lowering substantially ending said operations for said second roll-pack;
said hoists disconnecting from said base plate; said airplane taxiing off said base plate and said slats, leaving said landing pad in said deployed state.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1 in which said close clearances allow said hinges some flexing; said flexing causing distortion of said cross section of said first roll-pack from said substantially a rectangle to substantially a rhomboid; said rhomboid representing slumping of said cross section; said slumping being enough to maintain said heights of said stub shafts above the ground about the same during at least the initial stages of said first roll-pack's said unwinding.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1 and further a portable wall installed at one end of deployed said landing pad; said portable wall oriented substantially across the long dimension of deployed said landing pad; said portable wall installed at a slant and able to deflect upward some of the windblast flowing along the surface of deployed said landing pad; said windblast originating from the lift fans of said subsequent vertically-landing aircraft; said slant braced by support legs;
said support legs attached at substantially a right angle to said portable wall, together making an inclined wall assembly; when transported by said airplane, said inclined wall assembly stored draped over said roll packs, with said support legs horizontal and said portable wall hanging down vertical just outside a said roll-pack.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1 in which said base plate includes lengthwise I-beams; said I-beams generally of little depth; said I-beams supported from below by T-beams ultimately connected to said hoists; said T-beams each having a narrow lower edge;
after the landing, said hoists letting said base plate descend; said lower edges achieving penetration into the ground, driven by the weight of said roll-packs on said base plate; said penetration allowing said base plate to sink substantially all the way to the ground, to lie flat;
said T-beams being transverse to said I-beams and to the direction of cruise flight; said T-beams causing an increase in drag; streamlining for said T-beams; said streamlining comprising inflated balloons; said balloons being wedge-shaped to act as fairings in front of and behind said T-beams;
said balloons removed from the underside of said base plate after landing and before said base plate is lowered all the way to the ground; said balloons then used to fill potholes in the ground which will end up under deployed said landing pad.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1 and further a long brace for said fuselage; said large lengthwise cavity which is open at least-downward now also has two open sides; said two open sides leaving only a thin structural spine at the top of said fuselage; said spine forming substantially said ceiling for the void of said large lengthwise cavity; full-depth fuselage sections in front of and behind said large lengthwise cavity; front said fuselage section including the pilot's cockpit and the front half of the main landing gear; rear said fuselage section including the rear half of said main landing gear;
said long brace connecting said front fuselage section to said rear fuselage section; said long brace positioned outside said compact state, for clearance; said long brace mounted low on said fuselage sections, relatively far downward from said thin structural spine, in order to add rigidity to said fuselage.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1 in which each said roll-pack includes one said slat which is of steel construction, to support the load of a main landing gear wheel of said vertically-landing subsequent aircraft; and most others of said many slats constructed mainly of plastic, for lightness.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1 and further a large nail which is shot through one end of the deployed said landing pad and into the ground; said large nail securing said end of deployed said landing pad against flapping under the windblast from said vertically-landing subsequent aircraft.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The device of claim 7 in which said large nail is a “pull-head” nail; said pull-head nail comprising a head part and a spike part held together by a strong elastic; said spike part staying in the ground; said head part remaining in a said slat and separating from said spike part when deployed said landing pad experiences shortening; said shortening caused by said landing pad dipping into some hollow in the ground under the weight of a landing gear wheel's load; said strong elastic keeping some tension on said landing pad.