Textron Innovations Inc.

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Sebastien Duval

Guillaume Noiseux-Boucher

Eric Albert Sinusas

Olivier Andre Boisvert

Steve Michael Loveland

Marc Ouellet

Aaron Alexander Acee

Pascal Flynn-Robitaille

Nicolas Doyon

Pier-Alexandre Pelletier

Francis Turgeon

Simon Rodrigue

Anthony Dionne

Kevin Donald Morris

A retractable cargo hook for aircraft is described. The cargo hook including a torsion spring allowing rotatable attachment to an aircraft body. An optional recessed portion of the aircraft body can house and receive the cargo hook. This can protect interior components from crashes which can push the cargo hook into the aircraft fuselage, damaging components.

Retractable cargo hook

In an aircraft, the airframe includes a windshield frame, with an energy attenuating windshield corner support extending across a corner of the windshield frame. The energy attenuating windshield corner support is configured to deform upon an impact to a windshield disposed in the windshield frame. This energy attenuating windshield corner support may be shaped and/or sized to enable, and/or comprised of a material that enables, the aircraft windshield corner support to deform upon the impact to the windshield disposed in the windshield frame, attenuating energy of the impact to the windshield disposed in the windshield frame.

Energy attenuating aircraft windshield corner supports, systems and methods

According to one implementation of the present disclosure, a stabilizer of an aircraft includes an energy attenuating portion. The energy attenuating portion includes first and second edge sections separated by an adaptable section. The adaptable section may be rigid in a first range of directions and compressible in a second range of directions.

Energy attenuation stabilizers and methods

Layers of plies of composite material are laid on a convex tool surface. A first layer is placed with a first ply of a first section having a gap edge adjacent a gap edge of a first ply of a second section, the edges being parallel and a contraction distance from each other. A second layer is placed with a second ply of the first section having a gap edge adjacent a gap edge of a second ply of the second section, the edges being parallel and a contraction distance from each other, the second ply of the second section overlapping onto the first ply of the first section by a splice distance. Consolidation and curing cause contraction of the layers toward the tool, allowing the adjacent gap edges of each layer to be in close proximity or in contact after moving toward each other during the contraction.

Splice joint in laminate composite structure

A modal restraint system for an occupant of a seat of an aircraft. The modal restraint system includes a strap feeder unit and a strap selectively retractable into and extendable from the strap feeder unit. The strap feeder unit is adapted to switch between a plurality of modes including an unfixed mode and a fixed mode. The strap is extendable from and retractable into the strap feeder unit in the unfixed mode. The strap is substantially unextendable from the strap feeder unit in the fixed mode. The strap feeder unit is in the unfixed mode by default. The strap feeder unit is operable to switch from the unfixed mode to the fixed mode in response to a precautionary event including detection of an operational parameter that is beyond a predetermined threshold, thereby reducing freedom of movement of the occupant relative to the seat.

Aircraft restraint systems with unfixed default mode

According to one implementation of the present disclosure, a stabilizer of an aircraft includes an energy absorbing assembly. The energy absorbing assembly includes first and second portions and a retractable section. The retractable section may be at least partially affixed to the first portion and is configured to enable displacement of the second portion of the stabilizer with respect to the first portion.

Energy absorption stabilizers and methods

A windowed structure includes a body having a frame with an outer wall extending between a first end and a second end. An inner wall extends from the outer wall. The inner wall is connected to the outer wall at the first end to define a proximal joint of the body delimiting a window opening extending through the body. A window element covers the window opening and defines an outer window surface and an inner window surface. The window element has an overlap segment overlaying the outer wall and attached thereto. An unobstructed portion of the window element is defined between the overlap segment and is unobstructed by the frame between the proximal joint.

Aircraft windowed structure

A modal restraint system for an occupant of a seat of an aircraft having a mechanical failure sensor includes a strap feeder unit and a strap selectively retractable into and extendable from the strap feeder unit. The strap is positionable adjacent to the occupant. The strap feeder unit is adapted to switch between a plurality of modes including an unfixed mode and a fixed mode. The strap is extendable from and retractable into the strap feeder unit in the unfixed mode. The strap is substantially unextendable from the strap feeder unit in the fixed mode. The strap feeder unit is in the unfixed mode by default. The strap feeder unit is operable to switch to the fixed mode in response to a precautionary event including detection of an aircraft mechanical failure by the mechanical failure sensor, thereby reducing freedom of movement of the occupant relative to the seat.

A hook system has a mount that includes a first sidewall comprising a concave profile on a longitudinal end of the first sidewall, a second sidewall laterally offset in a fixed location relative to the first sidewall and defining a channel therebetween, the second sidewall having a second concave profile on a longitudinal end of the second sidewall. The hook system also has a first pin structure extending between the first sidewall and the second sidewall and a connector. The connector has a third concave profile, the third concave profile being configured to receive the first pin structure therein. The hook system also includes a second pin structure extending through the connector, wherein each of the first concave profile and the second concave profile are configured to receive the second pin structure therein. The connector is configured to be at least partially received within the channel.

Hook system

Systems and methods include providing an aircraft with a vertical stabilizer system having a vertical stabilizer operatively coupled to a tail boom, tail rotor gearbox, or other component of the aircraft at a forward attachment and an aft attachment. The vertical stabilizer is selectively rotatable to adjust an angle of attack of the vertical stabilizer with respect to a forward flight direction of the aircraft. The vertical stabilizer is rotatable between a forward flight position having a substantially small degree angle of attack and a hover or lateral movement position having a substantially ninety degree angle of attack.

Vertical stabilizer

A landing gear system for an aircraft includes an aft landing gear fitting coupled to the aircraft and a cross tube rotatably coupled to the aft landing gear fitting. The landing gear system also includes first and second wheel fittings coupled to the first and second ends of the cross tube, respectively, and first and second wheels rotatably coupled to the first and second wheel fittings, respectively.

Landing gear systems for aircraft employing a cross tube

A modal restraint system for an occupant of a seat of an aircraft includes a strap feeder unit and a strap selectively retractable into and extendable from the strap feeder unit. The strap is positionable adjacent to the occupant so as to dispose the occupant between the strap and the seat. The strap feeder unit is adapted to switch between a plurality of modes including a fixed mode and an unfixed mode. The strap is substantially unextendable from the strap feeder unit in the fixed mode. The strap is extendable from and retractable into the strap feeder unit in the unfixed mode. The strap feeder unit is in the fixed mode by default. The strap feeder unit is operable to switch to the unfixed mode in response to a user input, thereby increasing freedom of movement of the occupant relative to the seat of the aircraft.

Aircraft restraint systems with fixed default mode

A modal restraint system for an occupant of a seat of an aircraft includes a strap feeder unit and a strap selectively retractable into and extendable from the strap feeder unit. The strap is positionable adjacent to the occupant so as to dispose the occupant between the strap and the seat. The strap feeder unit is adapted to switch between a plurality of modes including an unfixed mode and a fixed mode. The strap is extendable from and retractable into the strap feeder unit in the unfixed mode. The strap is substantially unextendable from the strap feeder unit in the fixed mode. The strap feeder unit is in the unfixed mode by default. The strap feeder unit is operable to switch to the fixed mode in response to a precautionary event, thereby reducing freedom of movement of the occupant relative to the seat of the aircraft.

Growing community of inventors

Terrebonne, Canada

Sebastien Duval