Patent ID: 7954758
Filing Date: 2011-06-07
Classification: B64C,B64F

Abstract:
1. A system for capturing an aircraft in principally thrust-borne flight, said capturing system comprising: (a) a fixture interceptor, the fixture interceptor being attached to a tension element of the aircraft; (b) a linear or curvilinear fixture configured to be suspended across a flight path of the aircraft in a principally horizontal orientation which is not parallel to the flight path of the aircraft, the fixture being rotatable about a vertical or substantially vertical axis; (c) a suspension support configured to suspend the fixture such that the aircraft in principally thrust-borne flight can approach and employ the fixture interceptor to contact the fixture; (d) a fixture interceptor capturer attached to the fixture and configured to engage the fixture interceptor; and (e) an aerodynamic surface attached to the suspension support and configured to passively adjust a rotational position of the fixture about said axis to orient the fixture interceptor capturer relative to the wind direction.