Aerial Dispersal Mechanisms, Aircrafts and Retrofit Methods

An aircraft comprising:

• a fuselage;
• a cockpit supported by the fuselage;
• a pilot seat in the cockpit, the pilot seat facing in a forward direction opposite a rearward direction;
• a bulk container supported by the fuselage;
• a gate at selectively an open position and a closed position relative to the bulk container;
• a lever in the cockpit;
• and
• a first powered linear actuator coupling the lever to the gate, the first powered linear actuator being movable selectively to an extended position and a retracted position, the first powered linear actuator simultaneously urging the gate to the open position and urging the lever in the rearward direction in response to the first powered linear actuator moving between the retracted position and the extended position.

A method for modifying an aircraft that includes a bulk container, a gate attached to the bulk container, a lever, and a linkage assembly coupling the lever to the gate, the lever being movable between a forward position and a back position, the gate being movable between an open position and closed position, the linkage assembly including a first removable link extending between a first point and a second point of the linkage assembly, the method comprising:

• decoupling the lever from the gate by removing the first removable link from the linkage assembly;
• recoupling the lever to the gate by connecting a first powered linear actuator to the first point and the second point of the linkage assembly, the first powered linear actuator being movable selectively to an extended position and a retracted position;
• and
• moving the gate between the open position and the closed position in response to the first powered linear actuator moving between the extended position and the retracted position while the lever remains at a substantially fixed position between the forward position and the back position.