Patent ID: 7665691

Claim:
An aerial vehicle launching system comprising: a launch platform having a glide drawer with a first section and a second section, the first section extendably attached to the second section; and a restraint system coupled to the launch platform, wherein the restraint system comprises a passive restraint for each main gear and a nose gear to indirectly restrain an aerial vehicle and configured to coordinate substantially uniform retention and release of the passive restraints in order to launch the aerial vehicle, wherein engagement and disengagement of the passive restraints is at least partly affected by disposition of the first section in relation to the second section, wherein the passive restraint for each main gear and the nose gear comprises elements to allow the main gear and the nose gear to float within a volume but not escape restraint, wherein the passive restraint for the nose gear further comprise a tensioned nose gear lever coupled to the second section to apply a downward force to restrain upward motion of the nose gear, and wherein retraction of the first and second sections retracts the tensioned nose gear lever and removes the passive restraints.