Abstract:
An IDAS compatible weapons mounting platform for a helicopter, such as the UH-1, that allows two weapon stores, including Hellfire, to mount to each side of the aircraft. The platform is compatible with a broad array of weapons, such as the Hellfire and other smart weapons, and increases the total weapon payload to 1,000 lbs per aircraft side, while having positive safety margins throughout the flight profile.

Description:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0001]    This disclosure is generally directed to armament systems, and more particularly to a weapons mounting platform for helicopters outfitted with an Improved Defense Armament System (IDAS) that is mounted at a 45 degree angle with respect to the helicopter cabin. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Recent upgrades to the UH-1 helicopter increased the aircraft&#39;s payload capacity, however, the IDAS conventionally outfitted on the UH-1 is not designed to leverage this new capability due to the design of the single 45 degree mounted bomb release unit. Thus, only one weapon store is able to be mounted each side of the aircraft. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    A IDAS compatible weapons mounting platform for a helicopter, such as the UH-1, that allows two weapons stores, including Hellfire, to mount to each side of the aircraft. The platform is compatible with a broad array of weapons, such as the Hellfire and other smart weapons, and increases the total weapon payload to 1,000 lbs per aircraft side, while having positive safety margins throughout the flight profile. The weapons mounting platform is adapted to secure to the IDAS because it is already equipped on multiple helicopters and it takes advantage of existing equipment without redesign, thus saving cost. 
         [0004]    In one exemplary embodiment, a weapons mounting platform configured to secure to an IDAS mounted to a helicopter, the IDAS having a pair of mounting arms, a support bar secured to and extending between the pair of mounting arms, and a pintle post. The platform includes an inboard store station configured to selectively and securably mount to the IDAS, the inboard store station having a first elongated member including a first store mount defined by two sets of mounting lugs, and configured to extend horizontally from the helicopter when secured to the IDAS. The platform also includes an adapter configured to selectively secure the inboard store station to the IDAS, and an outboard store station configured to selectively and securably mount to the inboard store station, the outboard store station having a second elongated member including a second store mount, and configured to extend horizontally from the helicopter when secured to the inboard store station. The adapter is configured to secure to the support bar of the IDAS. 
         [0005]    The first elongated member is coplanar with the second elongated member. The platform includes a fastener configured to selectively secure an inboard end of the outboard store station to an outboard end of the inboard store station, wherein the inboard end of the outboard store station and the outboard end of the inboard store station each comprise openings configured to receive the fastener with zero tolerance. 
         [0006]    The adapter has a recess configured to receive an inboard end of the inboard store station. An outboard end of the inboard store station has a recess configured to receive an inboard end of the outboard store station. The outboard store station has a pair of the second store mounts defined by three sets of mounting lugs. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a weapons mounting platform; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  illustrates a conventional IDAS including a pair of outwardly curved support arms, a support bar secured to and extending between the upper ends of support arms, and a pintle post; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  illustrates a front view of the weapons mounting platform secured to left side of the helicopter via the IDAS; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  illustrates a partial exploded view of the IDAS, including one adapter having an opening receiving a respective end of the support bar; 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  illustrates hardware, such as bolts, extending through the pair of openings in the adapter and through the openings in the support bar, to secure the respective adapter to the respective end of support arm; 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  illustrates openings configured to accept hardware, which hardware extends through the openings and through corresponding openings at an inboard arm of the inboard store station to secure the inboard store station to the adapter; 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  illustrates a partial exploded view of the outboard store station and the inboard store station; 
           [0014]      FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9  illustrate a complete station that extends generally horizontal from the side of the helicopter cabin; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 10  illustrates a front view of the inboard store station and the outboard store station including the weapon stores, including three sets of evenly spaced lugs integrated into the outboard store station for gun mounts and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 14-inch bomb racks for jettisonable payloads. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    The present disclosure provides an IDAS compatible weapons mounting platform for helicopters that replaces the legacy bomb release unit mount with the components, and reuses the support arms and pintle post. The weapons mounting platform comprises an adapter configured to mount to the support arm, an inboard store station and a selectively attachable/detachable outboard store station. The inboard store station remains installed on the aircraft at all times. 
         [0017]    In one illustrative embodiment, the weapons mounting platform is designed to adapt to the IDAS mount currently on the Bell UH-1 helicopter. The platform provides the ability to carry four weapon stores using NATO 14-inch bomb racks. Stores are located so that minimum military spec clearances are adhered to and moment arms are diminished. The outboard store station can be completely removed from the inboard store station by removing quick-release expansion pins. Bomb rack adapters are designed to mount to two sets of mounting lugs. This allows any number of alternate gun mounts that are compatible with the mounting lugs to replace a store that requires a 14-inch bomb rack. 
         [0018]    The weapons mounting platform structure does not reduce depression limits of the pintle post weapon when the outboard store station is removed (inboard store station only). Depression limits remain the same as limits for legacy bomb rack. Lots of consideration was taken into location of the two outer stores as the moment is greatly increased as the stores move outboard. 
         [0019]    One challenging part of the design was making it strong enough to support the very heavy stores and also ensuring that these stores pass military spec clearances. The lugs on the helicopter are likely the weak link in the design and are a limiting factor as to how much weight the system can support. The design of this weapons mounting platform achieves the military spec clearances. 
         [0020]    The outboard store station is attached to the inboard store station via precision-machined lugs and quick-release expansion pins. These pins ensure a zero-clearance fit between the components, thus guaranteeing boresight retention and pinpoint accuracy of the attached weapon. 
         [0021]    The weapons mounting platform is modular, allowing for maximum firepower when it is needed, and instant weight savings when it is not. The platform is very low maintenance and damage tolerant. 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a perspective view of a weapons mounting platform  10  according to one embodiment of this disclosure secured to an IDAS  12 , which IDAS  12  is secured to a helicopter  14  as is conventional. In one embodiment, the helicopter  14  may be a Bell UH-1. 
         [0023]    The weapons mounting platform  10  comprises three main components, an adapter  20  configured to be secured to the IDAS  12 , an inboard store station  22 , and an outboard store station  24 . The outboard store station  24  is configured to be selectively and securely mounted to the inboard store station  22  using hardware, and also to be easily unmounted from the inboard store station  22  when chosen. Each of the inboard store station  22  and the outboard store station  24  are outfitted with a pair of bomb rack adapters  26  that are configured to securely receive numerous types of weapons using a NATO 14-inch bomb rack. 
         [0024]    The weapons mounting platform  10  is compatible with all of the weapons and attachments listed below. All weapons and combinations have proper military spec jettison clearance.
       M2/M3/M3D/M3M/M3P/GAU-18/GAU-21 .50 cal machine gun   GAU-19.50 cal Gatling gun   M134 7.62 mm Gatling gun   MK19 40 mm grenade launcher   M260/LAU-68 7-shot rocket pod   M261/LAU-61 19-shot rocket pod   TALON 2.75-inch laser guided rocket   DAGR 2.75-inch guided missile   M310 missile launcher, 2-rail, AGM-114 Hellfire   Viper Strike guided glide bomb   Griffin laser-guided bomb   Stinger AIM-92   NC-621 20 mm Cannon   M134 7.62 mm Gatling gun mount   M2/M3 .50 cal machine gun mount   Target spotting lasers and mounts   External auxiliary fuel cell       
 
         [0042]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , there is shown a conventional IDAS  12  including a pair of outwardly curved support arms  30 , a support bar  32  secured to and extending between the upper ends of support arms  30 , and a pintle post  34 . The support bar  32  is seen to include a pair of openings  38  at each end of the support bar  32 , and which are configured to face laterally outward at about a  10  degree angle above a horizontal plane. Each of the support arms  30  are configured to be secured to the airframe of the helicopter  14  using mounting hardware at a midsection of the support arms  30  shown at  42 , and at a lower section of the support arms  30  as shown at  44 . 
         [0043]      FIG. 3  illustrates a front view of the weapons mounting platform  10  secured to the left side of the helicopter  14  via the IDAS  12 . The platform  10  is also configured to mount to the right side of the helicopter  14  (not shown) such that the helicopter  14  can be outfitted with a total of four weapon stores. The platform  10  achieves the military spec clearances of MIL-STD-1289. 
         [0044]      FIG. 4  illustrates a partial exploded view of the IDAS  12 , including one adapter  20  having an opening  28  receiving a respective end of the support bar  32 . Each adapter  20  is shaped generally like the letter D, having a straight side  50  and an outwardly curved portion  52  extending from the top of the straight side  50  to the bottom of the straight side  50 . Each adapter  20  extends at an upward angle A between the support bar and an inboard end of the inboard store station to allow the hardware  58  to enter normal to the surface about the openings  56  and openings  38  to keep the store stations separated from the ground to comply with military spec clearances with the ground ( FIG. 6 ). The straight side  50  has an elongated, inwardly curved, outer surface  54 , a pair of openings  56  extending through opening  28 , and through the outward curved portion  52 . The respective pairs of openings  56  are spaced from one another and line up with the pair of openings  38  each side of the support bar  32  as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0045]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , hardware  58 , such as bolts, extends through the openings  56  and openings  38  (not shown in  FIG. 5 ) to secure the respective adapter  20  to the respective end of support bar  32 . 
         [0046]    The straight side  50  also includes a pair of openings  60  at both the top portion and the bottom portion of the straight side  50 . The inwardly curved surface  54  of each adapter  20  is configured to receive a respective inboard arm  62  of the inboard store station  22 . The openings  60  are configured to accept hardware  64 , which hardware  64  extends through the openings  60  and through corresponding openings at an inboard arm  62  of the inboard store station  22  to secure the inboard store station  22  to the adapter  20 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0047]    Referring to  FIG. 7 , there is shown a partial exploded view of the outboard store station  24  and the inboard store station  22 . An outboard end  66  of the inboard store station  22  has a pair of spaced lugs  70  configured to selectively and securely receive respective inboard lugs  72  of the outboard store station  24 . The lugs  70  each comprise a pair of parallel flanges  74  having respective aligned openings  76  extending through a top portion and a bottom portion of the flanges  74 . Likewise, the lugs  72  each comprise a pair of parallel flanges  78  having respective aligned openings  80  extending through a top portion and a bottom portion of the flanges  78 . The flanges  78  of the outboard store station  24  are configured to be selectively inserted between the flanges  74  of the inboard store station  22  in an interlaced arrangement, and fasteners  82 , such as pins, extend through the openings  76  and  80  to selectively secure the outboard store station  24  to the inboard store station  22 , as shown. These pins ensure a zero-clearance fit between the components, thus guaranteeing boresight retention and pinpoint accuracy of the attached weapon. The inboard store station  22  and the outboard store station  24  are coplanar, and form a complete station that extends generally horizontal from the side of the helicopter  14  cabin, as shown in  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9 . 
         [0048]    Referring to  FIG. 9 , there is shown a plurality of weapon stores  90  attached to the bomb rack adapters  26  of both the inboard store station  22  and the outboard store station  24 .  FIG. 9  illustrates a perspective view of the weapons mounting platform  10  outfitted with a pair of M260/LAU-68 7-shot rocket pods  92 .  FIG. 10  shows a front view of the inboard store station  22  and the outboard station  24  including the weapon stores  90 . Also shown in  FIG. 10  are three sets of evenly spaced lugs  94  integrated into the outboard store station  24  and two sets of evenly spaced lugs  94  integrated into the inboard store station  22  for gun mounts and bomb racks  26  for jettisonable payloads. As shown, the bomb rack adapters  26  are secured to the two inner lugs  94  on outboard store station  24  and on lugs  94  of inboard store station  22 . For some weapon stores, the outer two lugs  94  may be used to meet military spec spacing requirements, and to achieve a balanced load and reduced moments. 
       Legacy Compatibility 
       [0049]    The weapons mounting platform  10  was designed with cost in mind. Legacy components, such as the support arms  30 , pintle post  34  and BRU-59 bomb release units, are reused. The weapons mounting platform  10  is a simple, quick-install upgrade to the legacy IDAS  12 . The lightweight Alkan bomb release unit and Alkan rack adapters are also configurable on the weapons mounting platform  10 . 
         [0050]    Though this disclosure has been described with respect to a specific embodiment(s), many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the present application. The intention is therefore that the appended claims be interpreted as broadly as possible in view of the prior art to include all variations and modifications.