An expandable probe for filling a water tank in an aircraft from a body of water includes an inflatable hose having a proximal end fixed with a housing in the aircraft, a distal end fixed with a scooping head, an elastomeric internal conduit, and an inflatable bladder substantially surrounding the conduit. The conduit has a proximal end in communication with the water tank of the aircraft and a distal end fixed with a water scoop of the scooping head. An air supply is adapted to inflate and extend the inflatable hose to an extended configuration extending outside an open rear end of the housing below the lower side of the aircraft. Lowering the aircraft allows the scooping head to contact the body of water such that water enters the scoop and travels up the conduit to the water tank.
Water-scooping probe
2022-06-21
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
Online Contents | 1996
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