Eagle VTOL aerial rescue platform

Flight Journal, Dec 2001 by Metreveli, David

The proposed Eagle vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aerial rescue platform was developed with the aim of rescuing up to 10 people from any high place that cannot be reached by conventional fire-escape methods, helicopter, or a helicopter equipped with a rescue basket.

Its powerplant consists of four, fourcylinder radial aero engines that have forced-air cooling systems, and they are mounted on four sides of an octahedral central gearbox.

Vertical lift is generated by four horizontal, multi-blade, wide-- chord ducted fans. Each duct is protected from falling debris by a bulging guard. The fans are connected to one another, are driven through a system of shafts and gearboxes and have variable collective pitch.

The operational Eagle will have a fifth ducted fan mounted in the rear in the vertical plane. This additional smaller-- diameter ducted fan will provide thrust vector to hold the Eagle in position against strong winds, and it will provide additional thrust for a forward flight.

On the first floor of the double-deck occupied area are the rescue-mission operator's crashworthy seat and about 10 seat/stretchers with harnesses for rescued persons. The deck is protected from falling debris by lightweight graphite/epoxy pipe banisters and a high-strength Kevlar guard; it is also equipped with a retractable ramp and ladder. On the left side of the ramp, a helicopter-- type rescue hoist is attached. The ramp area is equipped with a couple of watertight color CCD cameras (the monitor is in the cockpit) and searchlights. Attached to the vehicle's lower surface are two additional cameras and a number of lights that will provide the pilot with an unlimited view in all directions. The single-seat, helicopter-type cockpit is on the second floor of the occupied area. A graphite-epoxy, 3D, lightweight structure and shatterproof safety glass protect this cockpit.

If two engines fail in flight, the Eagle has sufficient power to continue to fly and land safely on the two working engines. Each engine has its own carburetor and a separate fuel-supply line. Power is delivered from each engine to the gearbox through an overrunning clutch that, in the event of any engine failure, will disengage it from the gearbox so that it will not interfere with the operation of the working engines.

The scaled-down static mockup of Eagle has already been developed and built, and the development and manufacturing of a scaled-down, remotely piloted, flying-concept demonstrator is under way.

An operational Eagle Rescue Platform (the final version) will be 42 feet (about 13 meters) long and wide and 16 feet (about 5 meters) high. Its gross takeoff weight will be 5,000 pounds, which includes 2,000 pounds of payload (10 rescued people and the crew of two: pilot and rescue-mission operator). For more details, please visit its website: http://homepages.about.com/dmaerosafe4/eagle/.

-David Metreveli