CA1084474A - Method for refueling a helicopter or similar aircraft and a device for performing the method - Google Patents

Method for refueling a helicopter or similar aircraft and a device for performing the method

Info

Publication number
CA1084474A
CA1084474A CA296,297A CA296297A CA1084474A CA 1084474 A CA1084474 A CA 1084474A CA 296297 A CA296297 A CA 296297A CA 1084474 A CA1084474 A CA 1084474A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
helicopter
tank
fuel
container
aircraft
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA296,297A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Birger Sterner
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
STERNER AERO AB
Original Assignee
STERNER AERO AB
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by STERNER AERO AB filed Critical STERNER AERO AB
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1084474A publication Critical patent/CA1084474A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64DEQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
    • B64D39/00Refuelling during flight

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
  • Loading And Unloading Of Fuel Tanks Or Ships (AREA)
  • Cooling, Air Intake And Gas Exhaust, And Fuel Tank Arrangements In Propulsion Units (AREA)
  • Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)
  • Catching Or Destruction (AREA)
  • Details Of Rigid Or Semi-Rigid Containers (AREA)

Abstract

ABSTRACT

A method of and a device for refueling a helicopter or similar aircraft from which a load is depending. The load and a tank containing fuel for driving the aircraft are connected to the aircraft when it assumes a generally immobile position in the air near the ground and the fuel is transferred from the tank to the aircraft when the aircraft is in the generally immobile position in the air and/or during the flight.

Description

~ 4474 The present invention relates to a method for refueling a helicopter or similar aircraft and a device for performing the method.
When fetching or delivering a load, which is to be transported from one place to another by means of a helicopter, it is preferable, for several reasons, to let the helicopter remain generally immobile in the air (hovering) while the load is connected --toand disconnected from, respectively,a hook depending from the helicopter.
If the transportation ~ay is relatively short and the helicopter repeatedly fetches and delivers goods without the helicopter having to be taken down to the ground and refueled, it is understood that the helicopter tank must contain a large quantity of fuel before the first transport can be performed. A
large quantity of fuel in the tank means that the helicopter will be heavy,which negatively influences its loading capacity.
To solve this problem it is, of course, possible to refue~
the tank with a certain amount of fuel only and refuel the tank each time goods are fetched or delivered, whereby the refueled amoun~
is so chosen that it will be consumed during one transport. Such a refueling, however, is difficult to perform while the helicopter is in the air because the distance between the filler socket and the ground often is great (depending on the vertical extension of the load and the suspension device). Moreover, such refueling takes a long time.
Therefore, it is a purpose of the present invention to at least partially circumvent the disadvantages of the methods and ; devices previously known and to provide a method and a device which increase the payload capacity of the helicopter and which result in that the refueling of the helicopter can be performed while the helicopter is in the air. ~ -- . : . : ; :.. . .. . .

-- ~.o8447A

~roadly speaking, the problems of the prior art are overcome by a method of refueling a helicopter used to transport a sequential series of containers each of which carries a quantity of fuel and material to be dispensed from the container and is separately connected to and depends from the helicopter while the helicopter is in the air, so that the helicopter does not have to carry a large quantity of fuel to handle all containers without refueling, thus obtaining maximum utili~ation of air time .10 and increasing payload capacity, including the steps of detachably conneeting a container, connected to a tank con-taining fuel for driving the helicopter, to the helicopter :
when the helicopter assumes a generally immobile position $n the air near the ground and exchanging the container with the emptied tank for another container with a tank containing an amount of fuel essentially to be consumed by~the helicopter during a subsequent container transport, The above method may be achieved with an apparatus for refueling a helicopter or similar aircraft, including a load and a tank containing fuel for driving the aircraft the tank being permanently connected to the load and the load and tank being detachably connected to and depending from the air- ~`
craft, conduit means for connecting the tank to the aircraft and means for directing fuel from the tank to the aircraft in order to transfer fuel to the aircraft when it is in the air.

Pg/~ 3 -.

. ~: . , . :
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--` o~4474 A preferred embodiment of the ~nyention will now be described with reference to the. accompanying drawing in - which: -Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a flying helicopter with a transported load on which is mounted a fuel tank used in the method according to the invention;
and -Figure 2 is a perspective view, seen from behind in the direction of flying, showing the load and the fuel tank in Figure 1.
In Figure 1 is shown a helicopter 1 to the under- :~
side of which i~ connected a wire 2 with a hook 3. The hook 3 detachably carries a load in the form of a fertilizer con-tainer 5 with a spreading device 4, The container 5 may be .~:
similar to the container shown in U,S. Patent No. 4,099,676, for instance. The container 5, which also is provided with two stabilizing wings 6 and 7, directed obliquely backwards, and a motor 8 for driving the spreading device 4, contains fertilizer whi.ch is to be spread over a predetermined ground area. After the fertilizer material has been spread out from 20 the contai`ner 5, the pilot takes the helicopter 1 to a station, for instance a station described and ~hown in the aforementioned U.S. Patent ~o. 4,099,676 where the empty container is deliver-ed and manually disconnected from the hook 3, An electric cable (.not shown), having a bayonet coupling, for instance, I is manually disconnected from the motor, This cable transmits : signals from the pilot to the motor 8 . .

. . . .
~, ~ . ', ~ : . ,' . . . .
.

1084~74 to start the spreading device 4 when the helicopter is flyingabove the predetermined ground area.
According to the invention, a fuel tank 9 has been detachably or permanently mounted on the backside of the container 5 between the wings 6 and 7, but can instead be mounted on the front side thereof. The tank is provided with an inlet/outlf connector 10 which is the female element in a bayonet coupling.
When, or after the empty container 5 is delivered at the station, the coupling is released between the female element 10 and a male element 11 which is connected to one end of a flexible tube 12, the other end of which being connected to the fuel tank (not shown) of the helicopter via a fuel filter 13.
After all the cables and flexible tubes between the helicopter 1 and the container 5 and the tank 9, respectively, have been disconnected, the helicopter is flying forwards a short distance along the station where it is hovering above a second container with fertilizer which is identical with the container 5 and to which is detachably or permanently connected a second tank filled with fuel and identical to the tank 9. The second tank (9) has been refueled and the second container (5) has been filled with fertilizer by ground personnel working at the station during the previous flight of the helicopter. The refueling of the second f~ tank (9) is performed by manually connecting a male element 15 to the female element 10. The male element 15 is identical with the male element 11 and is connected to a flexible tube which is connected to a fuel source (not shown) via a fuel pump 16. A valve in or between the element 10 and the tank ascertains that fuel is not discharged from the tank 9 when the refueling has been finished and the coupling 10, 15 has been released.

When the helicopter is hovering above the second, filled container (5) with filled tank (9), the container is connected to . .
.:
.

~084474 the hook 3, the male element 11 is connected to the female element and the electric cable mentioned above is connected to the motor ~.
As soon as these connections have been made, the helicopter 1 can raise and a pump 17, which is mounted adjacent to the helicopter tank and connected to the flexible tube 12, can be started. The pump 17 sucks fuel from the tank (9) just refueled so that fuel is fed to the helicopter tank via the filter 13. Instead of arranging the pump adjacent to the helicopter tank, the pump can be mounted on the container 5 or on the tank 9 and can be a pressur pump. The pump can be driven electrically or hydraulically, or can be driven by the motor 8 or by the spreading device 4 if the pump is mounted on the container 5 or on the tank 9. In the case t?
pump is driven by the motor 8 or by the spreading device 4, fuel is pumped into the helicopter tank at the time the spreading device 4 begins to work. Instead of feeding the fuel to the helicopter tank it can be fed directly to the driving motor if this is suitable, and instead of using a pump the fuel can be pressed or sucked up to the helicopter in another way, for instance by filling the tank with fuel and compressed air which presses the fuel up to the helicopter tank when a valve between the tank and the helicopte~
tank is opened.
After the manuring work and the refueling have been performed, the helicopter is flown back to the station to deliver the empty container and fetch another container with a fuel tank.
This container has been filled with fertilizer and the tank has been refueled by the ground personnel at the station during the previous man~ing work.
If, during the flight, the container 5,by some reason, must be dumped, the connection between the wire 2 and the helicopter 1 can be detached by the pilot by remote control. At the dumping, , .. ~ ~ . . ., : . ' ~0~4474 , .
.

a break coupling 18 will be broken. Coupling 18 connects two ends of the flexible tube 12 which consists of two parts.
It should be understood that time will be saved and that the loading capacity will be increased by utilizing the method according to the invention. Thus, a minimum time is used for exchanging fertilizer containers because all the connections between the helicopter 1 and the container 5 and the fuel tank 9, respectively, are designed as bayonet couplings and no refueling needs to be performed in connection with the container exchange.
Because the helicopter tank always contains a small amount of fuel and is refueled only with the amount of fuel consumed during a manuring cycle, the container can be made large and the amount of fertilizer in the container can be increased, which decreases the costs for the manuring work.
Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment described above and shown in the drawing. Other applications and several modifications of the invention are possible within the scop~
thereof. Thus, the method can be used whenever a helicopter or similar aircraft shall perform a number of transportations during ~0 the time it takes to empty the helicopter tank. Examples of applic tions other than the application described above are the transpor-~ tation of containers, filled with concrete, between a filling static i ~ and a building yard, whereby the concrete is discharged from the container at the building yard while the helicopter is hovering.
The helicopter then returns to the station with the empty container to exchange this container for another container filled with concret The fuel tank which is permanently mounted or detachably mounted on the concrete container or detachably mounted on the helicopter is filled and emptied in the manner described above in connection with the fertilizer container. The invention is thus limited only tothat whlch is stated in the following claims.

.

Claims (6)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A method of refueling a helicopter used to transport a sequential series of loads, depending from the helicopter to avoid having to carry a large quantity of fuel to handle all loads without refueling, thus obtaining maximum utilization of air time and increasing payload capacity, in-cluding the steps of detachably connecting a container sup-porting a load and a tank containing fuel for driving the helicopter to the helicopter when the latter assumes a gen-erally immobile position in the air near the ground, trans-ferring the fuel from the tank to the helicopter when the latter is in the air, and after the transport, when the helicopter assumes the generally immobile position in the air near the ground, exchanging the tank and emptied con-tainer for another container supporting a load and a fuel tank for driving the helicopter during a subsequent load transport.
2. A method of refueling a helicopter used to transport a sequential series of containers each of which carries a quantity of fuel and material to be dispensed from the container and is separately connected to and depends from the helicopter while the helicopter is in the air, so that the helicopter does not have to carry a large quantity of fuel to handle all containers without refueling, thus obtaining maximum utilization of air time and increasing pay-load capacity, including the steps of detachably connecting a container, connected to a tank con-taining fuel for driving the helicopter, to the helicopter when the helicopter assumes a generally immobile position in the air near the ground and exchanging the container with the emptied tank for another container with a tank containing an amount of fuel essentially to be consumed by the helicopter during a subsequent container transport.
3. An apparatus for refueling a helicopter or similar aircraft, including a load and a tank containing fuel for driving the aircraft, said tank being permanently connected to the load and said load and tank being detachably connected to and depending from the aircraft, conduit means for connecting the tank to the aircraft and means for direct-ing fuel from the tank to the aircraft in order to transfer fuel to the aircraft when it is in the air.
4. An apparatus in accordance with claim 3 in-cluding a pump for feeding the fuel from the tank to the air-craft through said conduit means.
5. An apparatus in accordance with claim 3 in which the conduit means includes a bayonet coupling for readily uncoupling the conduit means.
6. An apparatus in accordance with claim 3 in which the load is a container containing material to be dis-pensed when the aircraft is in the air and the tank is mounted on the container in alignment with the flying direction of the aircraft.
CA296,297A 1977-02-07 1978-02-06 Method for refueling a helicopter or similar aircraft and a device for performing the method Expired CA1084474A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE7701323-3 1977-02-07
SE7701323A SE403998B (en) 1977-02-07 1977-02-07 PROCEDURE FOR REFUELING A HELICOPTER OR SIMILAR AIRCRAFT AND DEVICE FOR PERFORMING THE PROCEDURE

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1084474A true CA1084474A (en) 1980-08-26

Family

ID=20330382

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA296,297A Expired CA1084474A (en) 1977-02-07 1978-02-06 Method for refueling a helicopter or similar aircraft and a device for performing the method

Country Status (10)

Country Link
CA (1) CA1084474A (en)
CH (1) CH631400A5 (en)
DE (1) DE2803384A1 (en)
DK (1) DK55778A (en)
FI (1) FI59226C (en)
FR (1) FR2379435A1 (en)
GB (1) GB1577604A (en)
IT (1) IT1102991B (en)
NO (1) NO143095C (en)
SE (1) SE403998B (en)

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB995672A (en) * 1963-02-27 1965-06-23 John Stanley Sproule System and means for refuelling aircraft
GB1009581A (en) * 1963-07-10 1965-11-10 Helicopter Sales Ltd Aircraft refuelling system
FR1450926A (en) * 1965-10-12 1966-06-24 Westland Aircraft Ltd Method and device for in-flight refueling of hovering aircraft
GB1259461A (en) * 1968-07-22 1972-01-05
US3463398A (en) * 1968-11-21 1969-08-26 Evergreen Helicopters Inc Material spreader device for helicopters
SE389840B (en) * 1974-04-16 1976-11-22 Sterner Aero Ab PROCEDURE AND DEVICE FOR LIFTING, DOWNLOADING AND TRANSFER OF HELICOPTER-CARRIED TRANSPORT CONTAINERS FROM RESP AT A MOVABLE STATION

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
SE7701323L (en) 1978-08-08
FI780300A (en) 1978-08-08
FR2379435A1 (en) 1978-09-01
DK55778A (en) 1978-08-08
CH631400A5 (en) 1982-08-13
DE2803384A1 (en) 1978-08-10
FI59226C (en) 1981-07-10
GB1577604A (en) 1980-10-29
FI59226B (en) 1981-03-31
NO780405L (en) 1978-08-08
IT7812451A0 (en) 1978-02-02
NO143095C (en) 1980-12-17
IT1102991B (en) 1985-10-14
SE403998B (en) 1978-09-18
DE2803384C2 (en) 1989-06-08
FR2379435B1 (en) 1982-12-17
NO143095B (en) 1980-09-08

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