Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Maneuverable capture apparatus for airborne deployment and retrieval of parasite aircraft
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Application No.: US16161455Application Date: 2018-10-16
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Publication No.: US11008102B2Publication Date: 2021-05-18
- Inventor: Michael John Ryan , Carlos Alexander Fenny , Joseph Scott Drennan , John Richard McCullough , Brett Rodney Zimmerman
- Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.
- Applicant Address: US TX Fort Worth
- Assignee: Bell Textron Inc.
- Current Assignee: Bell Textron Inc.
- Current Assignee Address: US TX Fort Worth
- Agency: Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley & Norton, LLP
- Main IPC: B64D5/00
- IPC: B64D5/00 ; B64C39/02 ; B64C3/56

Abstract:
In an embodiment, a maneuverable capture device includes a frame, a plurality of rotors secured to the frame, an attachment point disposed on the frame for securing a cable of a carrier aircraft to the frame, and an attachment feature configured to secure maneuverable capture device to a dock of a parasite aircraft. In an embodiment, a method of docking a maneuverable capture device with a parasite aircraft includes positioning a carrier aircraft above a parasite aircraft, releasing the maneuverable capture device attached to the carrier aircraft by a cable from the carrier aircraft, flying the maneuverable capture device to a dock of the parasite aircraft, and securing the maneuverable capture device to the dock of the parasite aircraft.
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