Aircrew recovery system

Claim 2

An aircrew recovery system ejectable from an aircraft for deployment into a fixed-wing type aerodynamic vehicle and for emergency descent comprising, in combination: a rigid aircraft ejection seat structure having a back portion; a telescoping boom means attached at the one end thereof to the back portion of said ejection seat structure and extendable to form a fuselage; collapsible wing means operatively connected between the distal ends of said boom means for laterally deploying fixed-wing type airfoil shifting and control surfaces therein from either side of said boom means upon extension thereof; collapsible tail means operatively connected to the other end of said boom means for laterally and vertically deploying stabilizing and control surfaces therein upon extension of said boom means; damper means operatively connected between the distal ends of said boom means for selectively limiting the respective deployment rates of said boom, wing and tail means; and force-inducing means operatively connected to said damper means and said boom means for applying a deployment force thereto.

Claim 3

An aircrew recovery system according to claim 1 further comprising: said damper means including first and second elements respectively attached to the distal ends of said boom means, an intermediate third element viscously slidable relative to said first and second elements, and a fitting formed on the distal end of said second element connected to said force-inducing means.

Claim 4

An aircrew recovery system according to claim 2 further comprising: said boom means including an outside tube pivotally attached to one end to the back of said seat, and an innermost tube having longitudinally slots at spaced intervals around the circumference thereof; and said tail means including leading edge members pivotally attached at one end to said innermost tube within respective ones of said slots, strut means operatively connected between said second element of said damper means and said edge members, trailing edge tail wires connected between the other ends of said edge members and said innermost tube, and flexible coverings attached between said edge members and tail wires forming thereby said stabilizing and control surfaces.

Claim 5

An aircrew recovery system according to claim 3 further comprising: said wing means including opposed inboard leading edge segments pivotally connected at respective one ends to said outside tube near the one end thereof, first linkage means operatively connected between the other ends of said inboard segments and said outside tube near the other end thereof, second linkage means operatively connected between said first linkage meanS and said third element, opposed outboard leading edge segments pivotally connected at respective one ends to the other ends of said inboard segments and having wing tips formed at the respective other ends thereof, trailing edge wing wires connected between the trailing end of said wing tips and said outside tube near the other end thereof, third linkage means operatively connected between said outside tube and said outboard segments and between said inboard segments and said outboard segments for simultaneous deployment of said segments, and flexible coverings attached between said segments and wing wires forming thereby said lifting and control surfaces.

Claim 6

An aircrew recovery system according to claim 4 further comprising: said wing tips each including a pivot intermediate the ends thereof, and lift actuator means operatively connected to said pivot for deflecting the trailing wing edge; said innermost tube including a plurality of pivots intermediate the ends thereof, and stabilizer actuator means operatively connected to said pivots for deflecting the trailing tail edge; and control means operatively connected between said seat and said lift and stabilizer actuator means for providing aircraft control,

Claim 7

An aircrew recovery system according to claim 4 further comprising: bladders contained within said flexible coverings for deforming said surfaces in accordance with air pressure therein, each of said bladders having an opening for receiving ram air, a control valve in said opening, and a fixed orifice; and control means operatively connected between said seat and each of said valves for providing aircraft control.

Claim 8

An aircrew recovery system according to claim 3 further comprising: said wing means including opposed inboard leading edge segments pivotally connected at respective one ends to said outside tube near one end thereof, brace members pivotally attached at respective one ends to said inboard segments intermediate their ends and slidably connected at respective other ends to said outside tube, first pulleys attached to opposite sides of said outside tube near said one end, second pulleys attached to respective ones of said brace members near the other ends thereof, outboard leading edge segments pivotally connected at respective one ends to the other ends of said inboard segments and having wing tips formed at the respective other ends thereof, trailing edge wing wires connected between the trailing ends of said wing tips and said outside tube near the other end thereof, cables operatively connected between said third element of said damper means and respective ones of said outboard segments and routed over the forward side of said first pulley and the aft side of said second pulley for simultaneous deployment of said segments, and flexible coverings attached between said segments and wing wires forming thereby said lifting and control surfaces.

Claim 9

An aircrew recovery system according to claim 7 further comprising: said wing tips each including a pivot intermediate the ends thereof, and lift actuator means operatively connected to said pivot for deflecting the trailing wing edge; said innermost tube including a plurality of pivots intermediate the ends thereof, and stabilizer actuator means operatively connected to said pivots for deflecting the trailing tail edge; and control means operatively connected between said seat and said lift and stabilizer actuator means for providing aircraft control.

Claim 10

An aircrew recovery system according to claim 7 further comprising: bladders contained within said flexible coverings for deforming said surfaces in accordance with air pressure therein, each of said bladders having an opening for receiving ram air, a control valve in said opening, and a fixed orifice; and control means operatively connected between said seat and each of said valves for providing aircraft control.

Claim 11

A collapsible fixed-wing type aircraft comprising, in combination: a rigid seat structure having a back portion; a telescoping boom attached at the one end thereof to the back portion of said seat and extendable to form a fuselage; a collapsible fixed-wing type airfoil assembly having wing and tail members with lift and control surfaces, said assembly operatively connected between the distal ends of said boom for deploying transversely of said boom upon extension thereof; and force means operatively connected to said boom for applying a deployment force thereto.

Claim 12

A collapsible fixed-wing type aircraft comprising, in combination: a rigid seat structure having a back portion; a telescoping boom attached at the one end thereof to the back portion of said seat and extendable to form a fuselage; a collapsible fixed-wing type airfoil assembly having wing and tail members with lift and control surfaces, said assembly operatively connected between the distal ends of said boom for deploying transversely of said boom upon extension thereof; and force means operatively connected to said boom for applying a deployment force thereto.

Claim 13

A collapsible aircraft according to claim 10 further comprising: said left and control surfaces including an inboard leading edge segment pivotally connected at end end to said boom near the one end thereof, first linkage means operatively connected between the other end of said inboard segment and said boom intermediate the ends thereof, second linkage means operatively connected between said first linkage means and said boom, an opposed outboard leading edge segment pivotally connected at one end to the other end of said inboard segment and having wing tip formed at the other end thereof, a trailing edge wing wire connected between the trailing end of said wing tip and said boom near the other end thereof, third linkage means operatively connected between said boom and said outboard segment and between said inboard segment and said outboard segment for simultaneous deployment of said segments, and flexible coverings attached between said segments and wing wire forming thereby lifting and control surfaces.

Claim 14

A collapsible aircraft according to claim 11 further comprising: said boom including a longitudinal slot; and a stabilizer including a leading edge member pivotally attached at one end to said boom within said slot, a strut operatively connected between said boom and said edge member, a trailing edge stabilizer wire connected between the other end of said edge member and said boom, and a flexible covering attached between said edge member and tail wire forming thereby stabilizing and control surfaces.

Claim 15

A collapsible aircraft according to claim 12 further comprising: control means operatively connected between said seat and said control surfaces for controlling the aircraft flight.

Claim 16

A collapsible aircraft according to claim 3 further comprising: said control surface including an inboard leading edge segment pivotally connected at one end of said boom near one end thereof, a brace member pivotally attached at one end to said inboard segment intermediate the ends thereof and slidably connected at the other end to said boom, a first pulley attached to said boom near said one end, a second pulley attached to one end of said brace member near the other end thereof, an outboard leading edge segment pivotally connected at one end to the other end of said inboard segment and having a wing tip formed at the other end thereof, a trailing edge wing wire connected between the trailing end of said wing tip and said boom near the other end thereof, a cable operatively connected between said boom and said outboard segment and routed over the forward side of said first pulley and the aft side of said second pulley for simultaneous deployment of said segments, and flexible coverings attached between said segments and wing wire forming thereby a lifting and control surface.

Claim 17

A collapsible aircraft according to claim 14 further comprising: said boom including a longitudinal slot; and a stabilizer including a leading edge member pivotally attached at one end to said boom within said slot, strut means operatively connected between said boom and said edge member, trailing edge tail wire connected between the other end of said edge member and said boom, and a flexible covering attached between said edge member and tail wire forming thereby a stabilizing and control surface.

Claim 18

A collapsible aircraft according to claim 15 further comprising: control means operatively connected between said seat and said control surfaces for controlling the aircraft flight.