System and method for transferring fuel in flight from a tanker aircraft to multiple receiver aircraft
AssigneeSingapore Technologies Aerospace Ltd.
InventorsChi Hui Frederic Foo, Siew Liong Tay, Kim Chiew Tay, Zheng Liang Lu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A trailing boom system for aerial refueling and a method for aerial refueling of multiple receiver aircraft. The trailing boom system for aerial refueling includes a parent pod capable of being connected to a wing of an aircraft, and a detachable pod releasable from the parent pod, the detachable pod including an extendible boom for refueling aircraft in flight.
Claims22
A trailing boom system for aerial refueling, the system comprising:
- a parent pod capable of being connected to a wing or a body of a tanker aircraft;
- and
- a detachable pod releasable from the parent pod, the detachable pod comprising an extendible boom for refueling a receiver aircraft in flight, the extendible boom being pivotable about a first pivot for movement in a first direction and pivotable about a second pivot for movement in a second direction, wherein the first direction is orthogonal to the second direction, and
- wherein the detachable pod further comprises a backflow reservoir configured to receive at least a portion of fuel upstream of the boom to facilitate retraction of the boom.
A detachable pod for an aerial refueling system, the detachable pod comprising:
- a boom extendible from the detachable pod, the boom suitable for refueling a receiver aircraft in flight;
- and
- a flight control module for controlling flight control surfaces on the detachable pod to maneuver the detachable pod in flight;
- a backflow reservoir configured to receive at least a portion of fuel upstream of the boom to facilitate retraction of the boom,
- wherein the boom is pivotable about a first pivot for movement in a first direction and pivotable about a second pivot for movement in a second direction, and wherein the first direction is orthogonal to the second direction.
A method for aerial refueling, the method comprising:
- refueling a receiver aircraft in flight via a boom extendible from a detachable pod, the boom being pivotable about a first pivot for movement in a first direction and pivotable about a second pivot for movement in a second direction, wherein the first direction is orthogonal to the second direction, the detachable pod being releasable from a parent pod, and the parent pod being capable of being connected to a wing or a body of a tanker aircraft, and
- retracting the boom to the detachable pod on completion of refueling, wherein retracting comprises pushing at least a portion of fuel upstream of the boom into a backflow reservoir disposed in the detachable pod.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.