Amphibious aircraft taxiing systems
View Patent ↗Provided is a taxiing system for steering an amphibious aircraft on a body of water with a steering means, a control console and a power source all in operable and electrical communication. The steering means is a jet drive coupled to an impeller assembly mounted inside each float. Alternatively the steering means is a propulsion system with a pair of tunnel-type thrusters mounted inside the floats in the aircraft. The control console operates the taxiing system during steering and at least one electromagnetic lock during docking.
1. A taxiing system for steering an amphibious aircraft on a body of water comprising:
a tunnel-type thruster propulsion system, comprising:
a pair of tunnel-type thrusters each comprising:
a reversible drive motor with a shaft disposed axially therethrough;
a forward-reverse control switch in operable communication with the reversible drive motor and the control console;
a thruster tunnel comprising a first tunnel end and a second tunnel end and a tunnel opening that is configured to receive the drive shaft therein; and
a thruster propeller disposed within the thruster tunnel in a plane parallel with the first tunnel end and the second tunnel end, said thruster propeller rotatable perpendicularly to the shaft;
a forward thruster duct with a first forward thruster duct end and a second forward thruster duct end, said first forward thruster duct end attached to and in fluid communication with the first tunnel end;
a reverse thruster duct with a first reverse thruster duct end and a second reverse thruster duct end, said first reverse thruster duct end attached to and in fluid communication with the second tunnel end;
a forward thruster nozzle with a first forward thruster nozzle end and a second forward thruster nozzle end that are attached to and in fluid communication with the first forward thruster duct end and with the body of water, respectively; and
a reverse thruster nozzle with a first reverse thruster nozzle end and a second reverse thruster nozzle end attached to and in fluid communication with the reverse thruster duct end and with the body of water, respectively;
a control console in operable communication with the tunnel-type thruster propulsion system; and
a power source in electrical communication with the tunnel-type thruster propulsion system and the control console.
2. The taxiing system of claim 1 , further comprising a watertight seal disposed around the tunnel opening.
3. A system for maneuvering an amphibious aircraft on a body of water comprising:
a propulsion system, comprising
a pair of tunnel-type thrusters each disposed within a float on the amphibious aircraft, comprising:
a reversible drive motor with a shaft disposed axially therethrough;
a forward-reverse control switch in operable communication with the reversible drive motor and the control console;
a thruster tunnel comprising a first tunnel end and a second tunnel end and a tunnel opening that is configured to receive the drive shaft therein and has a watertight seal disposed therearound; and
a thruster propeller disposed within the thruster tunnel in a plane parallel with the first tunnel end and the second tunnel end, said thruster propeller rotatable in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction perpendicularly to the shaft;
a forward thruster duct with a first forward thruster duct end and a second forward thruster duct end, said first forward thruster duct end attached to and in fluid communication with the first tunnel end;
a reverse thruster duct with a first reverse thruster duct end and a second reverse thruster duct end, said first reverse thruster duct end attached to and in fluid communication with the second tunnel end;
a forward thruster nozzle with a first forward thruster nozzle end and a second forward thruster nozzle end that are attached to and in fluid communication with the first forward thruster duct end and with the body of water, respectively; and
a reverse thruster nozzle with a first reverse thruster nozzle end and a second reverse thruster nozzle end attached to and in fluid communication with the reverse thruster duct end and with the body of water, respectively;
a control console in operable communication with the propulsion system;
a power source in electrical communication with the propulsion system and the control console.