RU2387581C2 - Suspending device for helicopter - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: transport.

SUBSTANCE: device represents tray suspended on cables or rods of variable length to helicopter bottom. This tray is made as lattice frame or rectangular fragment of armor protection of helicopter. Along tray perimetre, on axes of rotation, armour-piercing shields are installed with possibility to perform spring-loaded turn up to interconnection by sides with creation of outward inclined solid bulletproof upstand. Four identical spiral springs are attached to the tray, each one of which embraces suspension cable. The springs are joined by set of horizontally oriented planks which are movably joined with cables while being able in deployed spring position to form protective upstand along tray perimetre. This upstand consists of planks oriented in parallel to each other.

EFFECT: improvement of operation conditions.

4 cl, 3 dwg

Description

The invention relates to aeronautical engineering, in particular to suspended multifunctional suspension means mounted on a helicopter.

The closest prototype of the present invention is the design of a lifting and rescue device (RU 2005664 C1 from 12.23.91 and RU 34141 U1 from 03.07.2001), which is a rectangular frame suspended from the bottom of the helicopter, and the frame is made with a sliding mesh bottom, and the device itself has, in addition, floats sliding along the suspension cables with the ability to be fixed on the said cables at certain points with the formation of mesh sides on the frame between the cables. The prototype performs the function of capturing and lifting aboard floating people and objects, as well as the function of transporting outboard cargo by helicopter. The prototype does not have bulletproof, and actively protective (gunshot) capabilities.

The technical result of the invention is a combination of the following results: 1) providing the ability, using a device suspended from the bottom of the helicopter, to carry out the operation of delivering personnel of combat or rescue groups from the helicopter cabin to a hard surface in the mode of helicopter hovering at low altitude, as well as providing the possibility of evacuation of people and objects from the same surface; 2) ensuring the protection of people on the device from bullets and fragments under the fire of enemy small arms during landing and evacuation; 3) ensuring the possibility of targeted fire from small arms of landing and evacuated people at ground targets, moreover with a circular sector of shelling and surveillance; 4) to improve the operational characteristics of the device as a means of transporting outboard cargo by helicopter.

As in the prototype, the main, base part (pallet) of the proposed device has a rectangular shape and is suspended from a helicopter on variable-length cables. Distinctive elements: 1) the suspension part (pallet) is made in the form of a lattice frame or a sheet of hard, strong material that fits into the contour of the bottom of the helicopter (with the function of armor protection of the helicopter from the bottom), as well as a prototype that can be lowered from the bottom by a certain distance; 2) guards forming a bulletproof rim around the perimeter of the pallet; 3) a sliding spring-loaded rack on each side of the pallet. The following distinctive elements are presented as additional devices in possible configurations of the “helicopter and device” system: 4) a soft cover covering the hanging cables and 5) a figured frame expanding the cover; 6) telescopic racks and strut rods.

Figure 1 shows the aforementioned pallet (1) having a suspension on cables (2). Bulletproof shields (3) are attached to the pallet (1) along its outer edges on the spring-loaded axes of rotation with the possibility of spring-loaded turning until the sides come into contact with each other to form an inclined outward side along the perimeter of the pallet, and also with the possibility of spreading out in the same plane with the pallet.

Figure 2 shows a helicopter (4) and a pallet (1) suspended from it on cables (2). On the ropes (2) along all the sides there are attached strips (5) with the possibility of free sliding along the ropes by means of ring elements (6) (see view I). In addition, all the bars (5) are fastened with springs (7) strung one on each cable (2) (see view I), and the rails have latches that allow the springs to be fixed pressed against the bottom of the device (not shown). In addition, on the upper part of the cables (2), a cover (8) made of soft material is attached in a covering manner, and in its lower part, which has expansion due to the built-in frame (9) made of spring-loaded strips and having the ability to spread out horizontally planes together with shields (3) of the side and the pallet (1). Under the figure (10), armed landing and evacuated people are depicted. Number 11 shows the bottom hatch of the helicopter.

Figure 3 shows a helicopter (4), telescopic telescopic racks (12) connected to a mechanical drive to which suspension cables are attached (2), in addition, struts (13) are hingedly attached to the racks (12), each of which is made with the possibility of sliding the opposite end in the grooves (14) made in the fuselage of the helicopter, and with the ability to be fixed at certain points of the said grooves. The dashed line indicates the hanging part of the system (pallet, sides, cover with an expanding frame). The enlarged view I shows the telescopic stand (12), the strut rod (13), the slotted groove (14), number 15 shows the crushed layer consisting of a cover (8) and a frame (9).

The specified technical results are achieved as follows. In the initial position, the pallet (1), together with the flanges (3) spread in the same plane, is pressed to the bottom of the helicopter (4). The helicopter descends over the selected landing site. Then, the suspension cables (2) are pushed off by the amount necessary for the gap between the bottom of the helicopter and the pallet to be sufficient so that the landing personnel (sitting or lying) can comfortably sit (sitting or lying), descended from the helicopter cabin through the bottom hatch . As a result of this etching of the cables (2), the sides (4) pressed to the bottom rotate on the spring-loaded axes of the fastening and, thanks to the elastic force of the axial fastening, are already pressed by the lateral sides to each other at a certain angle to the plane of the pallet and with subsequent temporary fixation between them, thereby forming, together with the pallet, a bulletproof tank on the sides for people and goods. As the pallet is further lowered, the stoppers that hold the springs (7) in a latched state are triggered, the latter are straightened on the cables (2), dragging the straps (5) along, resulting in an additional barrier over the bottom and above the sides that protects the contents of the pallet (1) ) from falling out. When the pallet (1) reaches the landing surface, people, having pressed the rack to the bottom of the pallet, land outside, having the opportunity to return back with the evacuated people or cargo. After that, the pallet (1) is again pulled to the bottom of the helicopter, and its contents are either transported through the bottom hatch (12) into the cabin or transported to the destination. During the above phases of operation of the device in the combat contact zone, the side rails protect people from bullets and fragments, and along the perimeter from all sides at an angle from below. At the same time, it is possible to conduct targeted fire from individual and personal firearms simultaneously at targets on the surface, having a 360-degree firing sector. Thus, the proposed device can be considered as an effective suspended firing point of a helicopter, exceeding the possibility of circular firing with airborne weapons and weapons of paratroopers in the cabin. Then, after moving people inside the cabin of the helicopter, the cables are completely tightened and the frame, along with the sides, is pressed again to the bottom of the helicopter, thereby restoring the initial functional state of the proposed device, which also ensures the aerodynamic properties of the helicopter in cruising flight mode.

In another embodiment of the device configuration, due to the aerodynamic properties of the helicopter (features of the airflow around the fuselage), the cover (8) attached to the cables (2) as the cables are further extended (2), begins to lengthen by a predetermined length and will prevent air from entering the carrier helicopter propeller on the inner plane of the pallet (1) and thereby eliminate the sailing effect, which can reduce the lifting force of the helicopter. The extended part of the cover (frame 9) enhances the dispersion effect of said air flow. Moreover, it should be noted that due to the positive difference between the air pressure inside the cover (8) and the external stream of air flowing around the cover from the screw, the cover material will be under the influence of internal pressurization, which will eliminate the possible effect of material vibration.

In the version of the complete set of the “helicopter and suspension device” system, which provides for the presence of telescopic racks (12) and strut rods (13) in the case when the impact of air currents and recoil during shots will cause an unacceptable chatter of the pallet relative to the helicopter and that will require a fixed position of the pallet at a small away from the helicopter, each of the telescopic racks (13) paired with a strut rod (14) forms a transformable stiffness triangle with emphasis on the bottom of the pallet. Moreover, in the initial position, in which the pallet is pressed to the bottom of the helicopter, and the racks (12) are pulled inside the fuselage, the strut rods (13) are parallelly aligned with the grooves (15). The extended (working) position of the struts (13) and rods (14) thus allows to improve the operational capabilities of the helicopter-pallet system (including aerodynamic qualities) both in the pallet-firing point variant and in the pallet-platform variant for transportation of cargo by helicopter with the placement of the latter outside the fuselage. In the future, if it is necessary to use the pallet as an airborne evacuation means, the racks (12) and the rods (13) remain in the working position, and the cables with the pallet will extend through the racks (12) to the required length and then return to their original, stowed position, in which the telescopic racks together with the strut rods will be previously (previously pressed to the bottom of the helicopter’s cover, sides and the pallet) removed in the fuselage.

It should be emphasized a number of features of the proposed device. The rigid supporting surface of the pallet, in contrast to the soft, mesh supporting surface of the prototype, facilitates the placement of people and cargo, firing from individual small arms, and, in addition, allows, if necessary, to install a temporary, fairly reliably fixed firing point of the easel type (for example , machine gun, NURS). The next defeat by enemy fire of small arms from the ground against targets inside a system formed by a pallet and protective sides is possible primarily from the sides from below, since before hovering, the chosen landing site can be processed using the firearms of the carrier helicopter and also by landing through the pallet grille ( in the configuration option providing for the presence of a trellised bottom on the pallet). In addition to bearing properties, providing visibility and aimed fire, the trellised bottom, letting air flow from the working blades, can also reduce the possible windage of the system and thereby contribute to maintaining the helicopter lifting force in the absence of a cover (13).

One more circumstance should be noted. The use of four suspension cables in the proposed system does not contradict the prevailing design rule, according to which it is unacceptable to use more than one suspension cable on a single-rotor helicopter due to the danger of unbalancing the helicopter-suspension system. In this case, for any permissible change in the spatial position of the helicopter in pitch and roll, the effect of the load, contents (placed) on the remote (hanging) platform, with its resulting projection, does not go beyond the useful area of the helicopter’s cabin, that is, there is no difference whether passengers and cargo are in the cabin of the helicopter or are placed on the platform lowering from the bottom. Thus, in this invention, four suspension cables perform the function of one. A four-rope cargo suspension has an additional advantage over a single-rope suspension, in that it eliminates the torque of the cargo around a vertical axis passing through the center of the suspension.

In addition, the factor of moderate swing of the pallet with the maximum lengthening of the suspension ropes is not an insurmountable factor, since the correct piloting of the helicopter can compensate for this fluctuation, which has been successfully proved by the practice of using the helicopter as an air crane for logging in Canada.

Claims (4)

1. The hanging device of the helicopter containing a pallet in the form of a lattice frame or a sheet of durable material, shields, suspension cable of the pallet to the bottom, springs, rails, the ends of which are movably fastened with cables, each spring being located around the corresponding cable and fixed at one end with a pallet, in addition, containing shields on the axes of rotation, attached around the perimeter of the pallet in a pivotally spring-loaded manner with the possibility of being flattened along the bottom and closely adjacent to each other with the sides to form a continuous of the rim with a slope around the outside of the pallet. 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that it has bulletproof shields made with the possibility of forming a continuous bulletproof side. 3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is provided with covers of soft material covering the upper parts of the cables with expansion due to the presence of a frame of spring-loaded rods, the expansion being made with the possibility of folding with a pallet and shields in the position of the clamp to the bottom of the helicopter. 4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is equipped with telescopic retractable racks with a mechanical drive, each cable being passed through a corresponding rack, on each of which a movable strut rod is pivotally attached, with its opposite end having a sliding connection with a groove inside the helicopter fuselage with the possibility of fixing the end of the said rod at predetermined points in the groove.

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