Granted Patent B2

US 12,654,856 · App. 17/942,755 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Inventor: Etan D. Karni (Boulder, CO)

Assignee: ZSM Holding LLC

B64D9/003

Abstract

Claims (43)

1 . A method of loading or unloading a payload into or out of a cargo aircraft, comprising:

when loading a payload into an interior cargo bay of the cargo aircraft, the interior cargo bay having a forward bay portion located in a forward end of the cargo aircraft, an aft bay portion located in an aft end of the cargo aircraft, and a kinked bay portion disposed between the forward bay portion and the aft bay portion, the kinked bay portion defining a location at which the aft end of the cargo aircraft begins to raise at an angle relative to a longitudinal-lateral plane of the cargo aircraft, advancing the payload towards the aft end of the cargo aircraft; and

when unloading the payload out of the interior cargo bay of the cargo aircraft, advancing the payload towards the forward end of the cargo aircraft,

wherein, whether loading or unloading, advancing the payload further comprises moving the payload along a curved path formed by at least one support structure disposed in the interior cargo bay of the cargo aircraft, the at least one support structure extending a varying vertical distance above a corresponding portion of a bottom contact surface of the interior cargo bay over a length of the at least one support structure.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein moving the payload along the curved path further comprises moving the payload such that the payload rotates about a center point of an arc while concurrently moving in the forward direction or the aft direction.

3 . The method of claim 2 ,

wherein the arc is defined by the curved path, and

wherein the payload remains at a fixed radial distance from the center point of the arc as the payload moves in the forward direction or the aft direction along the curved path.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one support structure comprises a first support structure and a second support structure, the first support structure and the second support structures being configured to be one of fixedly coupled or removably coupled to the bottom contact surface of the interior cargo bay, and the first support structure being disposed within the aft bay portion.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

coupling the first support structure to the bottom contact surface in the aft bay portion prior to loading of the payload into the interior cargo bay;

when loading the payload into the interior cargo bay of the cargo aircraft, moving the second support structure from a position external of the cargo aircraft into the forward bay portion of the cargo bay and coupling the second support structure in the forward bay portion to the bottom contact surface of the interior cargo bay; or

when unloading the payload from the interior cargo bay, unlocking the second support structure from the bottom contact surface of the interior cargo bay in the forward bay portion and moving the second support structure out of the forward bay portion to a position external of the cargo aircraft,

wherein moving the second support structure from the position external of the cargo aircraft into the forward bay portion of the cargo bay further comprises translating the second support structure from the position external of the cargo aircraft along a linear path into the forward bay portion of the cargo bay.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the curved path is formed by at least one rail of the first support structure aligned with at least one rail of the second support structure.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

prior to loading the payload into the interior bay of the cargo aircraft, removably coupling the payload to the at least one rail of the second support structure which is in the position external of the cargo aircraft,

wherein when loading the payload into the interior cargo bay of the cargo aircraft, the loading comprises moving the second support structure along with the payload from the position external of the cargo aircraft into the forward bay portion of the cargo bay.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

after the second support structure is removably or fixedly coupled to the bottom contact surface, moving the payload along the curved path defined by the at least one rail of the first and second support structures until the payload is positioned entirely within the interior cargo bay.

9 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising moving the payload along the curved path until a distal end of the payload is received within a portion of the aft bay portion located within a fuselage tailcone of the cargo aircraft.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the payload includes one or more wind turbine blades.

11 . A system for at least one of loading a payload onto a cargo aircraft or unloading a payload from a cargo aircraft, comprising: at least one rail disposed in an interior cargo bay of a cargo aircraft, the interior cargo bay having a forward bay portion located in a forward end of the cargo aircraft, an aft bay portion located in an aft end of the cargo aircraft, and a kinked bay portion disposed between the forward bay portion and the aft bay portion, the kinked bay portion defining a location at which the aft end of the cargo aircraft begins to raise relative to a longitudinal-lateral plane of the cargo aircraft such that an aft-most terminal end of the aft bay portion is disposed above the longitudinal-lateral plane of the cargo aircraft, wherein the at least one rail extends from the forward bay portion, through the kinked bay portion, and into the aft bay portion, and wherein a vertical distance above which the at least one rail extends from an interior bottom contact surface of the interior cargo bay varies along a length of the at least one rail.

12 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

a first support structure coupled to the bottom contact surface of the cargo bay in the forward bay portion; and

a second support structure coupled to the bottom contact surface of the cargo bay in the aft bay portion,

wherein the first support structure includes a first portion of the at least one rail and the second support structure includes a second portion of the at least one rail.

13 . The system of claim 12 ,

wherein the first support structure is removably coupled to the bottom contact surface of the interior cargo bay, and

wherein the second support structure is fixedly coupled to the bottom contact surface of the interior cargo bay.

14 . The system of claim 12 ,

wherein the first portion of the at least one rail is movable away from the second portion of the at least one rail,

wherein the first portion includes a first distal end and a first proximal end opposite the first distal end,

wherein the second portion includes a second proximal end and a second distal end opposite the second proximal end, and

wherein the first distal end and the second proximal end align to form a curved path.

15 . The system of claim 11 ,

wherein the at least one rail includes a first proximal end and a first distal end located opposite the first proximal end,

wherein the first distal end is arranged at a first vertical distance from the bottom contact surface,

wherein the first proximal end is arranged at a second vertical distance from the bottom contact surface, and

wherein the first vertical distance is greater than the second vertical distance.

16 . The system of claim 11 ,

wherein the at least one rail is comprised of a plurality of linear rail segments that are movable away from each other, and

wherein the plurality of linear rail segments together define an approximate curved path.

Continuity (3)

References Cited (47)