Personnel guided aerial delivery device
OwnerRobert Conway, Edward Stronginventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A personnel guided aerial delivery device is disclosed which can be used to safely and precisely deliver personnel, cargo, or a combination of both from an aircraft in flight, to a precise target or location. In the preferred embodiment, the aerial delivery device generally consists of a large "ram-air" type gliding parachute, a "drogue" parachute, an encapsulated crew module, a "fly-by-wire" control system, and a landing impact attenuation system. The aerial delivery device can employ an onboard human pilot to navigate the module. The use of a skilled pilot allows the aerial delivery device to be guided to a designated landing site.
Claims29
A personnel guided aerial delivery device, said aerial delivery device capable of delivering one or more occupants and/or cargo to a designated landing area, comprising:
- an open crew module having no enclosures and a plularity of seats with at least two seats divided and at least one seat facing a first direction and a second seat facing a second opposite direction having an open during flight occupant seating area;
- a parachute member attached to said crew module;
- means for stabilizing said crew module during initial freefall of said crew module;
- an independently controlled landing impact attenuation member disposed at the bottom of said crew module;
- and
- means for steering said parachute member.
A personnel guided aerial delivery device, said aerial delivery device capable of delivering one or more occupants and/or cargo to a designated landing area, comprising:
- a crew module;
- a parachute member attached to said crew module;
- means for stabilizing said crew module during initial freefall of said crew module;
- a landing impact attenuation member disposed at the bottom of said crew module;
- and
- means for steering said parachute member;
- wherein said landing impact attenuation member comprises:
- a pair of movable skid members, a first of said movable skid members disposed at a first side of said crew module and a second of said movable skid members disposed at a second side of said crew module;
- a first pair of shock members associated with said first movable skid member and a second pair of shock members associated with said second movable skid member;
- means for moving said first movable skid member in a vertical direction;
- and
- means for moving said second movable skid member in a vertical direction;
- wherein said means for moving said first movable skid member and said means for moving said second movable skid member each include:
- an airhose member in communication with a respective shock member;
- and
- a valve member attached to said airhose member;
- wherein air is either supplied to or withdrawn from said shock members through said airhose member dependent on a desired vertical movement of said skid member.
A personnel guided aerial delivery device, said aerial delivery device capable of delivering one or more occupants and/or cargo to a designated landing area, comprising:
- a crew module;
- a parachute member attached to said crew module;
- means for stabilizing said crew module during initial freefall of said crew module;
- a landing impact attenuation member disposed at the bottom of said crew module;
- and
- means for steering said parachute member, said means for steering comprises:
- a pair of joysticks;
- a pair of steering lines associated with said parachute member;
- a first motor assembly associated with a first of said pair of steering lines;
- a second motor assembly associated with a second of said pair of steering lines;
- means for determining the position of said pair of steering lines;
- control means for adjusting the position of one or more of said steering lines dependent on input received from one or more of said joysticks;
- wherein each of said motor assemblies includes a motor member, gearbox and spool member;
- wherein the steering line associated with the motor assembly is attached to said spool member;
- wherein the motor member causes said spool member to turn in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction which in turns moves the attached steering line to guide said crew module in flight;
- wherein said means for steering further including a first belt member attached to a first spool member and said first feedback potentiometer and a second belt member attached to a second spool member and said second feedback potentiometer.
A personnel guided aerial delivery device, said aerial delivery device capable of delivering one or more occupants and/or cargo to a designated landing area, comprising:
- an encapsulated crew module, said crew module including a four point restraint system for each occupant;
- a gliding parachute member attached to said crew module;
- a drogue parachute for stabilizing said encapsulated crew module during initial freefall of said crew module;
- means for steering said parachute member;
- and
- a landing impact attenuation means disposed at the bottom of said crew module, said impact attenuation means including:
- a pair of movable skid members, a first of said movable skid members disposed at a first side of said crew module and a second of said movable skid members disposed at a second side of said crew module,
- a first pair of shock members associated with said first movable skid member and a second pair of shock members associated with said second movable skid member,
- means for moving said first movable skid member in a vertical direction, and
- means for moving said second movable skid member in a vertical direction;
- wherein said movable skid members act as inner skid members and a bottom area of said crew module acts as fixed outer skid members.
A personnel guided aerial delivery device, said aerial delivery device capable of delivering one or more occupants and/or cargo to a designated landing area, comprising:
- an encapsulated crew module, said crew module including a four point restraint system for each occupant;
- a gliding parachute member attached to said crew module;
- a drogue parachute for stabilizing said encapsulated crew module during initial freefall of said crew module, said drogue parachute is activated by dropping said device out of an in flight aircraft;
- means for steering said parachute member, said steering means including:
- a pair of joysticks,
- a pair of steering lines associated with said parachute member,
- a first motor assembly associated with a first of said pair of steering lines,
- a second motor assembly associated with a second of said pair of steering lines,
- means for determining the position of said pair of steering lines,
- control means for adjusting the position of one or more of said steering lines dependent on input received from one or more of said joysticks;
- and
- a landing impact attenuation means disposed at the bottom of said crew module, said impact attenuation means including:
- a pair of movable skid members, a first of said movable skid members disposed at a first side of said crew module and a second of said movable skid members disposed at a second side of said crew module,
- a first pair of shock members associated with said first movable skid member and a second pair of shock members associated with said second movable skid member,
- means for moving said first movable skid member in a vertical direction, and
- means for moving said second movable skid member in a vertical direction;
- wherein said movable skid members act as inner skid members and a bottom area of said crew module acts as fixed outer skid members.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.