Patent ID: 9718554
Date: 2017-08-01
CPC Classifications: B63C,B64C,B64D

Claim:
1. An inflatable life raft system for a rotorcraft having a fuselage, the system comprising: a panel; a hinge attached to the panel and to the fuselage, wherein the panel is hingedly connected to the fuselage by the hinge, and wherein the panel is selectively removable from the rotorcraft by rotation to a prescribed degree of the panel about the hinge; a first adapter coupled to the fuselage; a second adapter coupled to the fuselage; a mechanism configured for selectively removing the panel from the rotorcraft; an inflatable life raft deployable to an exterior of the rotorcraft upon removal of the panel from the rotorcraft; and a backing plate removably coupled to both the first adapter and the second adapter, the backing plate located inboard of the panel, the backing plate being located so as to create a stowage space for the inflatable life raft between the backing plate and the panel; wherein the backing plate is removable from the fuselage while the panel is closed; wherein the hinge is located on an exterior surface of the rotorcraft; and wherein the mechanism configured for selectively removing the panel is only accessed from inside the fuselage of the rotorcraft.