Aeronautics and astronautics – Aircraft structure – Fuselage and body construction
Patent
1988-05-19
1990-11-06
Barefoot, Galen
Aeronautics and astronautics
Aircraft structure
Fuselage and body construction
244121, B64D 2506
Patent
active
049679856
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to aircrew restraint systems and in particular to a head support and restraint system for a pilot of a high speed combat aircraft which is expected to encounter high gravitational (g) forces as it manoeuvres during flight and especially during combat.
A problem encountered during the high speed manoeuvring of an aircraft is the effect of g-forces on the performance of the pilot. When large g-forces are exerted on the pilot's head and body they cause involuntary movements which can have serious consequences particularly during the critical moments of a manoeuvre. For instance the pilot of an aircraft in a tight high speed turn, perhaps pursuing another aircraft, can experience his head being forced downwards by a g-force several times greater than the force of gravity at the very moment when he needs to look directly ahead or upwards. The use of accessories such as night sights which bolt onto a pilots helmet increase the weight of and accentuate the effects of these g-forces on his head. Apart from the immediate dangers of involuntary movements occurring during a high speed manoeuvre the cumulative effects of g-forces on the pilot's head and body cause pilot fatigue which also impairs pilot performance. It would therefore be to a pilot's advantage if the effects of high g-forces could be compensated for or reduced in some way.
The idea of a head restraint system for military aircrew is not new. The idea was first considered by Sir James Martin (see "Fast Jet Aircrew Safety"--J. F. Farley, Flight International Magazine, page 25 to 29 31st Aug. 1985) for high speed escape reasons in the early 1960's, but the idea has never been seriously considered as an aid to the pilot during high g manoeuvres.
Head restraints such as the one described by Rockwell in G.B. No. 2,163,943A are known which restrain the lateral movement of a pilot's head during the moments of a high speed manoeuvre while allowing the pilot to move around freely during more usual flight conditions. The Rockwell patent discloses an arrangement in which a pilot's head is laterally restrained by means of cables attached to his helmet and ejector seat. During ordinary flight conditions the pilot is able to move his head around freely because the cables wind to and from inertia reels attached to the ejector seat to give the pilot a sufficient amount of freedom of movement. When manoeuvering, however, such that g-fources exerted on the pilot exceed a predetermined threshold value, the inertia reels lock and prevent the restraint cables and thus the pilot's head from moving any further. The pilot's head is then locked in whatever position it was before the manoeuvre began. A disadvantage of this arrangement is that although it prevents involuntary head movements it also precludes the possibility of the pilot making voluntary movements, i.e., the pilot is unable to turn his head to look around until the aircraft has pulled out of the manoeuvre and the g-forces have fallen below the predetermined threshold value and the inertia reels unlock once more.
The problem is to prevent the pilots head from falling forward during high g manoeuvres caused by an increase in the bending moment about his head due to an increase in the apparent weight thereof associated with the increased g-force.
It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus for supporting a pilot's head during high `g` manoeuvres, enabling him to maintain his head in an upright position thereby increasing his sense of awareness of the situation outside the cockpit.
It is a further object of the invention to provide apparatus for restraining a pilot's head during an escape ejection, thereby reducing the dangers of spinal injury.
According to one aspect of this invention there is provided a support system for a pilot of a high speed aircraft, said system comprising at least one head support line connected between the pilot's head and a point on the aircraft structure, means for measuring the g-force acting on the aircraft and tension means for applying a continuou
REFERENCES:
patent: 2195334 (1940-03-01), Lethern
patent: 3074669 (1963-01-01), Bohlin
patent: 3099261 (1963-07-01), Doss et al.
patent: 3178136 (1965-04-01), Bayer
patent: 3918545 (1975-11-01), Andres et al.
patent: 4477041 (1984-10-01), Dunne
patent: 4664341 (1987-05-01), Cummings
patent: 4667904 (1987-05-01), Herndon
"Fast-Jet Aircrew Safety", Flight International, Aug. 31, 1985, pp. 25-29.
Flight International, Aug. 31, 1985 (London, GB), J. Farley: "Fast-Jet Aircrew Safety", pp. 25-29, see p. 28, left-hand col., lines 14-39.
Barefoot Galen
British Aerospace PLC
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