The Boeing Company

Kenneth R MacGregor

Andrew Richard Zimmerle, Jr

Neal W Muylaert

Tim Hillsamer

Kevin L Venisnik

A jack apparatus for lifting an aircraft having landing gear including snow skis comprising a generally rectangular base having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and at least two lateral members extending between the ends. The base is sized and shaped for positioning between the snow skis. The apparatus further includes a lift having a base end pivotally connected to the base adjacent its second end and a lifting end opposite the base end. The apparatus also includes a slide slidably connected to the base and a brace having an upper pivot end pivotally connected to the lift and a lower pivot end pivotally connected to the slide. In addition, the apparatus includes an actuator connected between the base and the slide for sliding the slide along the base.

Jack apparatus

A snow ski tow bar adapts a prior art aircraft tow bar for attachment to a landing gear of an aircraft to which a snow ski has been attached. The snow ski tow bar modifies an existing tow bar with a second set of connectors that adapt the snow ski tow bar for connection to the landing gear of the aircraft having the snow ski. In addition, the existing wheels of the prior art tow bar are replaced with a second set of wheels that are spaced outwardly from the original wheels. This positions the second set of wheels on the snow ski tow bar where they are extended outside the lateral width of the snow ski on the landing gear. The second set of wheels support the tow bar in a position above the snow ski with the second set of tow bar connectors connected to the aircraft landing gear.

Aircraft landing gear snow ski tow bar

A tail boom saddle for use with a helicopter. The helicopter has a fuselage, a main rotor assembly extending out from a forward section of the fuselage, and a plurality of main rotor blades operatively coupled to the main rotor assembly. A tail boom section of the fuselage includes a first frame member, a second frame member longitudinally spaced from the first frame member, a plurality of longerons extending between and intersecting with the first and second frame members, and a tail boom outer skin surrounding the frame members and longerons. The main rotor blades, are movable to a stowed position in which the main rotor blades extend generally rearwardly of the main rotor assembly. The tail boom saddle comprises upper and lower saddle portions adapted to exert clamping forces against the tail boom outer skin. The tail boom saddle is adapted and configured to at least assist in maintaining the main rotor blades in the stowed position. The upper saddle portion includes first and second support beams. The tail boom saddle is configured and adapted such that the first and second support beams engage an outer surface of the tail boom outer skin and extend generally along first and second upper longerons from the first frame member to the second frame member when the tail boom saddle is in a blade maintaining position.

Growing community of inventors

Mesa, AZ, United States of America

Kenneth R MacGregor