Improved float plane technology
AssigneeWipaire, Inc.
InventorRobert D. Wiplinger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention provides a float plane having a fuselage, a wing, and two floats mounted to the fuselage. In one group of embodiments, the float plane is a firefighting float plane that includes a water tank and a water scooping assembly. In another group of embodiments, the float plane includes a spreader bar suspension assembly. In certain embodiments, the float plane is a firefighting float plane that includes a water tank, a water scooping assembly, and a spreader bar suspension assembly.
Claims8
1-86. (canceled)
A firefighting float plane comprising a fuselage, a wing, a water tank, first and second floats, and a scoop assembly, the water tank including a fore compartment and an aft compartment, the scoop assembly comprising a scoop tube, at least part of the scoop tube being external to the fuselage, the scoop tube being part of a flow line that enters the fuselage and branches into first and second flow lines, the first flow line extending into the aft compartment and having a discharge outlet located in the aft compartment, the second flow line passing through the aft compartment and extending into the fore compartment and having a discharge outlet located in the fore compartment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.