Tail boom saddle for maintaining helicoptor main rotor blades in a stowed configuration for helicopter stowage and transport

Abstract

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.