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US 4,380,788 AGranted
Aerial refuel floodlight
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorVictor E. Korski
Life of this patent
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AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorVictor E. Korski
Estimating the term…
An aerial refuel floodlight capable of being mounted on the leading edge of a vertical stabilizer in a receiver aircraft utilized for in flight refueling. The aerial refuel floodlight is of a projectile-shape having a lamp mounted therein. Surrounding the lamp is a cone-shaped reflecting element terminating in a hemispherically-shaped reflecting element which directs light emanating from said lamp through an off-axis lens mounted adjacent thereto. A scoop-shaped reflector situated adjacent the lens and in the upper part of the fixture directs the magnified light onto the fuselage of the receiver aircraft adjacent to and including the refuel receptacle. The location of the aerial refuel floodlight on the vertical stabilizer causes the refueling boom to cast a shadow on the fuselage of the aircraft being refueled to give the boom operator a means for estimating position and distance between the extended boom and the refuel receptacle while simultaneously eliminating substantial amounts of glare from the fuselage of the aircraft.
In a receiver aircraft utilized for in flight refueling having a fuselage, a vertically extending stabilizer and a refuel receptacle, the improvement therein being in the form of an aerial refuel floodlight mounted upon the leading edge of the top portion of said vertical stabilizer, said aerial refuel floodlight comprising an elongated fixture having a projectile-like configuration, a lamp, means situated within said fixture for mounting said lamp in position therein, means surrounding said lamp for reflecting light emanating from said lamp in a predetermined direction, a lens situated adjacent said lamp along an axis being at an angle with respect to the axis of said lamp, means situated adjacent said lens for directing light passing through said lens in a predetermined direction, and an opening situated within said fixture juxtaposed said light directing means and said lens for allowing said directed light as well as light passing through said lens to pass therethrough thereby illuminating a portion of said fuselage adjacent and including said refuel receptacle.
An aerial refuel floodlight comprising an elongated fixture having a projectile-like configuration, a lamp, means situated within said fixture for mounting said lamp in position therein, means surrounding said lamp for reflecting light emanating from said lamp in a predetermined direction, a lens situated adjacent said lamp along an axis being at an angle with respect to the axis of said lamp, means situated adjacent said lens for directing light passing through said lens in a predetermined direction, and an opening situated within said fixture juxtaposed said light directing means and said lens for allowing said directed light as well as light passing through said lens to pass therethrough.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.