heli_platform

The research and development team, founded and headed by Dr. David Metreveli, has developed a totally new high-rise rescue technology to retrieve trapped people from areas which cannot be reached by conventional aerial ladder, conventional helicopter or a helicopter equipped with a Heli-Basket. The proposed E Vertical Take-off and Landing (VIOL) aerial rescue platform is designed by Dr. David Metreveli to rescue up to 10 people at a time from areas which cannot be reached by conventional fire escape, conventional helicopter or a helicopter equipped with the Hell-Basket. Narrow canyons, oily streets, smokestacks, bridges, television and other lower constructions can all be accessed by the Eagle, which can also be equipped with floats for water rescue operations.

Ducted fan technology

The design of the Eagle is based on ducted fan technology, powered by a number of internal combustion engines, on top of which a double-deck is mounted. This aerial platform has significant advantages ever conventional helicopters, being manoeuvrable and able to fly close to, or under, different obstacles.

The power plant, around which the complete flight vehicle is designed, consists of four bur-cylinder radial piston aero engines with forced air cooling system, mounted on four sides of a central gearbox.

The box section thin fuselage is designed as a three-dimensional lightweight Graphite-Epoxy structure covered by lightweight, high strength, composite material sandwich panels. A special heat-resistant, rubber protective belt surrounds the fuselage structure to protect the platform and the building's faAade.

Lift is generated by four horizontal, multi-blade, wide chord duded fans attached on a diagonal structural beams around the platform's occupied area. Each duct is protected from 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 the turning fan area.

Fan power

Fans connected together are driven through a system of shafts and gearboxes, having variable collective pitch. Altitude is controlled by changing the pitches of all four fans together while pitch, roll and yaw are controlled by applying pitch differentials between pairs of fans: fore and aft pairs for pitch, lateral for roll and diagonal for yaw. Tilting the whole vehicle forward attains forward motion.

The operational model of Eagle will be equipped with a fifth dueled Jan, mounted in the rear of the vehicle in the vertical plane. This will provide thrust vector against strong winds and additional thrust for forward flight.

The operator's crashworthy seat and up to 10 universal articulating Seats-Stretchers with harness are titled on the first floor of the occupied area.

Deck protection

The deck, which is equipped with a retractable ramp, retractable ladder and helicopter-type rescue hoist, is protected from falling debris by lightweight Graphite-epoxy pipe banisters and a high strength Kevler guard. Two watertight colour CCD cameras (the monitor placed in the cockpit) and two searchlights are filled in the rump area, while additional cameras and lights are attached to the underside, providing the pilot with a clear view in all directions.

The single-seat cockpit, on the second floor of the occupied area has two LCD monitors and is also protected by its Graphite-epoxy three-dimensional, lightweight structure and shatterproof safety glass.

On the ground, the vehicle rests on four, leg-type Landing gears, which incorporate shock-absorbing struts. Wheels are installed on each gear to facilitate taxiing.

Each has sufficient power margin to function safely on two engines alone, should two others fail in flight. Each engine has its own carburettor and separate fuel supply line, power being delivered to the gearbox through an overrunning clutch, which, in the event of engine failure, disengages it from the gearbox so that it will not interfere with the operation of the remaining engines.

The conceptual and structural design of the proposed VTOL platform was carried out on advanced CAD/CAM software and the computer-generated arrangement was double-checked and improved at the engineering mock-up's development and manufacturing phases.

In addition, development and manufacturing of scaled down, remotely piloted demonstrators is currently well underway.

Based on the Eagle basic platform's development a variety of smaller VTOL multi-purpose pilot and remotely piloted platforms are also possible. The applications for such VTOL aerial platforms are:

Real-time video imaging off bridges, tower constructions (television towers, smokestacks and other); Weather forecast and meteorology;

Washing, cleaning and painting of high-rise buildings, castles, churches and other memorial and technical buildings.

Monitoring and surveillance: traffic, chase, anti-terrorist operations

The proposed Eagle VTOL Aerial Rescue Platform and family of smaller VTOL multi-purpose pilot and remotely piloted platforms could provide a new approach to a large number at different problems in emergency or any other non-standard situations.