Patent ID: 6676083
Filing Date: 2004-01-13
Classification: B64D,F41F

Abstract:
A method comprising:providing an aircraft having at least one pneumatically actuated store rack and a gas storage system, the gas storage system being configured to contain compressed gas; attaching a store to the store rack; predicting a minimum operational temperature of compressed gas within the gas storage system that is likely to occur during flight of the aircraft; predicting a maximum operational temperature of compressed gas within the gas storage system that is likely to occur during flight of the aircraft; calculating a pressure-to-temperature ratio, the ratio being such that an amount of compressed gas stored within the gas storage system at the ratio would maintain a pressure sufficient to actuate the store rack in a manner to safely and effectively jettison the store from the aircraft regardless of whether such an amount of compressed gas is at the minimum operational temperature and regardless of whether such an amount of compressed gas is at the maximum operational temperature; supplying compressed gas to the gas storage system via a source of compressed gas in a manner such that the gas storage system contains an amount of compressed gas at approximately the calculated pressure-to-temperature ratio; using the amount of compressed gas to actuate the store rack and thereby jettison the store from the aircraft.