Eagle Vertical Take-Off and Landing Aerial Rescue Platform

Architectural Science Review, Sept, 2002 by David Metreveli

DM AeroSafe Group, a small Israeli research and development team, has developed a totally new high-rise rescue technology to retrieve trapped people from areas which cannot be reached by conventional aerial ladder or aerial platform, conventional helicopter or a helicopter equipped with a Heli-Basket. The proposed Eagle Vertical Take-Off and Landing Aerial Rescue Platform is developed with the aim to rescue up to ten people at a time by approach and direct at any level of a high-rise building or structure in case of natural or man-made disasters. Eagle can access narrow canyons; city streets, smokestacks, bridges and towers.

Introduction

Most High-Rise Buildings or structures around the globe have no roof access. And most helicopters have no a Rescue Hoist. Besides these facts, helicopter rescue is not feasible during many High-Rise fires because of flames, smoke or roof obstructions. Parked cars can often make it difficult or impossible for the Aerial ladder to reach the building.

The proposed Eagle Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) Aerial Rescue Platform is developed with the aim to rescue up to 10 people at a time by approach and direct mooring to any level of a high-rise building or structure in the case of a natural or man-made disaster. The Eagle Platform's scale-down static mock-up is shown in Figure 1.

The proposed rescue vehicle can access narrow canyons, city streets, smokestacks, bridges, television and other tower constructions. Eagle can also be equipped with floats for water rescue operations. In Figures 2,3 and 4 artistic impressions of the high-rise fire rescue operation via Eagle Platform is shown.

The conceptual design of proposed Eagle VTOL Rescue Platform was made using advanced CAD/CAM software in the period of 1998-1999.

Ducted Fan Technology

The design of the proposed VTOL flight vehicle is based on ducted fan technology. The ducted fan is more compact and efficient than a conventional open propeller. The duct also provides a desirable safety feature, serving as a guard to prevent the fan from being damaged by surrounding objects. This feature makes the ducted fan especially attractive for applications involving flight in confined spaces.

From above each duct is protected from all kinds of falling debris by a bulging guard. The circular Kevlar-Epoxy deep duct is a determining factor in regulating the flow to the fan and also protects people on the ground from running accidentally into the turning fan area.

Eagle Platform's Power Plant

The power plant, around which the complete flight vehicle is designed, consists of four (4) four-cylinder radial piston aero engines with forced air cooling system, mounted on four (4) sides of an octahedral (8) shaped central gearbox. Lift is generated by four horizontal multi-blade wide chord ducted fans attached to diagonal structural beams around the platform's occupied area. The Eagle Platform's Power Plant is shown in Figure 5.

Flight Safety

Eagle has sufficient power margin to continue flying and land safely on two engines alone, should two others fail in flight. Each engine has its own carburetor and a separate fuel supply line. Power is delivered from each engine to the gearbox through an over-running clutch, which, in event of any engine failure disengages it from the gearbox so that it will not interfere with the operation of the remaining engines.

Eagle Platform's Body Structure

The box section thin fuselage is designed as a three-dimensional lightweight Graphite-Epoxy structure, covered also by lightweight high strength composite material sandwich panels. A special heat-resistant rubber protective belt surrounds the fuselage structure. This belt is aimed to protect platform's structure and, on the other hand, to protect the building's facade, during the approach and direct contact between the platform and building. This proposed structure is very simple, and it is much cheaper even than the structure of a light helicopter. The Eagle Platform's computer- generated structure is shown in Figure 6.

Control System

All fans are connected to each other (as in a four-by-four pickup truck), driven through a system of shafts and gearboxes, and they have variable collective pitch. Altitude is controlled by changing the pitch of all four (4) fans together. Pitch, roll and yaw are controlled by applying pitch differentials between pairs of fans, fore and aft pairs for pitch, laterally pairs for roll and diagonal pairs for yaw. Tilting the whole vehicle forward produces forward motion.

The operational model of Eagle will be equipped with two additional ducted fans, mounted in the rear part of the vehicle in a vertical plane. These additional smaller diameter ducted fans will aim to provide a thrust vector against strong winds, and provide an additional thrust for forward flight.

Occupied Areas

On the first floor of the double-deck occupied area are placed the Crashworthy seat of the rescue mission operator and up to 10 universal articulating Sears-Stretchers with harness for rescued persons. This deck is protected from falling debris around and from above by lightweight Graphite-Epoxy pipe banisters and by a high strength Kevlar guard. The deck is equipped with a retractable ramp and a retractable ladder. The helicopter-type rescue hoist is attached to the left side of the ramp. The ramp area is equipped by a couple of watertight color CCD cameras (the monitor is placed in the cockpit) and a couple of searchlights. Two additional cameras and a number of lights, attached to the lower surface of the vehicle, are intended to provide the pilot with an unlimited view in all directions of the flight and rescue mission. The Eagle Platform's occupied area is shown in Figure 7.