Aircraft cargo pod

An aircraft cargo pod for use with helicopters, the pod having a container slidably engaged with a mounting assembly mounted to the underside of the helicopter fuselage. The mounting assembly includes a plate having a pair of side rails sized and shaped to engage channels formed in the sidewalls of the container. The sidewalls and backwalls circumscribe an open top of the container to provide unobstructed access to the entire length of the container. Thus, the aircraft cargo pod of the present invention facilitates easy installation and removal and provides unobstructed access to the interior to facilitate loading and unloading of long and bulky items, such as golf clubs, skis, long-handled tools and the like.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The present invention pertains to cargo containers for use with aircraft, 
and, more particularly, to an external aircraft cargo pod with removable 
container adapted for use with fixed and rotary wing craft. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Existing aircraft cargo containers used on the exterior of aircraft are 
typically fixed in place on the sides or lower portions of the fuselage of 
the aircraft and are equipped with various doors, hatches, and the like 
for loading and unloading cargo, such as baggage, equipment, accessories, 
etc. In many cases, these existing containers are inconvenient to use 
because they are located close to the ground, making access difficult. In 
addition, access can be inhibited or even prevented because of struts, 
wires, landing gear, etc. Removal of the container is impractical because 
it requires special tools and expertise. 
In many cases, it is desirable to have a container that is easily 
accessible for loading long and bulky items, such as golf clubs, skis, 
long-handled tools, and the like. Because of design limitations and space 
constraints, typical containers do not have doors or hatches that 
facilitate storing of bulky equipment and cargo. Removing such containers 
from the craft would be useless because they do not have openings large 
enough to facilitate loading of bulky equipment and cargo. 
Consequently, there is a need for an external aircraft cargo pod that is 
streamlined, aerodynamic, easily mountable and openable, and that provides 
unobstructed access to substantially the entire interior space. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A cargo pod for attachment to the exterior of an aircraft is provided. The 
cargo pod formed in accordance with the present invention comprises a 
container having sides and a bottom attached to the sides to define an 
open interior, the sides including channels formed therein; the container 
further including a cover being sized and shaped to be slidably engaged 
within the channels to completely cover the interior and prevent entry of 
the elements into the interior; a latch for latching the container to the 
cover to prevent unintentional disengagement of the container from the 
cover; and a mounting apparatus for affixing the cover to the aircraft's 
preexisting attachment points such that the container will be slidably 
engageable and disengageable without interference from the aircraft's 
structural components. 
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a cargo pod for 
attachment to the lower exterior of the aircraft is provided. The cargo 
pod formed in accordance with the present invention comprises an elongated 
container having opposing sidewalls, a front wall, and a bottom wall, the 
opposing sidewalls having forward ends that join the front wall, and 
further having rearward ends that join together to form a V-shaped back on 
the container; the side, back, and bottom walls defining an unobstructed 
interior cavity with the sidewalls having exposed edges that circumscribe 
the interior cavity to define a substantially open top on the container. 
As such, the open top provides unobstructed access to the container. The 
container further includes exposed edges on the sidewalls having a track 
formed thereon; a mounting apparatus for mounting the container on the 
lower exterior of the aircraft so that the longitudinal axis of the 
elongated container is parallel to the longitudinal access of the 
aircraft, the mounting apparatus comprising attachment members for 
attachment to existing attachment points on the exterior under the 
aircraft, and further comprising sides that engage the track such that the 
container is slidably engageable with the track from the rear of the 
aircraft to move from a disengaged position to a fully engaged position; 
the mounting apparatus further comprising a cover for completely covering 
the interior cavity when the container is in the fully engaged position. 
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the cargo pod 
further includes a securing apparatus for securing the carriage to the 
mounting apparatus when the carriage is in the fully engaged position. 
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, the track 
comprises a channel formed in the exposed edges of each of the sidewalls. 
In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, the 
engaging apparatus comprises reinforced side edges on the mounting 
apparatus that are sized and shaped to be received within the channels in 
the sidewalls of the container. 
As will be readily appreciated from the foregoing, the present invention 
provides for a cargo pod having a container section that is sized and 
shaped to be attached underneath the exterior of the fuselage of an 
aircraft and provide unobstructed access to the entire interior cavity. 
This facilitates the storage and removal of long, bulky cargo. In 
addition, the container section easily slides rearward to disengage from 
the mounting apparatus, making it easy for ground crews to quickly 
disengage the container portion and remove or load cargo and then 
re-engage the container. The mounting apparatus of the present invention 
utilizes preexisting attachment points on the bottom of the aircraft. In 
addition, the streamlined configuration of the cargo pod renders it 
suitable for attachment to the bottom exterior of aircraft having low 
ground clearance because it presents no interference to the undercarriage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring to FIGS. 1-4, illustrated therein is an aircraft cargo pod 10 
formed in accordance with the present invention as mounted to a helicopter 
12. As shown more clearly in FIGS. 2-3, the cargo pod 10 comprises a 
container 14 and a mounting assembly 16 attached to the underside 18 of 
the helicopter fuselage 20. A skid 22 is shown projecting down from the 
fuselage 20. The mounting assembly 16 includes front brackets 28 and a 
rear bracket 29 attached to the fuselage 20 using commercially available 
fasteners. These front and rear brackets 28, 29 are engaged with 
preexisting attachment points that are built into the fuselage 20 when the 
helicopter 12 is manufactured. Thus, in most cases, attaching the brackets 
28, 29 to the underside of any aircraft can be easily accomplished by 
matching the access points for the fasteners with the preexisting 
attachment points on the aircraft. This avoids structural modification to 
the aircraft and any resulting loss of structural integrity in the 
fuselage and frame. 
The mounting assembly 16 as shown in FIG. 2 further comprises a 
planer-shaped plate 24 with a pair of front mounts 26 and a rear mount 27 
formed thereon. The plate 24 is positioned under the fuselage 20 and the 
front mounts 26 are attached to the front brackets 28 and the rear mount 
27 attached to the rear bracket 29 with aircraft grade fasteners 30. The 
plate 24 includes flanges 32 and 34 projecting at substantially a 
90.degree. angle from the top surface 36 of the plate 24 adjacent 
longitudinal side rails 38 and 40. These flanges 32, 34 provide rigidity 
to the plate 24 as they extend along the length of the elongate plate 24. 
The side rails 38, 40 project outward on either side of the plate 24 and 
are sized and shaped for engagement with the container 14. 
The container 14 is formed of a bottom wall 42 and a pair of sidewalls 44 
and 46 projecting upward therefrom. The sidewalls 44, 46 have forward 
edges 48 and 50, respectively, that join a forward wall 52 that also 
depends upward from the bottom wall 42 and joins the forward edges 48 and 
50 of the sidewalls 44, 46. The sidewalls 44, 46 are substantially 
parallel along the elongate length of the container and then merge 
together at a rearward end 54 of the container to form a V-shaped tail 56. 
Ideally, the sidewalls 44, 46, bottom wall 42, and forward wall 52 are 
integrally formed in one piece, preferably from plastic material, such as 
fiberglass or a non-metallic composite. 
In the preferred embodiment, the sidewalls 44, 46 and forward wall 52 are 
integrally formed with the bottom wall 42 to define an open interior 58 
that is not obstructed by any reinforcing members. In addition, the 
forward wall 52 and sidewalls 44, 46 have exposed edges 60, 62, and 64, 
respectively, that circumscribe an open top area 66, which provides 
unobstructed access to the open interior 58. In other words, the top of 
the container 14 is substantially open and unobstructed except for the 
inwardly projecting edges 60, 62, and 64. 
The edges 62, 64 of the sidewalls 44, 46 form a track 68 in the shape of 
channels 70 and 72 that engage the side rails 38, 40 of the mounting plate 
24. In other words, the side rails 38, 40 are sized and shaped to be 
slidably engaged and disengaged with the channels 70, 72 in the container 
14. 
The forward wall 52 includes contoured portions 74 and 76 on either side of 
the transverse midpoint of the back wall 52 to provide clearance for the 
plate 24 as the container 14 is slidably engaged onto the mounting 
assembly 16. In addition, a notch 78 formed at the transverse midpoint of 
the front wall 52 provides clearance for the fasteners 28 projecting 
through the plate 24 when the container 14 is slidably engaged with the 
mounting assembly 16. 
In use, the container 14 is positioned so that its longitudinal axis is 
parallel to the longitudinal axis of the helicopter 12 with the V-shaped 
tail 56 pointing rearward or opposite the nose of the helicopter 12. The 
container 14 is then positioned with the forward wall 52 just under the 
plate 24 and pushed forward under the underside 18 of the fuselage 20 so 
that the side rails 38, 40 of the plate 24 engage the channels 70, 72 in 
the sidewalls 44, 46. 
The plate 24 is sized and shaped to have a V-shaped end 80 that matches the 
contour of the V-shaped tail 56 of the container. In addition, the plate 
24 has a forward end (not shown) that matches the configuration of the 
front wall 52 of the container 14. Thus, when the container 14 is fully 
slid onto the mounting assembly 16, the V-shaped end 80 of the plate will 
slide into the channels 70, 72 in the V-shaped tail 56 of the container 
14, thus providing a secure engagement in this fully engaged or closed 
position. The channels 70, 72 are sized and shaped to provide a snug fit, 
thereby preventing entry of the elements into the open interior 58 of the 
container 14. 
In the embodiment illustrated herein, latch members 82 and 84 are 
positioned in the V-shaped tail 56 of the container 14 to engage catches 
86 and 88 bolted on the plate 24, securely fastening the container 14 to 
the mounting assembly 16 and preventing unintentional disengagement 
thereof during unusual flight attitudes or from the weight of cargo and 
the G-forces exerted during flight. 
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and 
described, it is to be understood that various changes may be made therein 
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the 
invention is to be limited only by the scope of the claims that follow.