WO2002072422A1

WO2002072422A1 - A cargo pod for an aircraft

Info

Publication number: WO2002072422A1
Application number: PCT/GB2002/000622
Authority: WO
Inventors: Richard George Harrison; Terry Prendergast; Geoffrey Salkeld
Original assignee: BAE Systems PLC
Current assignee: BAE Systems PLC
Priority date: 2001-03-08
Filing date: 2002-02-15
Publication date: 2002-09-19
Anticipated expiration: 2003-09-08
Also published as: GB0105698D0

Abstract

A pod (10) designed to be mounted to an aircraft or aircraft wing (14) for carrying cargo. The pod (14) is adapted to be detached from the aircraft for use, with regard to its contents, in a self-propelled ground support role.

Description

A Cargo Pod for an Aircraft

The invention relates to a cargo pod for an aircraft.

In times of conflict requiring an immediate airborne response, one of the first tasks is to send aircraft to, and prepare, a Forward Operating Base (FOB). This activity can be time consuming, and depends heavily upon a reliable logistical chain, and an object of this invention is to improve the way in which an FOB can be prepared.

According to a first object of the invention there is provided a pod capable of holding cargo for stocking a forward operating base (FOB), the pod comprising means by which the pod can be detachably mounted onto the exterior surface of an aircraft for transport to the FOB, the pod having an aerodynamically- shaped outer surface, and further ground engagement means which will enable the pod to be converted to a self-propelled ground-handling role when detached from the aircraft at the FOB.

The cargo carried by the pod can comprise fuel, tools, replacement parts or other hardware needed at the FOB.

How the pods are distributed across the aircraft depends upon the amount of hardware that needs to be transported, which itself is dependent upon how many aircraft are to be "turned around" at any time. It would be sensible to work out the requirements and spread the load evenly across all aircraft, as opposed to having each aircraft transport its own infrastructure. This, however, introduces vulnerabilities in case one of the aircraft, carrying infrastructure required by all aircraft, does not make it to the FOB. Because of this, there should be a suitable amount of redundancy in order to ensure "graceful degradation" as opposed to single point failures. Using the pods to carry hardware needed at the FOB improves the efficiency of the way the FOB is prepared, each plane being able to transport its own support hardware, and/or equipment needed on the ground. Each pod can then be utilised further, either remaining on the plane as, say, a fuel tank, or in a ground support role. Utilising the pod in this manner is cost effective, and time saving as fewer ground support vehicles will need to be transported separately to the FOB.

There are many options for the size and number of pods depending upon the size of the aircraft and the number of pylons. If there is more than one pod per aircraft then the pods could have different roles. Ensuring that there is as much commonality as possible between the various pods will reduce production costs.

In one embodiment the further means is arranged to contact the ground and can include one or more wheels. The or each wheel is preferably retractable. The further means can additionally comprise hydraulic lift units, such that the pod can be raised to the height of part of the aircraft to which it is to be coupled, or to a height suitable to unload cargo contained in the pod onto the aircraft.

It is essential that each of the pods are "air traffic qualified", i.e. transporting the pods in flight will not have an adverse affect on their contents.

The pods are preferably automated, but can be adapted for manual handling. The use of pods should minimise the ground crew through the automation of most functions. However, a critical "emergency operations" ground crew must be present in the case of system failure. A team must also be present on the FOB to maintain the pods themselves.

All pods should be able to carry some fuel, to increase range during delivery, to power the various pod functions independently on the ground and/or to be used for refuelling the aircraft during turnaround. Preferably, the pods could carry equipment that would be removed upon arrival and used by the ground crews. The pods could carry out some function in support of the aircraft during the time that it is on the airbase.

Some pods could be used to carry consumables. For example, fuel could be supplied by a pod (or group of pods) to perform the function of a fuel bowser. The pod could be self powered and could deploy wheels to allow it to run from the fuel storage facility to the aircraft pylon. More basic pods could be reused as external fuel tanks.

If desired, a pod could be used as a weapons trolley. Once again the pod would preferably deploy into a powered, wheeled configuration, maintaining a relatively low profile when running about the airfield. The aforesaid hydraulic units could be used to raise the pod to the height of a pylon for carrying the weapons or to connect the pod to the pylon for transport.

Pods could also be used to carry equipment such as . automatic landing aids, tool kits, DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System) beacons and a host of other items. Upon arrival at the FOB the pods would be removed and unpacked by support personnel.

Certain pods could be used for support functions including using a powered pod as a tractor for moving a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), a decontamination vehicle or an inspection system equipped with various NDT (Non-destructive testing) devices.

The only infrastructure requirement on the airbase is the need for a "pod maintenance" area. All of the tools required can be provided in the pods themselves. A pod will now be described, by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of the pod, mounted beneath an aircraft wing; Figure 2 is a front view of the pod,

Figure 3 is a plan view of the pod, showing holding means, and Figure 4 is a plan view of the pod showing a missile attached to the holding means.

A pod 5 comprises an air traffic qualified container 10, that is a container which can be transported by air without the contents of the pod 5 being adversely affected. The pod 5 further comprises releasable attachment devices 12 such that it can be attached to an aircraft, usually beneath a wing 14 of the aircraft via downwardly extending pylons 16. The pod 5 has tail fins 17.

The pod 5 further comprises ground contact means, which in the embodiment shown in figure 2 comprises three sets of ground wheels 18. The wheels 18 can be retracted into the container 10 when the pod 5 is being transported by the aircraft. In this embodiment the ground engagement means further comprises hydraulic lift units, generally indicated at 20. The lift units 20 can lift the pod 5 relative to the wheels 18 to lift the pod 5 to an appropriate height for attachment to the aircraft, or can lower the wheels 18 relative to the pod 5 when the pod 5 is attached to the aircraft so that it can be easily detached. Each pod 5 has a fuel tank 22, by means of which it can carry fuel. The pods 5 are self-propelled, for movement along the ground, by way of an engine and transmission, generally indicated at 24. The engine is powered by fuel from the fuel tank 22. Although in the embodiment shown the fuel tank 22 fills most of the container 10 it is envisaged that some pods 5 would have smaller fuel tanks, to carry fuel only to power the pod 5, and larger amounts of storage room for other hardware. Storage room usually dedicated to carrying tools or other hardware can be converted by installation of a flexible fuel tank, in order to allow that pod 5 to carry more fuel.

As shown in Figure 3, the pod 5 may include arms 26 each of which is pivotally connected at one end to the container 10. Each arm 26 can be pivoted from stowed position 26a to an extended position 26b. Weapons, such as missiles 28 can be mounted on the extended arms 26, as shown in figure 4, allowing the pod 5 to transport weapons to and from aircraft when on the ground. The pod 5 may also carry weapons when it is being transported by the aircraft.

Generally, the pod 5 is used to stock the FOB by filling the pod 5 with cargo, such as fuel, tools or other hardware, detachably mounting the pod 5 upon an aircraft usually beneath the wing 14, transporting the pod 5 on the aircraft to the FOB and then detaching the pod 5 from the aircraft. The pod 5 is then converted into a ground-handling role. To convert the pod 5 into a ground- handling role the cargo can be removed. If the cargo carried by the pod 5 is fuel, it can remain in the pod 5, and the pod be used as a fuel tanker at the FOB. Equally a pod 5 which has been used to carry equipment to the FOB can be emptied and filled with fuel and used as a fuel tanker. The tanker can be stationary, or used to transport fuel around the base.

Pods can be connected to other vehicles in their ground-handling role and used to tow the other vehicles. Pods are particularly likely to be used to tow unmanned aerial vehicles.

In a further embodiment the pod can be emptied of its cargo, and converted into a decontamination vehicle. Alternatively the pod can be provided with testing devices and used as an inspection system.

Claims

1. A pod capable of holding cargo for stocking a forward operating base (FOB), the pod having an aerodynamically-shaped outer surface and having means by which it can be detachably mounted onto the exterior i surface of an aircraft for transport to the FOB, and further ground engagement means which will enable the pod to be converted to a self- propelled ground-handling role when detached from the aircraft at the FOB.

2. A pod according to claim 1 in which the ground engagement means comprises one or more wheels.

3. A pod according to claims 1 or 2 in which the ground engagement means comprises a hydraulic lift unit.

4. A pod according to claim 1 or 2 in which the pod is provided with a fuel tank by means of which the pod can carry fuel.

5. A pod according to claim 4 in which drive means is provided on the pod for propelling the pod, the drive means being powered by fuel carried in the fuel tank.

A pod according to any preceding claim in which holding means is provided on the pod for holding exterior items such as weapons.

A method of stocking a forward operating base (FOB) comprising providing a pod with cargo, detachably mounting the pod onto the exterior of an aircraft, transporting the cargo-filled pod on the aircraft to the FOB, detaching the pod from the aircraft at the FOB and converting the pod to a self-propelled ground-handling role.

8. A method according to claim 7 in which converting the pod to a ground handling role comprises the steps of removing the cargo from the pod, filling at least part of the pod with fuel and using the pod as a fuel tanker at the FOB.

9. A method according to claim 7 or 8 comprising installing a fuel tank in the pod and, after removing the cargo, filling the tank with fuel.

10. A method according to claim 7 comprising using the pod to carry fuel for the aircraft and using the pod as a fuel tanker in its ground-handling role.

1 1. A method according to any of claims 7 to 10 which includes connecting the pod to another vehicle in its ground-handling role and using the pod to tow the vehicle.

12. A method according to any of claims 7 to 11 comprising using the pod as a decontamination vehicle in its ground-handling role.

13. A method according to any of claims 7 to 12 comprising providing the pod with testing devices and using it as an inspection system in its ground-handling role.