Patent GB-758790-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to aircraft launching devices
IPC: B64F1/10
Filed: 1954-08-06
Abstract: 758,790. Launching aircraft. SOC. NATIONALE DE CONSTRUCTIONS AERONAUTIQUES DU SUD-EST. Aug. 6, 1954 [Oct. 23, 1953], No. 22984/54. Addition to 739,814. Class 4. A launching trolley for aircraft of the type claimed in the parent Specification is characterized in that it comprises a mounting for guiding the aircraft during the passage from its substantially horizontal initial position at rest to its pitching attitude at take-off, devices for drivingly connecting the carriage and the aircraft in order to move the carriage and the aircraft to launch the latter, said aircraft being either in its substantially horizontal position or in its pitching attitude at take-off, and devices for stabilizing the aircraft laterally with respect to the carriage with the aircraft in either of its said positions. The carriage frame comprises a front cross member 1, a rear cross-member 2 and a pair of lateral sills 3. The member 1 supports a resilient undercarriage 18 and is extended forwardly at 5 to carry a pair of brackets 4 which form mountings for a pivoted frame 8. This frame comprises pivoted link-rods 11 of fixed length and telescopic struts 24 mounted at their lower ends on axles each having a fixed lever acted upon by a telescopic dash-pot (not shown) which urge the triangulated framework 11, 24 to the extended position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 in which the fuselage is in the position 10a suitable for take-off. The upper end of each member 24 carries a bearing- member 50 for the pivotal mounting of a roller 6 having a centrally located parallel-sided groove and, on either side of the groove, two oppositelyhanded helical grooves which are engaged by a shaped rib 27a secured to a heel member 9 on the underside of the aircraft fuselage whereby as the aircraft is winched on to the trolley it is automatically centred thereon. A driving-pin 7 and a releasable connection 12 between the fuselage and the trolley similar to those described in the parent Specification, are provided. The rear frame 2, which carries a pair of arms 15 supporting rear wheels 16 and shock-absorbers 20 and provides also a mounting for braking sprags 86, carries a grooved roller 14 similar to the front roller 6. A member 67 fits over the keel 9 at the position occupied by the roller 14 when the aircraft is positioned on the trolley and it is formed with a part-circular recess 68 having a periphery 69 of a section that corresponds with the section of the central groove in the roller 14 so that when the portion 69 fits in the central groove the whole aircraft may pitch about the axis of the roller during take-off. The frame 2 also carries laterally disposed supports which engage projections on the sides of the fuselage to stabilize the aircraft laterally and extensions 27 for the mounting of rockets (not shown) used as an auxiliary propelling means for the trolley. The trolley is drawn rearwardly under the aircraft, which is centred by engagement of the heel 9 with the rollers 14 and 6, until the recess 68 engages the roller 14. In this position the weight of the aircraft depresses the frame 8 to the substantially horizontal position shown in Fig. 1 and during take-off the aircraft pitches from the position 10 to position 10a and then leaves the trolley when a pilot-actuated catch is released. To facilitate the recovery of a landed aircraft by the trolley a spring-loaded catch on the front of the trolley is described. Specifications 740,292 and 754,056, [Group XXXIV], are referred to.