US 5,179,968 A · Climatic heat aircraft protective screen

Abstract

A climatic heat aircraft protective (CHAP) screen that has been designed to protect various types of aircraft, and especially helicopters, from the adverse effects of direct exposure to sunlight while being relatively insensitive to wind conditions. The CHAP screen is specifically designed for various aircraft types to facilitate easy and rapid deployment and removal of the CHAP screen utilizing only the flight crew of the aircraft. The CHAP screen includes a porous screen canopy having overhanging portions and flap portions that are operative to reflect direct sunlight while allowing air to pass therethrough. The CHAP screen also includes a containment bag affixed to the underside of the porous screen canopy that is used to compactly stow the porous screen canopy prior to deployment and to secure the CHAP screen to the rotor head assembly of a helicopter during deployment. Radial deployment strips formed from low-friction smooth material may be affixed to the underside of the porous screen canopy to facilitate deployment thereof overlying the main rotor blades of a helicopter. Tow ropes are attached to the ends of the radial deployment strips to facilitate deployment of the porous screen canopy and to secure the porous screen canopy in the deployed condition.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A climatic heat aircraft protective screen for protecting a helicopter having a predetermined number of main rotor blades from direct sunlight, said protective screen being configured for ready and rapid deployment by a minimum number of personnel in minimum time, comprising:

porous screen canopy means for shielding an aircraft from direct sunlight in a deployed condition, said porous screen canopy means having a configuration that is operative in the deployed condition to reflect sunlight therefrom, said configuration of said porous screen canopy being further operative to allow air to pass therethrough wherein said climatic heat aircraft protective screen is stable in the deployed condition to wind conditions;
securing means attached to said porous screen canopy means for securing said porous screen canopy means in the deployed condition, said securing means including a plurality of radial deployment strips attached to said porous screen canopy means for facilitating deployment of said porous screen canopy means, said plurality of radial deployment strips corresponding in number and attachment orientation to the predetermined number of main rotor blades;
and
containment bag means integrally attached to said porous screen canopy means for storing said porous screen canopy means and said securing means in a compact configuration prior to deployment.

1 more element

A climatic heat aircraft protective screen for protecting a helicopter from direct sunlight effects in a deployed condition, the helicopter including a rotor hub having a predetermined number of main rotor blades extending radially outwardly therefrom, comprising:

a porous screen canopy that is operative in the deployed condition to shield the helicopter from the effects of direct sunlight, said porous screen canopy being fabricated from a material resistant to direct sunlight and operative to reflect direct sunlight therefrom, said porous screen canopy having a configuration that allows air to pass therethrough wherein said climatic heat aircraft protective screen is relatively insensitive to wind conditions;
a plurality of radial deployment strips fabricated from a smooth, lightweight, low-friction material secured to the underside of said porous screen canopy, said plurality of radial deployment strips corresponding in number and orientation to the predetermined number of main rotor blades of the helicopter, said radial deployment strips being operative to slide smoothly along the upper surfaces of the corresponding main rotor blades to facilitate deployment of said porous screen canopy to the deployed condition;
and
a containment bag integrally secured to the underside of said porous screen canopy so as to lie flush with and generally cover the rotor hub during deployment of said porous screen canopy and said plurality of radial deployment strips, said containment bag functioning as a storage bag for said porous screen canopy and said plurality of radial deployment strips prior to deployment;
said plurality of radial deployment strips extending radially outwardly from said containment bag.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Climatic heat aircraft protective screen

Life of this patent

Climatic heat aircraft protective screen

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15