GB2217668A

GB2217668A - System for immobilising persons, firefighting, etc

Info

Publication number: GB2217668A
Application number: GB8809659A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Patrick Hugh Betts
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-04-23
Filing date: 1988-04-23
Publication date: 1989-11-01
Also published as: GB8809659D0

Abstract

An aircraft having a ducting pipework system 3 for circulating air within the hull of the aircraft, characterised in that there are provided one or more inlets into the ducting system from one or more feed inlet points 6 located at or immediately adjacent the external surface of the aircraft at one or more locations which are readily accessible from the ground when the aircraft is upon the ground and which inlet points are adapted to receive a fluid other than air and which are adapted to be sealed during normal use of the aircraft. The invention also provides a method for altering the environment within an aircraft by feeding a fluid to an inlet point of an aircraft of the invention. The fluid may be water, a coolant gas, or other fire-fighting fluid for fire-fighting, an immobilising gas e.g. for use when the aircraft has been hijacked, or a fumigant for treating a cargo <IMAGE>

Description

TITLE: SYSTEM FOR IMMOBILISING PERSONS The present invention relates to a system for immobilising persons, notably to a system for feeding an immobilising substance, especially a gas, into an aircraft so as to immobilise persons within the aircraft during a highjack or other operation when it is desired to render unconscious or otherwise immobilise unauthorised persons aboard the sircraft.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION: During the last ten years or so the incidence of high jacking or aerial piracy of aircraft has increased to the extent that it is now a significant hazard to aircraft operators.

During such highjack, it is often the case that some or all of the passengers on board the aircraft will be held hostage by the highjackers in order to secure satisfaction of their demands. It would therefore be desirable to have some method for rendering the highjackers immobile, so as to be able to release the hostages and to recover the aircraft intact. It has been proposed to anaesthetise the highjackers by flooding the aircraft body with a suitable gas from containers carried by the aircraft. However, this poses major hazards in case of accidental actuation of the gas release mechanism during flight. Furthermore, the gas bottles can be tampered with by ground staff prior to take off thus rendering the system inoperative.

I have now devised a system which reduces the above problems and provides a simple and effective means for dispensing a suitable gas within the body of an aircraft.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION: Accordingly, the present invention provides an aircraft having a ducting pipework system for circulating air within the hull of the aircraft, characterised in that there are provided one or more inlet points to the ducting system from one or more feed inlets located at or immediately adjacent the external surface of the aircraft at one or more locations which are readily accessible from the ground when the aircraft is upon the ground and which are adapted to receive a fluid other than air and which are adapted to be sealed during normal use of the aircraft.

Preferably, the feed inlet comprises a fluid inlet point located on the external skin of the underbelly of the aircraft so as to be accessible to operators from the ground and also positioned so as to be as difficult to view as possible from the interior of the aircraft. Preferably, such inlet points are located at several points, eg. three or four, along the length of the hull of the aircraft so as to ensure rapid and uniform dispensing of the gas or other fluid into the aircraft cabin.If desired, the inlets can have one way valves or other protective means to minimise the risk of escape of air from the aircraft during flight; and can be provided with tamper-proof or similar closures to reduce the risk of unauthorised access to the inlets for sabotage or other purposes; and can be provided with special security fittings to prevent coupling of conventional hose fittings to the inlets.

The provision of the external inlet points to the aircraft air ducting system provides a simple and effective means for dispensing a gas or other fluid rapidly and uniformly throughout the interior of the aircraft in time of need. By having the inlets accessible externally, the security or other rescue services can link gas cylinders or the like to the aircraft in an inconspicuous manner once the highjacked aircraft has landed, for example during night or by approaching in the blind spot from astern of the aircraft.

It will be appreciated that the conventional air intakes to the ventilation ducting system are not suitable alone for present use, since normally there are only one or two of such inlets, which could give rise to problems in ensuring rapid and overall distribution of any gas throughout the interior of the aircraft. Furthermore, such inlets are often situated in positions not readily accessible to operators on the ground which would hamper rapid and unobserved feed of fluid into the aircraft . Also, they may incorporate fittings which would be capable of accepting conventional gas or other hose terminals, rendering them liable to unauthorised use, eg. to incapacitate the crew of an aircraft when the cargo of the aircraft is to be stolen.

DESCRIPTION OF THE THE DRAWING: To aid understanding of the invention, it will be described with respect to the accompanying drawing which is a diagrammatic longitudinal section through an aircraft hull incorporating a system of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT: A aircraft hull typically comprises a passenger cabin 1 with the control cabin 2 at the forward end thereof. Beneath the flooring and/or ceiling of the cabin 1 run an array of ducts for various purposes. One set of such ducts include the air ventilation ducts 3 which feed individually controlled vents at each passenger seat 4. According the the invention, a series of inlets pipes 5 feed into the ducts 2 from feed points 6 located at the external surface or skin 7 of the hull of the aircraft. Where the aircraft has a sufficiently powerful air injection and circulation pump 8 driving the air around the system, it may be practicable to utilise only one inlet feed pipe 5 located upstream of the pump 8.

However, it will usually be preferred to provide a series of inlet feed pipes 5 into the ducting system 2 along the length of the hull, so as to assist rapid dispersion of a gas throughout the passenger cabin 1 and, optionally, the control cabin 2 of the aircraft. As stated above, the feed points 6 are located where they are accessible to ground crews or the like when the aircraft has landed and are ideally located where they are least visible to occupants of the control cabin, so that they can be approached undetected when the aircraft has landed. Thus, a series of inlet feed pipes 5 can be lead from feed points 6 along the length of the underbelly of the hull of the aircraft as shown.

The feed points 6 are desirably enclosed under lockable skin fittings which prevent unauthorised access to the feed pipes. For example, lockable doors or caps can be provided which require the use of special operating keys which are held by airport security staff. The exposed end of the feed pipe at the feed point preferably is fitted with special fittings which will not accept conventional hose end fittings so as to reduce the risk that an unauthorised person can connect a gas or other conventional hose to the feed pipe 5.

If desired, the pipe 5 or fitting 6 can incorporate tamper proof or one way valve systems to minimise the risk of air leakage from the cabins 1 or 2 or unauthorised tampering with the pipe 5.

The pipes 5 and the feed points 6 can be readily incorporated during the construction of new aircraft or into existing aircraft during a major overhaul or servicing.

The fluid, eg. water, cooling gas or immobilising gas, can be fed to the aircraft from any suitable source, for example from a portable cylinder or other container brought to the aircraft by the security forces, or by a hose from a central secure point.

In use, when a high jacked aircraft has landed, the security forces can approach the aircraft, for example under cover of darkness or whilst the attention of the highjackers is distracted by negotiations or the like, to secure a gas supply 10 to the feed points 6. The gas can be of any type suitable to the desired effect, for example a simple rapid acting anaesthetic gas in the case where it is desired to immobilise highjackers, which is fedd from a secure central store or from a portable cylinder 10.

The invention has been described above in terms of immobilising humans within the cabins of the aircraft.

However, it is also within the scope of the present invention to utilise other forms of gas or fluid, for example a fumigant gas or water mist carried material to fumigate a contaminated cargo within the hull of the aircraft or within solely the cargo hold of the aircraft, and the terms immobilise and persons are top be construed herein in general terms as embracing the treatment of all types of materials to achieve a desired effect thereon.

The invention thus finds use for supplying water, coolant gas or other fire fighting fluid rapidly to the interior of an aircraft from an external source during the fighting of a fire upon the aircraft. The ability to spray such fluids into the passenger cabin has been shown to reduce the risk of suffocation and death to passengers during the period between the fire starting and their escape from the burning aircraft.

Claims

WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. An aircraft having a ducting pipework system for circulating air within the hull of the aircraft, characterised in that there are provided one or more inlets into the ducting system from one or more feed inlet points located at or immediately adjacent the external surface of the aircraft at one or more locations which are readily accessible from the ground when the aircraft is upon the ground and which inlet ppints are adapted to receive a fluid other than air and which are adapted to be sealed during normal use of the aircraft.

2. An aircraft as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fluid inlet points are located on the external skin of the underbelly of the hull of the aircraft so as to be accessible to operators from the ground.

3. An aircraft as claimed in either of claims 1 or 2 wherein the fluid inlet points are located along the length of the hull of the aircraft so as to ensure rapid and uniform dispensing of the gas or other fluid into the ducting pipework serving the interior of the hull of the aircraft.

4. An aircraft as claimed in any one of the preceeding claims wherein the fluid inlet points are provided with one way valves or other means to minimise the risk of escape of air from the hull of the aircraft during flight.

5. An aircraft as claimed in any one of the preceeding claims wherein the fluid inlet points are provided with tamper-proof or similar closures to reduce the risk of unauthorised access to the inlets.

6. An aircraft as claimed in claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described with respect the accompanying drawing.

7. A method for feeding a fluid other than air to the interior of the hull of an aircraft, which comprises feeding the fluid to an inlet point of an aircraft as claimed in any one of the preceeding claims.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the fluid is a gas.

9. A method for combatting a fire within the hull of an aircraft, which method comprises feeding water to the inlet points of an aircraft as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6.

10. A method for altering the environment within the hull of an aircraft substantially as hereinbefore described with respect to the accompanying drawing.