초록 ▼

A pod system for an aircraft is disclosed. Embodiments provide an external, near belly-tangent modular plug-and-play pod system that includes a scalable set of left-side bays which are connected to a scalable set of right-side bays via a central compartment positioned on a bottom external surface of

A pod system for an aircraft is disclosed. Embodiments provide an external, near belly-tangent modular plug-and-play pod system that includes a scalable set of left-side bays which are connected to a scalable set of right-side bays via a central compartment positioned on a bottom external surface of the aircraft's fuselage. The bays accommodate removable slide trays which have various equipment (for example, communications, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance equipment) mounted thereon. The bays and slide trays combination allow for quick removal, insertion, and connection of the various mounted equipment to IP-based connectivity, power, and foundation signals from the aircraft. In an embodiment, the left-side bays, right-side bays, and central compartment each have a planar bottom surface which are substantially equiplanar so that inserted and connected mounted equipment extending downward and externally from the bays from the planar bottom surface have 360 degree unobstructed views.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A pod system for an aircraft, the pod system comprising: at least one left-side bay configured for external placement on a left side of a fuselage of an aircraft and having an external side panel;at least one right-side bay configured for external placement on a right side of the fuselage of the

1. A pod system for an aircraft, the pod system comprising: at least one left-side bay configured for external placement on a left side of a fuselage of an aircraft and having an external side panel;at least one right-side bay configured for external placement on a right side of the fuselage of the aircraft and having an external side panel; anda central compartment configured for external placement on a bottom surface of the fuselage of the aircraft and extending between the at least one left-side bay and the at least one right-side bay;wherein a distance between the external side panel of the left-side bay and the external side panel of the right-side bay is configured to be greater than a largest width of a portion of the fuselage of the aircraft positioned above the pod system;wherein a bottom surface of the central compartment is substantially tangent to a central bottom external surface of the fuselage of the aircraft; andwherein top surfaces of the left side and right-side bays are substantially above the bottom of the fuselage of the aircraft in that the left-side and right-side bays are large enough to accommodate equipment for use with or by the aircraft. 2. The pod system of claim 1 wherein the at least one left-side bay, the at least one right-side bay, and the central compartment each have a planar bottom surface which are substantially equiplanar. 3. The pod system of claim 1 wherein the left-side and right-side bays each accommodates installation of a removable slide tray which is capable of mounting the equipment thereon, in which each bay is configured with interfaces that provide at least one of IP-based connectivity, power signals, and foundation signals from the aircraft to the mounted equipment when the removable slide tray is installed in the bay. 4. The pod system of claim 3 wherein the removable slide tray is connected to the bay with arms that enable the removable slide tray to be raised vertically through a bottom aperture in the bay and along vertical guide rails within the bay. 5. The pod system of claim 3 wherein the removable slide tray is inserted into the bay by sliding of the removable slide tray through a side aperture in the bay and along horizontal guide rails within the bay. 6. The pod system of claim 3 wherein installation of the removable slide tray within the bay involves insertion of the removable slide tray into the bay, engagement of a connection device, and connection of the mounted equipment to the interfaces for providing IP-based connectivity, power, and foundation signals to the mounted equipment. 7. The pod system of claim 3 wherein installation of the removable slide tray within the bay involves insertion of the removable slide tray into the bay. 8. The pod system of claim 3 wherein the mounted equipment is at least one item selected from the group consisting of an Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) Full-Motion Video (FMV) camera, soldier Radio, Starlite Radar, Common Data Link (CDL), Signal Intelligence (SIGINT), Hyper Spectral Imagery (HSI), Foliage Penetration (FOPEN) Radar, Moving Target Indicator (MTI)/Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Dismount Moving Target Indicator (DMTI) Radar, and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPEN). 9. The pod system of claim 1 wherein the pod system is configured for mounting to the aircraft via at least one I-beam that extends from the at least one left-side bay to the at least one right-side bay while penetrating the fuselage of the aircraft between the at least one left-side bay and the at least one right-side bay. 10. The pod system of claim 1 wherein the pod system further comprises front fairings mounted in front of the left-side and right-side bays, and rear fairings mounted in back of the left-side and right-side bays, and wherein each side of the front fairings includes an air intake vent and each side of the rear fairings includes an air exhaust vent for circulating air within the right-side and left-side bays during flight of the aircraft. 11. The pod system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the left-side or right-side bays is configured for storage of auxiliary fuel for use during flight of the aircraft. 12. The pod system of claim 1 wherein the bottom surface of the central compartment vertically extends no greater than 3 inches below the central bottom external surface of the fuselage of the aircraft. 13. The pod system of claim 1 wherein each of the external side panels of the left-side bay and the right-side bay is at least 24 inches in height. 14. A pod system for an aircraft, the pod system comprising: at least one left-side bay configured for external placement on a left side of a fuselage of an aircraft;at least one right-side bay configured for external placement on a right side of the fuselage of the aircraft; anda central compartment configured for external placement on a bottom surface of the fuselage of the aircraft and extending between the at least one left-side bay and the at least one right-side bay;wherein the left-side and right-side bays each accommodates installation of a removable module which is capable of mounting equipment therein, in which each removable module is configured with interfaces that provide at least one of IP-based connectivity, power signals, and foundation signals from the aircraft to the mounted equipment when the removable module is installed in the bay;wherein a distance between a front panel of a removable module in the left-side bay and a front panel of an opposing removable module in the right-side bay is greater than a largest width of a portion of the fuselage of the aircraft positioned above the pod system;wherein a bottom surface of the central compartment is substantially tangent to a central bottom external surface of the fuselage of the aircraft; andwherein top surfaces of the left-side and right-side bays are substantially above the bottom of the fuselage of the aircraft in that the left-side and right-side bays are large enough to accommodate the removable modules with the mounted equipment for use with or by the aircraft. 15. The pod system of claim 14 wherein the removable module installed in the at least one left-side bay, the removable module installed in the at least one right-side bay, and the central compartment each have a planar bottom surface which are substantially equiplanar. 16. The pod system of claim 14 wherein the removable module comprises a side panel which includes a side aperture that provides access to an interior of the removable module, wherein the side aperture is in communication with an interior of an adjacent removable module. 17. The pod system of claim 16 wherein the side panel further includes a side door which provides access to the side aperture when the door is in an open position. 18. The pod system of claim 14 wherein the removable module is configured for storage of auxiliary fuel for use during flight of the aircraft. 19. The pod system of claim 14 wherein the bottom surface of the central compartment vertically extends no greater than 3 inches below the central bottom external surface of the fuselage of the aircraft. 20. The pod system of claim 14 wherein each of the front panels of the removable modules in the left-side bay and the right-side bay is at least 24 inches in height. 21. A pod system for an aircraft, the pod system comprising: at least one left-side removable module configured for external connection to a left side of a fuselage of an aircraft;at least one right-side removable module configured for external connection to a right side of the fuselage of the aircraft; anda central compartment configured for external placement on a bottom surface of the fuselage of the aircraft and extending between the at least one left-side removable module and the at least one right-side removable module;wherein the left-side and right-side removable modules are capable of mounting equipment therein, in which each removable module is configured with interfaces that provide at least one of IP-based connectivity, power signals, and foundation signals from the aircraft to the mounted equipment when the removable module is connected to the fuselage;wherein a distance between a front panel of a left-side removable module and a front panel of an opposing right-side removable module is greater than a largest width of a portion of the fuselage of the aircraft positioned above the pod system;wherein a bottom surface of the central compartment is substantially tangent to a central bottom external surface of the fuselage of the aircraft; andwherein top surfaces of the removable modules are substantially above the bottom of the fuselage of the aircraft in that the removable modules are large enough to accommodate the mounted equipment for use with or by the aircraft. 22. The pod system of claim 21 wherein the left-side removable module is connected to the left side of the fuselage of the aircraft via a left-side bay positioned between the left-side removable module and the fuselage of the aircraft, and wherein the right-side removable module is connected to the right side of the fuselage of the aircraft via a right-side bay positioned between the right-side removable module and the fuselage of the aircraft. 23. The pod system of claim 21 wherein the left-side removable module, the right-side removable module, and the central compartment each have a planar bottom surface which are substantially equiplanar. 24. The pod system of claim 21 wherein the removable module comprises a side panel which includes a side aperture that provides access to an interior of the removable module, wherein the side aperture is in communication with an interior of an adjacent removable module. 25. The pod system of claim 21 wherein at least one of the left-side or right-side removable modules is configured for storage of auxiliary fuel for use during flight of the aircraft. 26. The pod system of claim 21 wherein the bottom surface of the central compartment vertically extends no greater than 3 inches below the central bottom external surface of the fuselage of the aircraft. 27. The pod system of claim 21 wherein each of the front panels of the removable modules is at least 24 inches in height.