Stencel Aero Engineering Corporation

Lme Inc.

Universal Propulsion Company, Inc.

Survival Engineering, Inc.

Walter R Peck

James W Duncan

Gary F Bradley

Thomas M Britton

Ronald G Chase

Ronald Wayne Oates

George Miseyko

An energy absorber system for aircraft survivability. The energy absorber system includes energy absorbers providing energy absorption in a plurality of occupant weight ranges, said system providing a controlled range of dynamic response index (DRI) and of lumbar load level in one of said occupant weight ranges and greater energy absorption stroke distance in one of said occupant weight ranges as the occupant weight increases toward its maximum value for the weight range.

Aircraft crashworthy energy absorber system

A helicopter safety system provides an increased likelihood of survivability without injury during 'survivable' helicopter crashes. The system provides spinal compression for precompressing an operator's spine in response to a crash signal from a crash sensor. Also included is a strap tensioning device which tensions an inertia reel strap and thus restraining the operator's upper body more effectively in the helicopter seat. Preferably, the strap tensioning device is initiated simultaneously with the spinal compression. Also included are energy absorbers connected to the seat pan, for example, between the seat pan and the seat frame, and airbags connected to the harness. The harness also includes a cross coupling element to provide for a lateral support configuration.

Helicopter seat safety system

A harness and belt assembly for a crewmember of an aircraft including left and right slings, a first belt assembly having first end second ends, a survival kit strap assembly attachment fitting which slidably engages the belt assembly, and a mechanism for releasably attaching the fitting to a seat of an aircraft. The slings are designed to extend from the chest of the crewmember, over the crewmember's shoulders, to the back of the crewmember. The first end of the belt assembly is attached to one of the slings at the portion designed to be adjacent the crewmember's chest. The second end of the belt assembly is attached to the other of the slings. A survival kit belt can be affixed to the fitting so that the survival kit ejects with the crewmember during an ejection.

Safety harness and belt assemblies for aircraft crewmembers

A self contained, self powered microprocessor controlled aircraft ejection seat escape parachute deployment sequencer which can handle problems caused by high altitudes into the stratosphere and by high speeds above Mach 1, and which will deploy the parachute, based on seat mounted pitot tube and ambient pressure readings plus stored data, when speed and altitude are at human physiologically acceptable levels. Many failsafes to cope with unusual conditions, and additional features are also included.

Microprocessor controlled post ejection sequencer

For use with a parachute used after ejection from an aircraft, a discard assembly for disconnecting a parachute deployment mechanism from the parachute in response to the opening of the parachute by a preselected amount. The discard assembly includes a pair of releasably interconnected rods enclosed in a slidable housing. An actuator assembly is coupled to the housing and to the parachute and slides the housing away from one of the rods, thereby allowing them to disconnect, upon opening of the parachute by the preselected amount. The actuator assembly comprises a pair of rings coupled to the parachute on opposite sides of the parachute vent, and a pair of lanyards coupled to the housing and to the parachute, with each lanyard passing through one of the rings. The force generated by the transverse expansion of the opening parachute is transmitted via these rings and lanyards to actuate the discard assembly. The deployment mechanism can include a drogue parachute and a rocket, and four rings and lanyards can be used to add redundancy.

Discard assembly for parachute deployment mechanism

A capsule and rocket extraction system for providing an inflight escape system for the pilot of a damaged aircraft. The system comprises a capsule that is separable from the main fuselage of the aircraft and a rocket for extracting the pilot from the capsule. A control system is carried by the capsule for sensing the capsule's speed, altitude and attitude, and for actuating only the rocket to extract the pilot directly from the capsule when the speed, altitude and attitude are at predetermined conditions, and for sequentially actuating a capsule separation device to separate the capsule from the main fuselage and then actuating the rocket to extract the pilot from the separated capsule when the speed, altitude and attitude are at different predetermined conditions.

Capsule and rocket extraction system

An ejection sequencing system used particularly in an ejection seat operation includes continuous sensing of both airspeed and altitude. The continuous airspeed sensing is accomplished by continuously measuring the airstream temperature and then determining the optimum instant for parachute deployment from the measured temperature, thus making the deployment event temperature-responsive. When the sensed airspeed is within a predetermined acceptable limits, a first signal is generated. Continuous altitude sensing is accomplished by an aneroid barometer and when the sensed altitude is within predetermined acceptable limits, a second signal is generated. When these first and second signals are transmitted to the parachute container, they initiate parachute deployment. Redundant, failsafe system operation can be provided through the use of two or more interconnected airspeed sensing devices having fixed time delays for backup.

Growing community of inventors

Asheville, NC, United States of America

Walter R Peck