Patent ID: 11964773
Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  G  H  Y | IPC B  G  H

Claim 5:
6. A method for transferring electric power, comprising:
(a) deploying a drogue by unwinding a power cable wound on a power cable spool carried by a donor aircraft;
(b) navigating a donor aircraft and a receiver aircraft to positions where a probe mounted to the receiver aircraft is in proximity with the drogue;
(c) inserting the probe inside the drogue;
(d) clamping the probe to the drogue;
(e) urging electrical conductors of the drogue into electrical contact with electrical conductors of the probe by spring loading in a clamped state to enable the transfer of electrical power from the drogue to the probe;
(f) transferring electric power from the donor aircraft to the drogue via the power cable;
(g) transferring electric power from the drogue to the probe via electrical contacts; and
(h) transferring electric power from the probe to a battery charger onboard the receiver aircraft.