Patent ID: 6682017
Filing Date: 2004-01-27
Classification: B64D,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
An aircraft with a detachable passenger escape cabin (1), said passenger escape cabin (1) extending longitudinally along the fuselage (4) of said aircraft (5) including the cockpit (11) and excluding the tail portion (4a) thereof and mounted upon an opening (3) of said fuselage (4), said passenger escape cabin being compact and detachable in a vertical upward direction when emergency conditions arise, either through smooth detachment after leveling off of said aircraft or through rapid ejection under extremely adverse conditions, wherein the configuration of said opening (3) of said fuselage (4) is such as to be brought in matching contact with said cabin (1) having a corresponding configuration when a circumferential projection (1a) of said cabin (1) sits upon a correspondingly shaped circumferential supporting basement (3a) around the perimeter of said opening (3) of the fuselage (4), a speedily released set of connectors being employed in securely connecting said cabin (1) onto said opening (3) of fuselage (4), said speedily released set of connectors comprising a plurality of connection members (2) fixedly mounted at a circumferential arrangement of points of said cabin (1) below said circumferential projection (1a) thereof and a corresponding plurality of connection members (6) fixedly mounted at a circumferential arrangement of points of said fuselage (4) located so as to come into matching contact with said connection members (2) of said cabin (1), wherein a longitudinally extending chamber (29) is being formed in between each one of the pairs of connection members (2,6), a piston (25) bearing spring catch means (25a) being provided within said chamber (29), wherein said piston (25) and associated spring catch means (25a) is pressed into a locked condition of said connection members (2,6) by means of a compression spring (25b) and wherein, via manipulation of an operating lever (10) located within said cockpit (11), a mechanism is activated which results in said piston (25) moving linearly within said chamber (29) in the direction of compression of said compression spring (25b) and eventually resulting into release of said spring catch means (25a) and subsequent disengagement of said connection members (2,6), which corresponds to an unlocked condition of said connection members (2,6), said cabin (1) further comprising:an arrangement of parachutes (13, 14) and means of deployment thereof; an arrangement of airbags (38), and an arrangement of launching catapults (80) and rocket motors (81) for enhanced speed of vertical upward movement of said detachable passenger escape cabin (1).