公开(公告)号：US11260982B2

公开(公告)日：2022-03-01

申请号：US16297179

申请日：2019-03-08

Applicant: TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC.

Inventor： Michael R. Smith ,  Cheng-Ho Tho

IPC: B64C25/56 ,  B64D25/00 ,  B64D45/00 ,  B64C25/58

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a float bag comprising an air bladder configured to inflate when an aircraft lands in the water, a girt coupled to the air bladder and configured to attach the air bladder to the aircraft via at least one airframe fitting, and a load attenuator coupled to the girt and configured to be positioned between the girt and the airframe fitting when the float bag is attached to the aircraft, wherein the plurality of load attenuators are configured to mechanically deform in a progressive failure fashion from a first effective length to a second effective length greater than the first length in response to an applied tensile load on the load attenuators coupled to the plurality of girts and the aircraft airframe, wherein the load attenuators are selected to reduce the force with a total length that minimizes buoyancy depth of the aircraft.

公开(公告)号：US11142334B2

公开(公告)日：2021-10-12

申请号：US15846783

申请日：2017-12-19

Applicant: Textron Innovations Inc.

Inventor： Cheng-Ho Tho ,  Michael Reaugh Smith

IPC: B64D45/00 ,  B64C1/14 ,  B64C1/34

Abstract: An in-flight impact protection system for aircraft. An aircraft having a panel, with a sensor disposed on the aircraft and adapted to transmit a signal and receive a reflection of the signal. A controller coupled to the sensor and adapted to receive the reflection from the sensor to determine whether an object is near the aircraft's panel. An inflation device, which includes a tube member, is coupled to the controller and positioned inside the aircraft, proximate the panel. After determining that the object is near the panel, the controller can activate the inflation device so that the tube member inflates, thereby buttressing at least a portion of the panel. The panel can be a windshield, fuselage member, or other suitable component.