Firefighting float plane with asymmetric scoop deployment mitigation
AssigneeWipaire, Inc.
InventorCharles R. Wiplinger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A firefighting float plane having a fuselage, one or more wings, two floats, a water scoop associated with each float for filling a water tank of the firefighting float plane, and systems and/or methods for deploying the water scoops to prevent (and/or mitigate the effects of) asymmetric deployment and/or retraction of the water scoops.
Claims30
A firefighting float plane comprising a fuselage, a wing, a water tank structure, first and second floats, first and second water scoops, and an active scoop management system, the first and second floats equipped respectively with the first and second water scoops, each of the first and second water scoops having a retracted position and an extended position, the active scoop management system configured to:
- (i) detect an asymmetrical deployment situation of the first and second water scoops, and in response thereto (ii) initiate a safety response movement of one or both of the first and second water scoops to address the asymmetrical deployment situation.
A method of operating a water scoop system for a firefighting float plane, the firefighting float plane comprising a fuselage, a wing, a water tank structure, and first and second floats, the water scoop system comprising a first water scoop associated with the first float and a second water scoop associated with the second float, each of the first and second water scoops being movable between a retracted position and an extended position, the method comprising:
- (a) detecting an asymmetric deployment condition of the first and second water scoops, and
- (b) in response to detecting the asymmetric deployment condition, initiating a safety response movement of one or both of the first and second water scoops.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.