Patent ID: 7387276

Claim:
An airborne sensor pod deployment system, comprising: an aircraft having an interior, an exterior, and maintaining an unaltered original structure comprising a cargo hold accessible to the exterior of the aircraft through a rear cargo ramp and abutting upper door, whereby the ramp and the door may be opened independently; the cargo hold comprising a floor for securing at least one cargo pallet; a cargo pallet removeably secured to the floor of the cargo hold; a rotational system with a rotatable output shaft, the rotational system slidably secured to the top surface of the cargo pallet whereby the rotational system translates forward and aft under the control of a linear actuator; a mechanical arm connecting the output shaft to a sensor pod whereby rotation of the output shaft rotates the sensor pod from the interior of the aircraft to the exterior of the aircraft through an opening provided by at least one of the cargo ramp and the abutting upper door of the aircraft; for at least one angular position of the output shaft, the sensor pod is positioned exterior to the aircraft under the cargo ramp providing an unobstructed field of view below the aircraft to the sensor pod.