Patent ID: 6769644
Filing Date: 2004-08-03
Classification: B64C

Abstract:
An assembly comprising:a helicopter having a fuselage including a forward section and a tail boom section extending rearward of the forward section, a main rotor assembly extending out from the forward section of the fuselage, and a plurality of main rotor blades operatively coupled to the main rotor assembly, the tail boom section including 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 longerons including first and second upper longerons, the main rotor blades being in a stowed position in which the main rotor blades extend generally rearwardly of the main rotor assembly; and a tail boom saddle detachably secured to the tail boom section of the helicopter, the main rotor blades being operatively secured to the tail boom saddle in a manner such that the tail boom saddle maintains the main rotor blades in the stowed position, the tail boom saddle having an upper saddle portion and a lower saddle portion, the upper and lower saddle portions exerting clamping forces against the tail boom outer skin, the upper portion including first and second support beams, the second support beam being laterally spaced from the first support beam, the first support beam being in engagement with an outer surface of the tail boom outer skin and extending generally along the first upper longeron from the first frame member to the second frame member, the second support beam being in engagement with the outer surface of the tail boom outer skin and extending generally along the second upper longeron from the first frame member to the second frame member.