US1650346A - Airplane - Google Patents

Description

Navi .22, 1927. 1,650,346

R. F. HALL AIRPLANE Filed June 25, 1923 6 Sheets-Sheet- 1 n vanto@ @Mmmm 'om 22, E927, L

' R, F. HLL

AIRPLANE Filed June 25. 1923 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 22, 1927. l 1,650,346

R. F. HALL AIRPLANE Filed June 25. 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 qw@ smul,

Nov. 22, 1927.

R. F. HALL 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 E www @www www

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Nov. 22, 1927.

R. F. HAI-L AIRPLANE l Filed June'zs. 192s e sheets-snm s arbo: nu,

Nov. 22, 192.7.

R. F'. lMALI.

AIRPLANE Filed June 25.-' 1923 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 122 je@ l] (gn-ventola Patented Nov. 1927. y y

UNITED STATES 1,650,346 PATENT' OFFICE,

" :aaNDoLrH r. HALL, or rimes, New Yonx, asieuon or our-'ramo 'ro moron r. nam., or waLLiNGr-oim, comcrrcu'r, m onli-sum 'ro raux. wrnsoir,

or rrn'aca, NEW Yonx.

AIBPLLIE.

ippueationnied .rue as, im. semi l. uma.

This invention relates to certain improve- Y capable within the spirit and scopelthereof.V

The present invention is mainly directed 'l 15 to the provision of aircraft as airplane carriers or mother ships for transporting powered auxiliary airplanes thereon; and to the design offthe auxiliary airplanes and the mounting thereof on the carrier or mother 2o ship. The invention is characterized in the preferred adaptations thereof by a relatively large aircraft of the heavier-than-air type forming the carrier or mother ship, and a pluralit of powered auxiliary airplanes 'z5 detacha ly mounted and Supported on the mother ship as units thereof and capable of release individually or as a group, vfrom the mother ship during Hight for independent operations.

c One .of the basic objects ofthe invention is to so design the powered auxiliary airplanes and mount the same on the mother ship as elements thereof, that the supporting and control surfaces of the auxiliary air- '35 planes will be in aerodynamical relation and .A `cooperation with the supporting and control Vsurfaces of the carrier or mother ship,

with the result that the balance, control and Y performance generally of the mother ship is 4o Ynot materially impaired or interfered with and thestructure and arrangement presented i Y by lthe carrier or mother ship and the auxiljiary airplanes mounted thereon is properly balanced and aerodynamically ecient.

VAnother fundamental object of the invention is to mount and arrange the powered auxiliary airplanes on the carrier or mother ship, so thatv they provide additional power units for the mother ship, which are coni trollable from a central or localized point on the mother ship, such as thecontrol cockpit thereof, or may be individually co n trolled from the respective lauxiliary airplanes. Y

of pilots or A further object 4of the invention is to 55 arrange for the conservation of the necessaril limited individual fuel supplies of the auxiliary airplanes for use in" independent operations thereof when released from the mother ship, by providing a separate fuel system having a source of fuel supply on the `carrier or mother ship for supplying fuel to the. auxiliary airplanes during operation thereof on the mother ship as power units; and to further provide for automatically disconnecting the separate fuel system and rendering the same inoperative upon release siii the auxiliary airplanes from the mother A further object of the invention is to provide for detachably mounting and supporting.. the powered auxiliary airplanes on the mother ship with a minimum of exposed resistance creating structure, so that the auxiliary airplanes can be individually released from the respective control cockpits thereof or other desired points thereon; or so that the auxiliary airplanes can be released from asihlocalized' point on the carrier or mother A further object of the invention is the provision of mechanism for detachably mounting and supportintg an auxiliary airplane on a carrier or mo er ship in position for flight therefrom, and for maintaini s; the auxiliary airplane .in proper. moun position against. the forces acting thereon during flight, of the mother ship, and which mechanism is operable to instantly release the auxiliary ai lane from the carrier ornoo mother ship for 'ghtb A further object of the invention is to so mount the auxiliary airplanes on the carrier or mother ship and to so design and arrange the latter, that the-auxiliary airplanes are readily accessible from the mother ship to I1 w'. entering the auxiliary airplanes from the motler ship and returning from the auxiliary airplanes tothe carrier or mother ship.

With the foregoing and certain other objects and results in view, which 'other objects and results will be readily apparent to those familiar with the aeronautical art the following description and explanation, the invention consists in certainnovel features in construction and in combination and arrangements of elementsas will be more fully -and particularlyv4 pointed out and referred to hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanyin drawings:

Fig. 1, is a front elevation o a heavierthan-air carrier or mother ship of the biplane type having powered auxiliary airplanes detachably suspended from the lower wing at opposite sides of the chassis, and a powered auxiliary airplane detachably mounted on the upper wing'along the fore and aft axis of the mother ship; the fuel supply from the mother ship to the auxiliary airplanes being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2, is a view in side elevati/on of the 'mother ship and auxiliary airplanes mounted thereon. as showri in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3, is a purely diagrammatical view in perspective of the mechanism for detachably mounting and supporting an auxiliary airplane on the wing of the carrier or mother ship, "a portion of the auxiliary airplane and a portion of the win of the mother ship being shown in relative mounted position in dotted outline.

Fig. 4, is a detail view" in elevation of one of the detachable fittings` of the mecha nism for releasably mounting` the auxiliary airplane on the mother ship as shown in Fig. 3, a portion of the *operating mechanism being shown. v

Fig. 5, is a section through the fitting as shown in Fig. 4.

o Fig. 6, is a view in section of the automatic coupling for the fuel supply lines from the mother ship to the auxiliary airplanes, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. i*

Fig. 7 is a transversesectlon taken on line 7 7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8, is a view in front elevation of a lieavier-than-air carrier or mother ship of the thick internally braced monoplane sean planetype, having powered auxiliary airplanes of the low wing monoplane type susbeing shown.

pended from the win of the mother ship, vand an auxiliary higi wing monoplane of Jthe seaplane type mounted along the fore and aft axis of the mother ship above the body thereof; the passages in the thick wing of the monoplane fromthe fuselage t the coclrpits of theisuspended auxiliary airplanes being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 9, is a diagrammatic view of the transverse section through the thick wing of the mothership of Fig. 8, and showing the form and arrangement of the internal passage therethrough. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of lan auxiliary airplane of the flying boat type detachably mounted on the upperwing ofthe biplane mother ship of Fig. 1, a portion only of the biplane wing truss of the mother ship Fig. 11, is a diagrammatic view of a portion of the mechanism for controlling the power plant of an auxiliary airplane from the the mother ship and of the self-starter and controlling circuit for starting the power plant from the mother shi a portion pf a Wing of the mother ship an of the auxiliary airplane suspended therefrom being shown l grammatical, of the `'detachable operating connections of the auxiliary airplane power plant controlling mechanism shown in Fig. 11.

Fig. 14, is a View in side elevation of a. modified design and mounting of auxiliary airplane on and extending-from the trailing portion of a wing of the mother ship, a portion only ofthe mother ship wing truss being shown.

Fig. 15, isa detail, fragmentary view in top plan of the design, arrangement and "mounting of the auxiliary airplane'and wing of the mother ship, as shown in Fig. 14.

Fig. 16, is a more or less diagrammatical View of an auxiliar glider deta'chably mounted on and exten ing from the trailing portion of a wing ofv thethick internally braced type, the mounting being similar to that shown in Figs. 14 and 15.

' Fig. 17, is a more or less diagrammatical view of one possible form of mechanism for detachably mounting and supporting the modified forms of auxiliary airplanes of Figs. 14, 15 and 16 to the Wing of a carrier or mother ship.

Fig. 18, is a diagrammatical View in perspective /of the'mechanism for detachably mounting and supporting an auxiliary airplane on the wing of a mother ship, as shown 1n Fig. 3, with the mechanism arranged for operation fromcthe mother ship to detach and release the auxiliary airplane therefrom.

In the preferred embodiments and' adapta'- tions of the broad principles and' characteristics of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described here- Y inafter, the airplaneA carrier or mother ship for transporting the auxiliary airplanes is formed by an aircraft of the heavier-thanairtype. However, attention is here' directed to the fact that various features of the inventionv are -equally adapted to use with and application to an' airplane carrier or mother ship formed by an aircraft of the lighter-than-air air type, as will be readily recognized by those familiar with this art and hence itis not desired or intended lby the illustrated examples to limit all features of the invention to use with and on a carrier or mother ship of the heavier-than-air type.

One aeronautical andd mechanical .expres/- sion embodying and presenting the broad principles and features ofithefinvention is illustrated in Pigs. lland 2 of the accom panying drawlngs. 'In this form of the in-K skilled in the art. Power or motor nacelles '18 are mountedbetween the` upper and lower wings 12 and 14 at opposite sides of the fuselage by means of suitable struts or trussing 19, and each is provided with a tractor propeller and a pusher propeller 21, respectively, driven by any suitable power plants or motors (not shown) within the power nacelles 18, .in the usual or any other desired manner.

. detachably mounted on the carrier or mother ship for transportation thereby and release therefrom during flight, and the aux1l1ary aircraft are designed and mounted on the mother ship in proper balance Aand aerodynamical relation therewith, and to form additional power units therefor, so as to secure in the combined craft an aerodynamically eicient structure. In carrying out these principles of the/invention with the type of carrier o r Amother ship presented by the rela- V tively large biplane A of'Figs. 1 and 2,

powered auxlhary airplanes are utilized. In the specific example disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2, a pair of auxiliary airplanes B are detaehably suspended from the lower wing 14 of the mther ship A, anda similar auxil# Viary airplane C is detachably mounted and supported on the upper wing 12 thereof. The auxiliary airplanes B and C, in the present instance are of the tractor monoplane type having a high wing, and each includes a fuselage 22 with the control cockpit 27 therein, monoplane supporting surface or wing 23 of the high type extending across the upper portion of the fuselage with the supporting trusses or struts 24, em'pennage 25, chassis 26, and'tractor propeller P of the variable pitch type .driven by any desired power plant or motor M. The disclosure of the variable pitch propeller P on the auxlliary airplanes B and C is purely diagrammatical to indicate any of the types of variable pitch propellers in general use and familiar to those skilled inthe aeronautical art` and it is not deemed necessary to make aA disclosure of theusual actuating means oper- I able from the control cockpit for controlling propellers Vof this type, it bemg understood that such types of'propellers include suitable control; means therefor.

The auxiliary airplanes B are detachably suspended from the lower wing 14 of the mother ship A, on opposite sides of the chassis 17'and equidistant from the longitudinal or fore and aft axis of the mother ship, and the auxiliary airplane C is detachably mounted and supported on and above the upper wing 14 along the longitudinal axis of the mother ship A. In this manner the lateral balance of the mother ship around the longitudinal axis is maintained, as the loads imposed by the auxiliary airplanes B and C are normally equally distributed with respect to the fore and aft or longitudinal axis pf the carrier or mother ship.

vIn mountedposition of the auxiliary airplanes B suspepdedirom the lower wing 14 of the mothertship A the wings 25 of the auxiliary airplanes are located beneath and covered by the mother ship wing 14 and the -cockpits 27 lie below and are covered by the after or trailing ledge portion of the wing 14.

The fuselages 22 of the auxiliary airplanes B extend forwardly and rearwardly a distance beyond the leading and trailing edges, respectively, of the wing 14 of the motherI ship A, with the tractor propellers P located forwardly of the wing 14 and having ope-rating clearance therewith and with the adjacent structure of the mother ship A. The empennages 25 on the fuselages 22 are positioned to the rear of and spaced from the wing 14 and adjacent structure of the mother ship A, and the chassis 26 of the auxiliary airplanes B terminate in planes above the plane of contact of the mother ship chassis 17, so that the auxiliary airplanes B will have suliicient clearance when the mother ship is on the ground with the auxiliary airplanes B in mounted position thereon. The foregoing relative mounted position of the airplanes B on the mother ship A is clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.I a

The auxiliary airplane C in position mounted on the upper wing 12 of the mother ship A alon'g the fore and aft axis thereof, is supported on or from the wing 12 at points on the fuselage 22 to the rear or aft of the chassis 26, so that the propeller P and chassis 26 are positioned forwardly of the leading edge of the wing 12` with theV monoplane wing 23 oftheauxiliary airplane C located a distance above and extending forwardly from or staggered with respect to the mother ship wing 12, as disclosed in Fig. 2. Due to the use of the high type monoplane wing 23 on the auxiliary airplane C, in mounted position on the upper wing 12 of the mother ship as above described, a maximum space is ob- -tained between the wing 12 of the mother type nionoplane wing 23 shown in dotted outline on one of .the auxiliary airplanes B of Fig. .1, and as shown in the lower auxiliary airplanes of Fig. 8 described hereinafter.

'llie auxiliary airplanes are detachably mounted and supported on the carrier or mother ship in proper position to be released tliere'lroiii fory independent flight during flight of the mother ship, and one form and embodiment of mechanism for this purpose is disclosed herewith by way of example in Figs. 3, 4, and of the accompanying drawings. Themechanism provides in this instance a four point suspension or su port between the auxiliary airplanes an the mother ship, formed by lspaced pairs of littings secured to the auxiliary airplane ,andf

detachablyncoupled oi' connected to similar spaced pairs of fittings secured to the mother ship. rilie release fittings which are secured to the auxiliary airplanes `.comprise a cup or socket member 31 having a. closed.

side formed with a central bore therethrough and the opposite side;v thereof open and adapted to be closed bya removable retaining cap 32 provided with acentral bore therethrough which is alined withY the bore in the opposite closed` sidewall of the cup4 or Socket member`31 when the cap 32 is in position thereon, as shownin detail in Fig. 5

`of the dra-wings. The socket member 31 is Tis' mounted extending transversely through the fitting` 3() in the alined bores thereof with the balls 34 positioned therearound. The pin 35 is longitudinally movable in the fitting 30 and bears on and against the halls 34 positioned theiearound which formv antifriction bearings therefor. (See Fig. 5.)

in' the specific example illustrated, four of the fittings 30 withthe pins 35 mounted therein, are fixed to/and secured on each of the auxiliary airplanes in the relative position indicated in F ig. 3 of the drawings, that is, in spaced pairs with the fittings 30 of each pair at opposite sides of the airplane in horizontal alinement. 'The arrangement more or less diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 3 discloses the manner of mounting and the position of the fittings 30 on the lower or under side of the fuselage 22 of the auxil- 'the retaining cap 38, and'the A'fittin iary airplane Cv which is detachably mounted onithe upper wing 12 of the mother ship A. lIn mounting and suspending the auxiliary airplanes below the wing ofa mother ship, the fittings 30 are fixed on the `upper side of the fuselage in the same relative p0- sit-ions shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

rThis position of the fittings 30 is illustrated in the mounting and suspending of the auxiliary airplanes B on and from the lower Wing 14 of the mother ship A, in which case the fittings 30 are mounted in the relative a1"- rangenient shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings,

"at the upper side of the fuselage 22 forward of the cockpit 27 thereof and` extending above the plane ot' the wing mounted on the fuselage at this portion thereof (see l A second series of fittings v36 similar to tlie'fittiigs 30 are mountedl on the mother ship in position to cooperate with the Iiti tings 30 on the auxiliary airplanes and adapted to be detachably coupled or locked g therewith by the pins 34. The fittings 36 each comprise the cup or socket member 37 havfng a closed side wall vformedl with a.

lbore therethrough, and the opposite `side open and normally closed. by a removable re taining cap 38. A series of antifriction members or balls 34 are loosely mounted and confined in the cupl or socket member 37 by fixed on a base plate'39 foi` attaching the fitting in mounted position, The mounting and relative position ofthe fittings 36 on the mother ship for cooperation with the -fttings 30 and pins 34 on an auxiliary airplane is illustrated in'Fig.-3, in which the fittings 36 are 'fixed in spaced pairs on the upper wing A12 of the mother ship A, in po sition so that the spaced pairs of fittings30 on the auxiliary airplane C fit therebetween and are located adjacent thereto, respective leol ly, with the pin receiving bores of the fi Y tings 30 alined with the hores of the fittings 36, respectively, as disclosed in detail in Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings. With'the'auxiliary airplane C in positionmounted on the upper wing 12 andthe.- fittings 30 alined ceived by the fittings 36 and bear on vand against the balls 34 thereof which formalitifriction bearings therefor (see Fig. 5).

'Thus, the pins 35 connect andlock 'the fit` jtings 3() and 36 together and secure the .aux-

iliary airplane C in mounted position supported Ion and from the wing 12 of the4 mothership A, and by withdrawing' the pins' 35 inwardly'from engagementyvith thefit- Y tings 36 the fittings 30 arev disconnected therefrom and the auxiliary airplane C is detached from the mother ship for release. Any suitable spacing washers and shock `ab- In the detachable mounting of the auxiliary airplanes B suspended from the lower wing 14 of the mother ship A, the fittings 36 are positioned and arranged on the under side of the wing 14 to cooperate with the littings andlocking pins 35 on the upper side of the fuselage 22 of the auxiliary airplanes B, respectively, in a manner similar to that described in detail with respect to the fittings 36 for the auxiliary airplane C on the upper wing 12 of the mother ship A. The position and relative arrangement of the fitting 3() and 36 with the auxiliary airplanes B in position supported on and suspended from the lower wing 14 of the moth- A295er ship A is indicated particularlyin Figs.`

1, 2, l1 and 12 of thedrawings.

Suitable means is provided operable from the desired oints on the mother ship' o1' fronrthe indlvidual auxiliary airplanes, for locking the ittings 30 and 36 together in auxiliary airplane mounted position and for unlocking these ittings to release the auxiliary airplanes from mounted position on the mother ship.- In the preferred adaptation of such means, each auxiliary airplane is provided with individual mechanism operable from the respective control cockpit thereof or other point thereon, for actuating the pins 35 of the fittings 30 to disconnect and unlock the latter from the fittings 36 on the mother ship and permit release of the auxiliary airplane. In Fig. 3 of the'drawings one possible mechanical expression of such mechanism is illustrated. Levers or rods 41 are each pivotally connected at one end thereof to the inwardly extending ends,

respectively, of the opposite pins 35 of each pair* of opposite fittings 30 at 42, and these levers 41 are pivot-ally coupled at 43 and extend between and connecting the opposite pins 35 of each pair of fittings 30,'respectively. In normal position with the opposite pins 35 extending into and locking ,the adjacent fittings 30 and 36, respectively, the rods 4l coupled therewithare in substantial longitudinal y"alinement, l and are maintained normally in this-position by tension means comprising a spring or the like 44 connected between the pivotal coupling 43 of Jthe,

rods and an adjacent fixed structural element, respectively, ofthe auxiliary airplane, such as the fuselage compression members 45 indicated in Fig.

J,The opposite pins 35 of each pair of lit- 30,respectively, can thus be withdrawn inwardly from engagement with the mother ship fittings 36 by pulling on the rods 41 at the point-of pivotal coupling 43 against the tension of the spring 44to fold the rods inwardly from the -ttings, as will be clearby reference to Fig. 3. 'An operating lever 46 is, in the resent example mounted at anaccessible point in the control coc it of the auxiliary airplane C, in any well own or desired manner, and is operatively coupled orconnected with the pairs of operating rods 41 by the cables 47,3respectively, connected with the rods at the pivotal olnts 43, and the cable 48 attached to cables 4 and ex.- tending" therefrom to the operating lever 46. The cables 47, extend over and around a. double block or pulley 49 to permit of their necessary movement in opposite directions during operation, and the cable 48 runs over and on any suitable pulley 50. from cables 47 to the operating vlever 46. With the foregoing mechanism, by moving the operating lever 46 in the control cockpit of the auxiliary ai lane in the proper direction, the connecting cables 48 and 47 draw the pairs of operating rods 41 inwardly against the tension ofthe springs 44, respectively, and the pairs of opposite locking pins 35 are withdrawn from engagement with the mother ship littlngs' 36 to detach planes suspended from the lower wing 14 of the mother ship A. In the latter case the mechanism is mated with. the fittings 30Y on the upper side of a fuselage 22 and'wing 23 thereof, instead of on the under side of the fuselage, as in the case of the auxiliary rairplane C as described in vthe example of Fig. 3. The application, mounting and ar- Y rangement of the release operating mechanism to and o n the auxiliary airplanes, such as B, suspended from the'mother ship will be clear and understood from then `detailed description of this mechanism as applied tov the auxiliary airplane C. y

Under conditions where" it is found desirable or expedient, the detachable fittings and release mechanism therefor, for mounting and supporting the auxiliary airplanes on a mother ship, can be so arranged that the auxiliary airplanes can be released from a localized point, such as the control cockpit, l

of the mother ship insteadof operable from each auxiliary airplane, as hereinbefore ex-l plained with referenced/0 Fig. 3 of the drawdraw the opposite pins 35, respectively, An adaptation of the fittings and 36 for operation from the mother ship, is illustrated d iagrammatically in Fig. 18 of the drawings, as applied to the mounting ofthe auxiliary airplane C on the u per wing 12 of the mother ship for releasel rom the cockpit 11 thereof, and consists essentially. in reversing' the fittings 30 with the pins 35 an'd the operating mechanism therefor, with the fittings 36, so thatx fittings 30 are fixed on the mother ship and fittings 36 on the auxiliary ai' lane. This is accomplished in the ecligc example illustrated by. attaching an with thevir pins 35 and operating mechanism therefory on' lthe upper surface or side' of the mother ship A, and attaching the fittings 36 on the under side of fuselage -22 of auxiliary airplane C arrangedfor co-operation and coupling with fittings in the manner hereinbefore described and explained in de,- tail. The operating lever 46 1s mounted on the mother ship A, for example in the control cockpit 11, and the cable 48 from the cables 47 is extended in any well known manner over Isuitable mountings (not shown) to the control lever. The operation of the fittings arranged in this mann r is the same as described with reference to ig. 3, and the auxilia airplane can be released from mounte position on the wing 12, from the control cockpit of the mother ship A. The foregoing arrangement is carried out on the auxiliary airplanes suspended from the wing of the mother ship such as the auxiliary airplanes B, in thev same manner, with the operating lever of the release mechanism mounted inthe control cockpit of the mother ship. Thus, the auxiliary airplanes so mounted can be simultaneously released from the mother ship A as a group, or can be selectively individually released from a localvized control point on the mother ship A. In place 'of a separate operating lever for the release mechanism for each auxiliary airplane, it is clearly apparent that a single lever can be employed, or various other arrangements for controlling and operating the release mechanisms for the auxiliary airplanes utilized, without going beyond the spirit and scope of this feature of the invention. D

- Whilea specific type and arrangement of Y disclosure to li means and release operating y mechanism therefor,for detachably mounting and supporting the auxiliary airplanes on the carrier or mother ship is illustrated and descrlbed herewith, it is not intended by this init the broad features ofthe invention, which consist in detachably mounting auxiliary airplanes on and for transportation by a mother ship as aerodynamical elements of the resulting comlnned structure and in position for release and iii ht from the mother ship during flight o the latter, to use 'of and with the.

mounting the fittings 30 ing the results of these features of the inven. t

tion may be utilized. However, the illustrated means and mechanism of the inven- 'tion provides a structure and arrangement in which the ,essential requirements of simplicity with positive operation and a minimum increase'in head resistance are present, and'permits of eiiiciently carrying outv and securing the objects and results of the above mentioned broad features ofthe inventin. The auxiliary airplanes have a smaller fuel capacity and considerably less operating range than that of the carrier or mother ship fon which mounted, and as the invention provides for mounting the auxiliary airplanes on the mother ship to form additional vpower units therefor, it follows that in flight of the combinedi craft with the' power plants of the auxiliary airplanes iii operation, the fuel supplies of the auxiliary airplanes will be reduced or may become exhausted, with a correspondin Lidecrease in the range of an auxiliary airp ane when release from the mother shlp -for independent flight. The invention provides for maintaining the fuel supplies of. the auxilf? iary airplanes at a maxlmum so that upon release of an auxiliary airplane for inde- ,pendent flight ,from the mother ship, it will be capableof its normal maximum range notwithstanding lthe extent of operation of the power plant thereof while mounted on the mother shi previous to its release.

In the a aptation illustrated in the draw-s ings asan example of the above feature of the invention, a separate Afuel supply system to the auxiliary airplanes in mounted position on the mother ship is provided, and which system draws fuel from a source of,

Y fuel supply located on the carrier or mother ship. This separate Afuel supply system for the auxiliary airplanes as mounted on the -mother ship A is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in dotted lines in Fig. 1

of the accompanying drawingsband includes" the main supply tank or tanks 51 which may ,be the supply tanks for the motors of thev mot er ship or may be separate tanks, mounted in the present instance` in the fuselagelO of the mother ship A, with the fuel supply lines 52 extending' therefrom through the lower wing 14 toand extending outwardly from the lower wing at points above the auxiliary airplanes B, respectively; and the fuel supply line 53 extending from the tank 51 upwardly through the wing 12 at a point below the auxiliary airplane C. The fuel supply line 53 may extend upwardly from the fuselagelO through one' of the center section struts 15 thereof, as indicated in Fig. 1, to prevent damage to the fuel line, although the invention is not limited to any particular arrangement and l tioned below the tank 51.

any

ler or i I0 thereof.

- Fuel is fed by gravity from the tank 51 in the mother ship, through the fuel lines 52 on opening the cocks 54, to the auxiliary airplanes B, respectively, which are posi- However, it is necessary to provide some means forforcing or elevating fuel to the upper auxiliary airplane C which is locatedy above the fuel supply tank 51, land in the present instance suitable or desired pump 56 of the prowindwheel operated type, is mounted at the lower portion of the fuel line 53 which extends out-wardly to the exte'rior of the fuselage 10. Thus, in flight i of the mother ship the pump 56 is operatedV to force' fuel from the tank 51 upwardly through the fuel line 53 to the auxiliary airplane C. It is to be understood,.of course, that other types of fuel supply systems can Oibe utilized than the gravity and pumpor force feed types illustrated, and it is not intended to.V limit the invention tothe illustrated examples. .Y

The auxiliary airplanes areprovided with any desired types of fuel supply systems for `the power. plants or motors thereof and it is not deemed necessary to makea detailed disclosure or explanation of an of such systems, as they are well known and under- Lstood by those skilled in this art. The fuel supply system of each auxiliary airplane includes the usual fuel supply tank, in the auxiliary airplanes B `the fuel supply tanks 57 are mounted within thefuselages 22 thereof,

0 respectively, and in the airplane C the fuel supply tank 58 is similarly' mounted in the fuselage thereof, all in the usual or any other desired manner, as clearly illustrated in Fig.

1 of the drawings, in which the tanks 57 and 58 are more or less diagrammatically shown in dotted outlineA on the auxiliary airplanes B and C, respectively. The supply'tanks 57 of the auxiliary airplanes B arel each provided with a fuel intake pipe 59 extending '5 upwardlytherefrom through the -fuselage and terminating onzthe exterior thereof; and the supply tank 58`f the auxiliary airplane ing downwardly therethrough lfrom the upthrough and terminatingiat the exterior of the underside of the fuselage 22. The intake pipes 59 ofthe auxiliary airplanes B are so arranged thereon that when the auxiliary airplanes are in position mounted suspended per portion of the tank and outwardlyl clear by reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings.l

Means are provided for` detachably connecting the fuel supply lines from the mother ship to the auxiliary airplanes in mounted position, with the respective supply tank intake pipes of the auxiliary .airplanes` and for automatically closing or shutting off the fuel supply lines on the mother ship upon release of theauxiliary airplanes. rlhis means inthe example illustrated is in the form of a coupling mounted on the ends of the fuel lines for detachably receiving and connecting the auxiliary airplane tank intake pipes with the respective fuel lines, and includes an automatic shutoff valve for the fuel lines. This detachable coupling and automatic shutoff valve form a unit 61 which is illustrated in detail in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings as applied to one of the fuel sup- 'ply lines 52 to the auxiliary airplanes B, but

it will be clear from thefollowing description that the mounting and operation thereof on the fuel line 53 to the auxiliary.- airplane C is the same as in the application of the detachable couplingl as described with reference to a fuel line 52 and airplane B.

The detachable coupling and automatic shutoff valve unit 61, comprises a relatively short tubular housing or casing 62 which fixed in 'the outer free end of the casing 62- andis formed with a valve seat 65 on'the inner end thereof. central bore is provided extending longitudinally through the -valve seat forming plug 64, and a valve stem 66 is mounted for longitudinal movement therein. A series of bores or ducts 7() forming fuel passages are provided longitudinally is provided with an intake pipe 60ext'end-j` through the plug 64 around the cential bore the valve seat 65, as particularly..

Fig. 7 of the drawings. The valve-'stem 66 extends a distance inwardly and outwardly =beyond the plug member 64 and is provided at its inner end ,within the casing 62 withV a valve 67 adapted to seat upon the valve seat' 65 and close the fuel passages through the vided with a cross head or bar 68 extending transversely thereof, and a coiled expansion spring 69 is interposed between the plug 64 andl the crosshead 68, which spring no'r` m'ally forcesthe 4stem 66 outwardly and maintains the valve 67 in seated position on the valve seat 65 closing the fuel passages through the plug 64 from the casing 62, formed` by the bores or ducts 70.

A length of tubing 71, in the present instance of iexible type such as hose, is fitted over thel housing or casing 62 and abuts a positioning collar 72 sweated or otherwise fixed on the casing 62 adjacent` the inner end thereof. The `tubing 71 is tightly secured 'in position on the -casing 62 by a clamping band 73 fixed therearound adjacent the inner end thereof, and extends a distance outwardly from and in continuation of the casing 62. The outer extended end of the tubing 71 is provided with a clamping `band 74 fixed thereon and therearound, for a purpose v'appearing and -explained hereinafter.

The intake pipes 59 of the tanks 57 of auxiliary airplanes B, and the intake pipe 60 of tank 58 of auxiliary airplane C, respectively 'are suitably formed and positioned to fit into the outerv free endsof the tubing 71 of the detachable coupling units 61 on the fuel`` supply lines, when the respective aux,

diary-:airplanes are in mounted position on the V-mother ship, and thus form a coupling and connectiont therebetween. In theI 3detailed disclosure of-Fig. 6 one ofthe int-alie .na detachable coupling vand automatic shutofi' valve unit 61 attached to a fuel supply line 52, and this disclosure is likewiseillustrative of Lthe formation and operation of the intake pipe of auxiliary airplane C and the detachable coupling and shutoff valve funit 61 attached on the fuel supply line 532 Ihe intake pipe 59. extends upwardly from the tank 57 in its respective auxiliary airplane B and is positioned to aline with the depending end of aI fuel supply line 52 and operatively connected with and lit into a detachable coupling unit .61 thereon, when the respective auxiliary airplane' is mounted on the mother ship.

The intake pipe 59 illustrated in Fig. 6, is`

formed with an annular enlargement therearound spaced a distance inwardly from the outer free end thereof, and a suitable positioning collar 76 is sweated or otherwise fixed on and around the pipe 59 substantially at the enlargement 75 thereof. The .end portion or length of pipe 59 from the annular enlargement 75 is gradually reduced in diameter or tapered to form a reduced end portion adapted to freely enter and fit into the tubing 71 of a detachable couplingr unit 61. Any suitable or desired check valve 77 is. mounted in the intake pipe 59, and is normally openpto permit free passage of fuel therethrough, but is adapted to close and prevent escape of fuel from the tank with whhh the intakexpipe is connected when the auxiliary airplane assumes any abnormal vor other position tending to cause fuel to flow outwardly through the intake pipe 59, as will be clear to those familiarwith this art, by reference to Fig. 6 of the drawings.

In operation and use of the detachable coupling and automatic valve unit 61, as

illustrated in Fig. 6, when the auxiliary airplane B is mounted in position on and suspended from the under .side of the wing -14 ofkthe mother ship, the fuel intake pipe 59 for the tank 57, is alined with,

engages the cross bar 68 on the valve stem 66 and, forces the stem inwardly against thel tension of spring 69 with the resultant unseating and inward movement of the valve 67 from the valve seat 65 to open the fuel passages 70 and place the fuel line 52 in coinmunication with the intake pipe 59. In mounted coupled position, the reduced end length of the intake pipe 59 extends into the tube 7l of unit 61 with the reduced end thereof engaging the valve stem cross bar 68 and maintaining valve 67 in open unseated position .against the tension of spring '69. The reduced\end portion of intake pipe 59 extends into the tube 71 the required distance to maintain valve 67 unseated, .with the outer end of the tube. forced onto the the enlarged portion of pipe .59 abutting the positioning collar 76,v and held tightly on and against pipe 59 by the clamping band 74 to obtain a substantially leak proof joint between the intake pipe and the detachable coupling unit 61. With the intake pipe 59 and fuel supply line 52 coupled as above explained, fuel can freely flow from tank 51 on the mother ship to tank 57 on the auxiliary plane B in mounted position thereon, and the supply of fuel in the auxiliary airplane tank maintained at a substantial maximum.

Upon release of the auxiliary airplane li from mounted position suspended from a wing of the mother ship, the intake pipo 59 for the tank 57 of the auxiliary airplane, as illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings, is withdrawn outwardly from position in the tube 71 of coupling unit 61 on the fuel supply line 52 of the mother ship. The withdrawal of intake pipe 59 releases the cross bar 68 and valve stem 66, so that the expansion spring 69 forces the valve stem outlThe operation of the detachable fuel supply line coupling and shutoff valves units 61 between the mother ship and the auxiliary airplanes is entirely automatic, as the mounting of the auxiliary airplanes to the mother planes; and the release of' the auxiliary air-v planes uncouples or disconnects the fuel lines and causes the shutoff valves of the unit-s 61 to immediately close and prevent flow of fuel from the severed supply lines.

If desired, in those fuel supply .lines on the mother ship including a force feed, such as fuel lines 53 with pump 56 for the auxiliary airplane C, any suitable overflow system (not shown) from the tank 58 of the auxiliary airplane can be provided, to care for excessive or unnecessary supply of fuel which may be forced in to the auxiliary airplane tank 5S by the pump 56. The operation and use ot such an overiiow as well as the installations and arrangements thereof will be clear and understood by anyone skilled in this art, and it is not deemed necessary to Vmake a specific disclosure or detailed explanation thereof.

The. invention further contemplates and provides for the control of the auxiliary airplane power plants or motors M from the control cockpits of each respective auxiliary airplane in which mounted, or from a central or localized point, such as the control cockpit 11 of the mother ship A, so that when desired and particularly during operation of the auxiliary airplanes as power units of the mother ship, the speed and power thereof can be controlled by the pilot of the mother ship from a localized point thereon to facilitate piloting and control of the combined craft. One possible mechanical expression of means for securing this result is more or less diagrainmatically illustrated in Figs. 1l, 12 and 13 ofthe drawings.

In addition to the reyersibie or variable pitch propeilers l), hereinbefore referred to, with which the auxiliary airplanes are preferably provided to permit of varying the pitch of the propeller-s to meet various operr wing i2 of the mother ship A is simiating conditions encountered, as will be readily recognized, the auxiliary airplane motors M are each providedwlth a selfstarter which is operable from the mother ship, and by which the pilot of the mother ship can startthe auxiliary airplane power plants as desired. InFig. 11, by wa of an example applicable to all the auxiliary airplanes, a self-starter S of any suitable or desired type is more or less diagrammatically illustrated as operatively coupled to the mot/ or M of an auxiliary airplane B in mounted position suspended vfrom the lower. wing 14 of the mother ship A. A storage battery Tor any other suitable source of electrical energy is mounted ,on the mother ship, in the present instance in the wing 14 thereof although not so limited, and is suitably electrically connected with the self-starter S by the usual circuit U, which includes a control switch V mounted on the mother ship A and preferably accessible from the control cockpit 11 thereof. The switclrv, battery T, control circuit U are purely diagrammatically illustrated and it will be understood that any desired arrangement thereof to secure the results of this feature of the invention may be utilized. A detachable coupling or electrical connection W is provided in the self-starter circuit U between the auxiliary airplane B andthe wing 14 of the mother ship. Inthe presentv instance this detachable electrical coupling W is formed by a plug member 78 mount-ed on the u per side of thefuselage 22 of auxiliary airp ane B aft of and adjacent the control cockpit 27 thereof, and a socket member 79 mounted on the under side of wing 14 in position to be alined with and receive the plug member 78 and electrically couple the portion of the starter circuit U on the auxiliary airplane with the portion thereof on the mother ship, when the auxiliary airplane is in mounted position. In this manner the self-starter circuit U is uncoupled upon release of the auxiliary airplane from the mother ship and electrically coupled when mounted thereon,

through the detachable coupling W formedA by the plug member 78 which is slidably received in and by the socket member 79. Thus, the motors of the auxiliary airplanes can be started when desired from the mother ship by 'operating the control lswitches V of the self-starter circuits U, as will be apparent from the foregoin description in connection with Figs. 11 and 12 of the draw.- lugs.

Mechanism is provided for controlling the speed and power of the motors of the. auxiliary airplanes from the control cockpit or other localized point on the mother ship, and is mounted and arranged to operate in connection with the usual motor throttlev controls from the control cockpits of the auxiliary airplanes, respectively. .An arrocker meiiber 84 are connected with the rangement of this motor control mechanism is diagrammatically illustrated in Figs. 11 and 13 of the accompanyin drawings. The fuselage 22 and motor M o an auxiliaryl airplane Bare diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 11 in mounted position of the auxiliary airplane B on the wing 14 of the.mother ship A, and the usual throttle4 control for the motorl M is shown as comprising a suit-able rocker arm 80 mounted on the throttle valve of the motor carbureter 81, with an operating rod 82 of the ush and pull type extending from the roc er arm 8O tothe manual control lever 83 mounted accessible from `the. control cockpitV 2?, for operation in the usual manner to control the speed and power of ,the motor M. A rocker member 84 is-pivot ally mounted on the upper side of the fuselage 22 of auxiliary airplane, in a substantially horizontal plane transversely thereof, and is provided with a vertically disposed lever 85 extending upwardly therefrom intermediate the ends thereof, as 'clearly shown in Fig. 13 of the drawings. The lever 85 is formed with and terminates in a bifurcated or forked upper free end portion 86. The ends of the pivotally mounted ends of the rocker arm 80, by cables 87 passing over and around the parallel pulleys 88, respectively, mounted 1n any suitable manner in the fuselage 22 below the ends of the rocker member 84. Thus, by actuating the lever 85 to rock the member 84, the rocker arm 80 is operated through cables 87 to open and close the throttle valve ofthe carbureter 81 of noto MQ I A rocker arm 89 sis pivotally mounted in a vertically dis osedI positionwithin the wing 14 of the/mot er ship A, and a rod 90 is connected to the lower end of arm '89 Aand extends outwardly therefrom in a. substantially horizontal position longitudinally of and within the wing 14. The rod 90 terminates in the wing 14 at a pint directly above and alined with the end) of the lever 85 when the auxilia airplane B is in mounted position on an The outer free end of rod 90 is provided with a transverse pin 91, and a spring 92, or other tension device is connected between the wing 14 and rod 90 to normally draw' or pull the latter downwardly. When the auxiliary airplane B is in mounted position on the mother ship, the lever 85 extends upwardly into the wing 14, through a suitable openin formed in the lower sidel or skin Vthereo and the bifurcated or forked end 86 of the lever 85 receives the pin 91 of rod 90, which pin is maintained and held in position in engagement with the lever 85 by the action of the spring 92. Operating cabbles 93 are connected to the opposite ends,

respectively, of the rocker arm 89 and lcxf tend through the wing 14 to any suitable, on the wing structurel of the mother ship to 130 suspended from the wing 14.\

operating lever (not shown) preferably mounted in and accessible from the coclfpit 11 of the mother ship A, by means of which the rocker arm 89 can be actuated.

With the auxilia airplane B, of Figs. 11 and 12, in moun position on the mother ship, the speedI of the motor can be controlled from the mother ship by operating the cables 93 to rock arm 89, which actuates lever 85 on the auxiliary airplane through the forked end 86 of lever 85 connected through pin 91 with the rod 90. The actuation of lever 85 rocks the member 84 and through cables 87 opens and closes the throttle valveof carbureter 81 on motor M by means of the rocker arm 80. Further, the motor M can be also controlled if desired from the cock- `-lpit 27 of the auxiliary airplane, by the control lever 83, as will be 'clear from Fig. 11 of the drawings. -When the auxiliary airplane B of Fig. 11 is detached and released from the mother shipthelever l on' the -auxiliary airplane is withdrawn downwardly from engagement with the rod and pin 91, thus disconnecting the motor control .fmechansm from the mother ship to the auxilia airplane. v .s

The oregoing arrangement and installation of the remote control mechanism for the motors M of yauxiliar airplanes B is readily adaptable to insta lation in connection with an auxiliary airplane mounted' on the vmother ship in the manner of auxiliary airplane C, as well as for installation with auxiliary ariplanes mounted in various other positions on a mother ship', and the mechanical expression of such remote motor control mechanism and the application thereof to one of the auxiliary. airplanes B 'is merely by way of example for purposes of explanation and. illustration of the broad rinciples, operation Iand results thereof. urther, the remote control mechanisml is adapted to use with any means for varying or controlling performance of the motors M, Vsuch as fue mixture, ignition or cooling;r system, as for example the remote control of radiator shutters, and this feature ofthe invention includesremote control of any of the factors upon which the motor performance depends. Y s

aProvlsion is madeY in the design of a mother ship for passage of occupants there.

ship, access is had to an auxiliary airplane C mounted and supported-on the upper wing 12 above the fuse age 10, by climbing from fuselage -10 onto wing 12 from'which point the cockpit 27 of the auxiliaryiairplane Yis readily accessible. If ldesired suitable foot and hand holdsA (not shown) can be provided i assist in mounting to the upper Wing 12, as will-be readily understood. However, in the case of the auxiliary airplanes B suspended from and located below the lower wing 12, it is necessary to design the wing 12 toforin pssages therein through which access can had to the cockpits 27 of theairplanes B, with the latter in mounted position. In the', example illustrated the lower wing 12is provided with openings 94 transversely therethrough forming passages directly aboye and alined with the cockpits 427, re-

ectively, of auxiliary airplanes B when t elatter are in mounted position suspended from the wing 12, as shown in Figs. 2 and 11 of the accompanying drawings. Thus, passage between the fuselage 10 of the mother ship and the cockpits 27 of auxiliary airplanes B, is had alonglower wing 12, on'

which a suitable protecting walk or runway (not shown) can be provided if desired, and through the passages formed in the wing 12 by the openings 94. Closures or doors 95 diagrammatically indicated closing an opening-94 of wing 12 in Fig. 11, arey providedA to prevent ymaterial reduction of f the wing efficiency, and these doors 95 are normally maintained closed but of areadily opened type, such as 'a sliding door or closure. It

will be understood from the foregoing, that if desired a passage can be formed through the upper wing 12 for access to an auxiliary airplane mounted thereon, such as the auxiliary airplane C, in a manner similar to 'that described with reference to auxiliary airplanes B and the wing passages 94 therefor.

The auxiliary airplanes B and C are mounted on the mother ship A in position to form aerodynamical umts of the com` `bined structure, and likewise in position .for

release and flight from the mother ship', as will be clear from the foregoing detailed dcscri tion and explanation of this form and diment exemplifying lthe broad principles and features of the invention. In mounted position, the auxiliary airplanes form a .balanced structure with the mother ship, and the supporting surfaces of the auxiliary airplanes function as additional supporting surfaces of the mother ship to assist in lifting the added weight of the auxiliary airplanes. The performance of the structure lformed by the combined craft will in general be less than the performance of the auxiliary airplanes when detached, so that by setting the supporting surfaces of the auxiliary airplanes at agreater angle of incidence than the angle of the mother ship supporting surface, assistance in compensating for the added weight of the auxiliary airplanes in and increasing the performance of the combined craft may be secured. The control surfaces of the auxiliary airplanes in mounted position on the mother ship maybe utilized to assist in the control of the combined craft,l but the action and results obtained will be determined by the relative positions and mounting of the particular auxiliary airplanes on a mother ship, as will be clear to those skilled in the aeronautical art. Further, as hereinbefore rcv fer-red to, the auxiliary airplanes are mount.

ed Aon the mother ship in position so the power lants or motors M thereof can be operate `to function as additional power ,units for the combined structure, thus perand the lower auxiliary airplanes B canbe jacked or otherwise lifted into position beneath the lowerwing 14. The aiixiliary aircplanes are then detachably connectedA to an locked in mounted position on the mother ship by the dctacha 1e coupling and release means including the fittings 30 and 36, and locking pins 35 with the o erating mechanism therefor, as hereinbe ore described and explained. In taking off for flight with the combined craft the power plants or motors of the auxiliary air-l planes can be started before taking off, or can be started at any time during Hight from the control cockpit of the mother ship by means of the self-starters S and controlling circuits thereof, as determined by flight conditions and the performance desired from the combined craft.

When the motors M of the auxiliary airplanes are operated in flight as additional power units for the combined craft and it is desired to conserve the auxiliary airplane fuel supplies so as to secure maximum range for the auxiliary airplanes upon release from the mother ship for independent flight, the

. fuel supply lines 52 and 53 from the tank 51 on the mother ship to the auxiliary airplane supply tanks, respectively, are opened by the cocks 54 and 55. The detachable fuel .line couplings'and automatic cutoff valve units 61 connecting fuel lines 52 and 53 with the intake pipes 5 9 and 6 0, respectively, o f the auxiliary airplane tanks, are automatically maintained open with the auxiliary airplanes in mounted position, so that, fuel is supplied to the auxiliary tanks from the supply 51 on the mother lship. In this manner as fuel is consumed by operation of motors additionalpower units of the combined craft, the supply in the auxiliary airplane tanks 57 and 58 is maintained at a maximum from tank -51 and fuel supply lines 52 and 53 on the mother ship. The motors M are controllable from the mother ship. during oper- M as lllf

ation thereon to meet the requirements of flight and perfomance conditions, through the medium ofthe remote motor control mechanism hereinbefore described and shown in Figs. 11 and 13 of the drawings, or the motors M can be controlled from the cockpits 27 of the individual auxiliary airplanes, respectively, b the control levers 83 therein. (See Fig. 113 In order to further meet varying flight'. conditions' and requirements, the variable pitch propellers P of the auxiliary airplanes' can be utilized, and particularly to compensate for the different operating conditions encountered by the auxiliary airplanes when o erated independently of the mother ship a ter release therefrom.

During Hight of the combined craft, the auxiliary airplanes B and C can be released therefrom lfor independent flight by operating the \control levers 46 of the respective auxiliary airplanes to be released, to unlock the detachable fittings and 36 thereof and detach the auxiliary airplanes from the mother shi Due to the mounted position of the auxi iary airplanes, upon detachment fromthe mother ship they are immediately placed in independent flight, the. release preferably being made with the mother ship in a glide or dive so that in effect the auxil- 30 ,ia airgtlanes are projected into controllable iig t. pon release ofthe auxiliary airlanes the detachable fuel line couplings 61 tween the mother ship and the auxiliary air lanes disconnect or sever the fuel lines an automatically function to shutoff and close the severed lines on the mother ship. The remote motor control mechanisms, as well as the self-starterfcircuits are likewise automatically disconnected instantlyl upon release of the auxiliary airplanes, as explained in detail in the foregoing "description. The auxiliary airplanes are individually releasable from the res ectiv'e control cockpits thereof as illustratedJ by Fig. 3 of the drawings, or are releasable from the `mother ship by the use of the ldetachable coupling and release mechanism arranged as shown in and described with reference to Fig. 18 of the drawings.

The invention contemplates the use of auxiliary aircraft of the water type, such as seaplanes, hydroplanes and flying boats, as Well as of the land type exemplified by the auxiliary airplanes B and C, hereinbefore described, and further provides for mounting both land and 'Water types upon a mother ship. In Fig. 10 of the accompanying drawings an auxiliary aircraft D of the flying boat type is more or less diagrammatically illustrated as detachably mounted and supported on the upper Wing 12 of the mother ship A'of Figs. 1 and 2. The auxilia aircraft'D is mounted in a manner simi ar to the auxiliary airplane C by means of the described detachable mounting and utility in the event of the mother ship A being forced to land in a; body of Water such as a river or the sea. Experience has shown that an airplane generall sinks slowly after landing on water, and lience by mounting the flying boat D on the upper wing of the mother ship, a'n efficient means of escape from the mother ship is provided in such an'emergency, as the flying boat D could be released and would float clear of the mother ship and flight could then be resumed with the flying boat D.

Another type and 'design of mother ship and auxiliary aircraft mounted thereon embodying the invent-ion, is illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings. In this instance the .mother ship E is formed by a seaplane'y having the control cockpit 101'in the forward portion thereof; pontoons 102! supported from,t the fuselage by a system of braces or struts 103; thick section internally braced monoplane wing or supporting" surface 104 extending from opposite upper sides of the fuselage `100; multiple power units or motors 105 mounted in the wing 104 at opposite sides of thev fuselage 100 and driving tractor propellers 106; and-any suitable tail assembly or empennage `(not shown). The general design and arrangement of the mother shi understood by those skil ed in this art from the foregoing brief description in connection with the disclosures of Fig. 8 of the drawings. Auxiliary airplanes F are detachably mounted and suspended from the wing 104 at opposite sides of the fuselage 100 equidistant therefrom, respectively, andan auxiliary craft of the flying boat or seaplane type G is detachably mounted and supported on the upper sideof the fuselage. 100

The auxiliary airplanes F are of the low or underslung monoplane type having a fuselage 107 and vthe monoplane wing 108. fA variable pitch tractor propeller P. is provided on each airplane F and is driven by .any suitableJ power plant (not shown) mounted7 within the fuselage 107 thereof. The remainin general design substantially conforms to that of the auxiliary airplanes B, hereinbefore described. The auxiliary iiying boat or seaplane G is of the high wing monoplane type and includes/the body or hull 109; high or parasol type monoplane wing 110; and motor ,M driving a pusher .propeller P. The auxiliary aircraft F and G are detachably mounted for release in a manner similar to that desc/ribedwith refer- E will be readily A ence to the auxiliary airlanes B and C on the mother ship A, and t e detachable couplin and release means of the type hereinbegro described in detail, includin de- ,tachable fittings and 36, locking pins 35 and operating mechanism therefor, c an be utilized for detachably mounting the auxiliary craft F and G on the mother shi E for release therefrom during flight. T e separate'or independent fuel supply systemen the mother ship for maintaining the auxiliary airplane fuel supplies at a maximum, described in detail with reference to the mother ship A in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and including the detachable fuell line coupling and automa-tic shutoff valve units 61, is provided on the mother ship E for supplying fuel tothe power plants of tbe auxiliary airplanes F and Gr.` Further, the remote motor control mechanism of Figs. 11 'and 13, may be applied to the mother ship E and auxiliary airplanes F and G, and the arrangement and operation thereof will be similar to that described with reference to the mother ship A.

In the type of mother ship E access to and from the fuselage 101 and the lower auxiliary airplanes F beneath the wing 104, is provided for by passages 111 formed within the wing 104 and extending longitudinally thereof, from opposite sides ofthe fuselage 100 to and terminating within the wing directlyv above the fuselages 107 of auxiliary airplanes F, respectively, when the latter are in mounted position suspended from the wing. Closures or doors 112 are provided in the sides of fuselage 100 for normally closing or shutting off the passages 111 from the interior of the fuselage. The outer ends of the passages 111 ,terminate in o nings through the lower surface or skin of t e wing 104, which are alined with the cock its (not shown) of the auxiliary airplanes I respectively. Inwardly operating doors or closures 114 are provided for normally closing the openings, respectively, through the lower skin of win 104. Access to the auxiliary flying boat (g can be had from cockpit 101 of the mother ship fuselage 100 by passing over the upper side thereof, or access can be had from the interior of the fuselage 100 by climbing up suitable hand and foot holds 115 therein and climbing onto the u r side of the fuselage 'throu h4 any suitab e opening (not shown) formed therein. a

The types and designs of auxiliary aircraft hereinbefore described andk ex lained have been mounted on the mother s ip supporting surfaces either thereabove or suspended therebelow, but theinvention contemplates mounting auxiliary aircraft in other positions on 'and with r ct to the mother ship, and several modifie designs of auxiliary aircraft and the 'mounting thereof on a mother ship ar'e diagrammatically illustrated in Figs. 14, 15 and 16 ofJ the accompanying drawings.

In Fig. 15 of the drawings a modifieddesign of auxiliary airplane and mounting thereof on Ythe mothership A is shown, in which an auxiliary airplane H is detachably mounted on the wing 14 of mother ship A, and extends rearwardly from the trailing edge thereof. In the example shown the auxiliary airplane H is of the biplane type having a fuselage 116 terminating in a blunt y or fiat nose at which a tractor propeller P is mounted. The wing 14 Aof the mother ship is formed with a cutaway portion 117 in the trailing edge portion thereof, sha d to receive the nose of the fuselage 116 o auxiliaryairplane H, and a streamline builtup portion 118 is formed on the wing 14 forwardly of the cutaway ortion 117 of the wing and terminates at t e rear end thereof in a concave face forming a recess 119 to receive the propeller P and.streamline hub or cap thereof. The built-up portion 118 on the wing 14 is adapted to aline with and lary airplane H fuselage 116 isi-provided, for

example, with the usual pairs of upper and lower longrons 120, and the built-up portion 118 on wing 14 is likewise provided with vpairs of u per and lower longitudinal members v121 a apted to` abut at the rear ends and aline with the forward ends of the fuselage longrons 120, respectively. Detachable coupling units 122 are mounted between and connecting the abutting alined ends of fuselage longrons 120 'andthe ends of the longitudinal members 121 of the built-up wing portion 118. Each vcoupling unit 122 is provided with a locking pin 123 and the opposite pairs of locking` pins, respectively are connected by the pivoted rods 124. extendin therebetween, and maintained in. norma locking position by means of a tension member or spring 125 connected to a member 126 of the built-up wing portion 118. An operating lever 127 is mounted in the auxiliary airplane H and is connected with the pivoted rods 1'24 by means of a suitable system* ofoperating cables 128, diagrammatically illustrate'd in the drawings. Thus, by actuating lever 127, the locking pins 123 of each opposite pairv of coupling units 122, respectively,

l From the foregoin ,that the broad princip es and features of the canbe withdrawn. therefrom to^detach the same and release the auxiliary airplaneq H from the wing 14 of the mother ship.

A further modified' type and design of auxiliary aircraft I is diagrammatica'lly illustrated in Fig. 16 of the drawings, as detachably mounted on and supported extendin rearwardly from the trailing edge of a t ick wing, such as the wing 104 of mother ship E, disclosed in Fig. y8 of the drawin s. The auxiliary aircraft I is of the gli er type and is detachably mounted to the wing 104 in a cutaway portion formed in the trailing edge portion thereof, in a manner similar to that described with reference to the auxiliary airplane H of Figs. 14 and 15. The thick section internally braced type of win 104 provides the forward continuation o the fuselage of the Glider I without the necessity of forming a Juilt-up portion on the win as in Figs. 14 and 15. Access to the gli er I is had from the fuselage of the mother ship through the longitudinal wing passage 111, hereinbefore described, and a transverse passage 129 alined with and opening into the nose of the glider fuselage, as lwill be clear by reference to Fig. 16 of the drawings. The detachable mechanism including coupling units 122 and operating lever 127 mounted in the glider I, are utilized for detachably coupling the glider in mounted position on the ,wing 104, for release therefrom in `flight of the mother ship. The arrangement and op# eration of this mechanism will be clear from the description thereof, with reference to the auxiliary airplane H, and Fig. 17 of the drawings.

examples it is seen invention are capable of various other aeronautical and mechanical expressions, and that the invention is not limited to any particular type or design, of mother ship or of auxilary aircraft mounted thereon. Further, any desired number and. mounting arrangement of auxiliary aircraft on and with res ect to a mother ship may be utilized, and t e illustrated arrangements are disclosed merely for purposes of explaining the various features and rinciples of the invention.

Attention is directed to the fact that in the use and operation of the invention the auxiliary airplanes can be returned to the mother ship in flight after release therefrom, by employing any of the known methods of securing contact between aircraft in flight, as by trailing a lead from one which lead is engaged by the other craft and then drawing the lead to bring the attached or engage craft into mounted position on and with, respect to the other craft.

The various uses and results of the invention as hereinbefore described and explained will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description and explanation of the accompanying drawings. Among some of the various uses may be mentioned the following. In commercial work the auxiliary airplanes can be employed for local descents on nonstop or through flights of the mother ship, and the mother shi can be used for the transportation and de ivery of aircraft shipments. In military work, a mothership can be employed for bombing or the like operations, and the auxiliary airplanes released to act as protection for the mother ship in case of attack.

The term aircraft is employed in the appended claims in the broad, generic sense to include any. and all types and designs,.both heavier-than-air and lighter-than-air; and the term airplane as used in the claims includes all types and designstof heavierthan-air craft, both land and water, as well as gliders and semi-gliders.

It is evident that various modifications, variations, changes, and substitutionssmight be resortedgto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and hence I do not wish to limit the invention to the exact disclosures hereof. y

Desiring to protect my vinvention in the broadest manner legally possible, what I claim is: p

` 1. The combination with an airplane including a supporting surface, of anauxiliary airplane detachably suspended from the wing thereof in aerodynamic relation therewith, said auxiliary airplane in position thereon for release and Hight therefrom.

2. The combination. with an airplane, of an auxiliary airplane of the low inonoplane wing type detachably suspended below a- Supporting surface of the airplane with the wing of the auxiliary airplane in aerodynamic relation with said supporting surface.

3. The combination with an airplane, of auxiliary airplanes detachably mounted on tc and suspended below a wing of said airplane on opposite sides of and equidistant from the los` longitudinal axis of the airplane to form a 1 balanced aerodynamical structure therewith.

4. In combination, a powered aircraftforming a' mother ship, and a. powered auxiliary aircraft detachably mounted on the mother ship to form an additional power unit therefor controllable from the mother ship.

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