Patent Application
20210171177
This disclosure relates to an airborne platform affixed to a rigid dirigible-like structure from which to conduct activities in the air, allowing for landing and launching of aircraft, transporting people and items, and conducting surveillance and other operations.
Currently, the principal approaches for practical transportation of people, product, and supplies across bodies of water are ships at sea and airplanes in the air; however, both consume a considerable amount of fuel for propulsion and more often in the case of airplanes have relatively small cargo bays limiting the size of cargo being shipped.
In many designs of cargo ships and airplanes, the cargo is contained in enclosed areas (e.g., cargo holds, containers, crates, etc.) and active use of the transported item during shipment is not permissible or feasible.
One specific need is for military aircraft, manned or unmanned, to have a platform on which to land to refuel or re-arm and then continue their operations.
It is therefore desirable to have a vehicle with trans-ocean, or otherwise airborne capabilities, which consist of a large platform or deck from which to perform active operations from while in flight or en route to a destination or hovering while maintaining a presence in a region from which to conduct activities. The large platform may be configured to serve as a deck or runway from which aircraft (e.g., airplanes, helicopters, or otherwise) may take-off or land. This present invention provides for a top deck structure to be affixed to the rigid frame of a dirigible-like aircraft. This platform structure may contain cabins for personnel, storage space for transporting items, and a flat top deck from which to conduct operations. This aircraft's propulsion system may comprise of ducted fans or propellers for driving and steering the vehicle. This propulsion system may be attached to the lower body of the dirigible-like aircraft or to the upper platform structure. The propulsion system may be electric, mechanical, or a hybrid with the power source coming from batteries, engines, gas, and/or nuclear power.
The following implementations and aspects thereof are described and illustrated in conjunction with systems, machines, and methods that are meant to be exemplary and illustrative, not necessarily limiting in scope. In various implementations one or more of the above-described problems have been addressed, while other implementations are directed to other improvements.
Beneficially, the airborne platform according to the invention disclosed herein allows for travel in the air by virtue of the lighter than air gas inside the body of the aircraft or with assisted lift from wings, being propelled by a ducted fan or propeller drive system. The airborne platform itself being able to vertically take-off and land as well as stay afloat for long durations.
The invention advantageously provides a top deck or runway platform which is accessible from the compartments below the deck. Compartment covers may be removed so those on deck can retrieve items stored below the deck structure. The interior frame of the aircraft carrying the platform may have lifts (cable, hydraulic, or otherwise) to deliver items from the cargo areas below deck to the deck top side.
Firstly, in various embodiments, the invention is implemented as using strong albeit lightweight trusses to form the body and support the top deck of the aerial platform.
Additionally, in various embodiments, the top deck is built of a strong lightweight composite that is sufficiently strong to support the impact and weight of various operations conducted on its surface, including, but not limited to the landing and taking-off of aircraft, drones, rockets, and the other items.
In various embodiments, the airborne platform may resemble an airship aircraft carrier, which is a combination of a heavy-lift dirigible and a carrier deck or runway mounted on the top providing an ‘aircraft carrier in the sky’ where aircraft can land, refuel, re-arm, and take off again, or if deck space is available, land and transported until relaunched, or transported below deck. This airship aircraft carrier would be capable of holding jet fuel in tanks in the cargo bay that can be pumped up to the deck for refueling. Armaments, food, and other supplies may also be held below deck in the cargo bay, which also beneficially acts as ballast.
In various embodiments, the body of aircraft supporting the airborne platform is a sideways oval, which helps prevent roll-over due to the heavy deck and cargo on top. The airship body has large rudders, side fins, and vector thrust engines to steer the ship as well as also providing stability. Ballast can also be lowered below the airborne platform vehicle to provide a lower center of gravity to additionally assist in stability.
In various embodiments, the airship has a cable lift platform to enable aircraft, people, or supplies to be lowered from the deck down into the cargo bay and vice versa. Cargo area, fuel tanks, cabins for personnel may also be on the inside of the body of the airship which supports the platform, or to act more efficacious as ballast they may be under the body of the airship supporting the platform, the opposite side of the airship's platform, similar to how the cockpit for blimp-type aircraft is under the blimp structure.
These and other advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the relevant art upon a reading of the following descriptions and a study of the several examples of the drawings.
The present invention can be put into practice in various ways, but embodiments will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Aside from the preferred embodiment or embodiments disclosed below, this invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Thus, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. If only one embodiment is described herein, any claims herein are not to be limited to that embodiment. Moreover, any such claims are not to be read restrictively unless there is clear and convincing evidence manifesting a certain exclusion, restriction, or disclaimer.
Although specific features of the invention are shown in some drawings and not in others, this is for convenience only as each feature may be combined with any or all of the other features in accordance with the invention. The words “including”, “comprising”, “having”, and “with” as used herein are to be interpreted broadly and comprehensively and are not limited to any physical interconnection. Moreover, any embodiments disclosed in the subject application are not to be taken as the only possible embodiments. Other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art.
One or more embodiments of an airborne platform capable of staying afloat for long periods of time or an airborne platform vehicle capable of staying afloat and steering can be used in aerial operations since the platform or vehicle has the self-contained ability to overcome the weight of the vehicle and load necessary to provide lift and airborne maneuvering capabilities.
