Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02835241 2013-11-06
WO 2011/137529
PCT/CA2011/000539
HELICOPTER GROUND HANDLING APPARATUS
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to aviation equipment. In particular, the
present invention
relates to an apparatus for helicopter landing, takeoff and transport.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
There is provided a landing cart for a helicopter, comprising a platform
having a front
end and a surface area sufficient to receive a landing helicopter; a wheeled
undercarriage
attached below the platform; a motor located at the rear end of the platform;
a steering
mechanism connecting the motor to the undercarriage; and a control system
attached to
the rear end of the platform; wherein the platform further comprises a central
access
opening for access to the bottom of a helicopter supported on the platform.
The motor
may be a gasoline motor.
The control system may be an hydraulic control system within reach of an
operator at the
rear of the cart. The hydraulic control system may include a first hydraulic
control lever
for controlling forward and rearward motion of the cart, and a second
hydraulic lever for
controlling leftward and rightward turns of the cart, or it may have a single
joystick for
controlling movement. The landing cart may have a remote control system, which
may
be wireless.
The wheeled undercarriage may have at least four wheels. The wheels may be
large
enough for off road and all terrain operations.
At least a portion of the platform surface may be a steel mesh. The platform
may have
side flaps moveable between a raised position for storage and transport, and a
lowered
position coplanar with the platform for helicopter takeoff and landing. In an
alternate
embodiment, the side flaps may be moveable between a raised position coplanar
with the
platform for helicopter takeoff and landing, and a lowered position for
storage and
transport.
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In one embodiment, the landing cart may be attachable to and pulled by another
vehicle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A detailed description of the preferred embodiments is provided by way of
example only
and with reference to the following drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a top perspective view of the apparatus of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of the apparatus of the invention;
Fig. 3 is a side perspective view of the apparatus of the invention carrying a
helicopter;
Fig. 4 is a front view of the apparatus of the invention carrying a
helicopter; and
Fig. 5 is a rear view of the apparatus of the invention carrying a helicopter.
In the drawings, one embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of
example. It is
to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for the
purpose of
illustration and as an aid to understanding, which are not intended as a
definition of the
limits of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
It is well known that landing and ground handling of helicopters is difficult
on terrain that
is not flat and smooth. In many areas where helicopters are used, terrain
conditions make
ground handling of the helicopter very challenging, particularly where the
helicopter's
ground handling wheels are small. The present invention overcomes these
challenges by
providing a safe means for landing, take off and transport of helicopters in a
wide range
of terrains. The wheels of the cart preferably are large enough for all
terrain operation of
the cart.
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PCT/CA2011/000539
According to one embodiment, the apparatus of the present invention comprises
a cart 2
having a generally planar support surface 4, wheels 6 positioned below the
support
surface, and means for controlled movement of the cart.
The support surface includes a central opening 8 inset a selected distance
from the front
and back edges of the surface, and from the left and right edges of the
surface. The
distance between each side edge of the support surface and the opposite edge
of the
opening in the support surface is less than the span between the skids of a
small
helicopter to ensure safe landing and support of the helicopter on the support
surface.
The opening permits easy access to the undercarriage of the helicopter for
maintenance or
other purposes when it is on the cart. Reflective or other indicator markings
10 may be
applied to the upper side of the support surface as a guide for the helicopter
pilot in
landing.
In a preferred embodiment, the cart may have one or two longitudinal side
flaps which
may be reversibly raised and lowered to decrease or increase the surface area
of the
support surface of the cart. For example, a cart may have a central support
surface which
is 8.5 feet wide, with a 1 foot wide flap hinged along each side. In storage
and transport,
the flaps may be in a raised position. For helicopter landing and takeoff, the
flaps may be
lowered to increase the width of the support surface by 2 feet.
In an alternate embodiment, the flaps may be lowered to decrease the surface
area and
raised back into position to increase the surface area of the support surface.
The position
of the wheels under the support surface would be adjusted to accommodate
lowering of
the side flaps in this embodiment.
The dimensions of the support surface and the flaps may vary, with the
limitation that the
cart must be wide and long enough to support a range of helicopter sizes
having differing
skid spans. Preferably, the cart is manufactured of steel, but other high
strength materials
may also be used. The support surface may comprise a solid frame covered by
planar
surface materials. A portion 12 of the surface materials may comprise a
plurality of
openings to reduce the weight of the cart and to allow fluids and other debris
to pass
through the surface of the cart to the ground below.
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The cart may be powered by a gasoline motor 14 disposed in a housing 16 at the
rear of
the cart. Control means such as hydraulic controls may be located in proximity
to the
rear edge of the cart, to allow a user to easily control the movement of the
cart while
walking behind or sitting on the rear of the cart. In the embodiment shown in
the figures,
a pair of hydraulic controls 18 is used, in which one lever controls forward
and backward
movement, and the other controls movement left and right. In a preferred
embodiment, a
single joystick may be used to control forward, backward, left and right
movement of the
cart. In alternate embodiments, control of the cart may be from a remote wired
or
wireless controller operated from the cockpit of the helicopter by the pilot.
In operation, the helicopter is stored on the cart in a hangar or elsewhere.
The user
operates the control means to drive the cart to a desired location for
liftoff. If the side
flaps of the support surface have been lowered, they are raised. The
helicopter is flown
off the cart and landed on the cart after use. The cart may then be driven to
another
location or back to a storage location. The side flaps may be lowered is the
skid span
allows.
The rear operating position and the flat profile of the cart allows clear
visibility all around
for the cart operator, with a clear view of the tail and front of the
helicopter. The rate of
movement of the cart is at walking pace which allows the operator to avoid
'hangar rash',
the minor accidents common in prior art ground handling which may cause damage
to the
helicopter, the hangar, or users.
The means of propulsion of the cart is preferably a fuel engine. In this
specification, fuel
is defined to mean any of gasoline, diesel fuel, propane, or other refillable
liquid
hydrocarbon fuel.
In alternate embodiments, the cart may include shock absorbers or stabilizers
on the
undercarriage to enhance stability off road.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other variations of
the preferred
embodiment may also be practised without departing from the scope of the
invention.
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