Safety flotation device for aircraft

The combination with an aircraft of a plurality of inflatable flotation devices attached to the underside of said aircraft for supporting said aircraft in a body of water;

• said aircraft having a fuselage and wings attached thereto with said wings extending transversely from said fuselage;
• the underside of said fuselage and said wings is spaced from a horizontal plane that is parallel to the surface of said body of water in such a manner that the height between said underside and said horizontal plane varies in both transverse direction and in the fore and aft direction of said wings;
• said plurality of flotation devices are stored in a normally deflated condition in compartments adjacent to the underside of said fuselage and said wings and when inflated the upper surface of said flotation devices is contiguous to the underside of said aircraft and the cross sectional shapes of each said flotational device varies in height in both said transverse and fore and aft directions such that the lower surfaces of said flotation devices are parallel to said horizontal plane, whereby the flotation devices support the entire aircraft in a horizontal attitude substantially out of the water;
• said compartments each having a streamlined door means thereon which is pivoted about a hinge means parallel to said fore and aft directions and which is held in a closed position by latch means;
• said latch means comprising pull pins which are actuated by a cable;
• said flotation devices are inflated from a valve controlled source of pressurized gas which is also actuated simultaneously by said cable when said pull pins are released;
• said flotation devices are secured to the underside of said aircraft by shock cords when said flotation devices are inflated and released from said compartments.