US 11,884,376 B2
Landing apparatus for an air vehicle
Paul Macey, Langport (GB); and Michael Durham, Bedford (GB)
Assigned to HYBRID AIR VEHICLES LIMITED, Bedford (GB)
Appl. No. 17/626,758
Filed by Hybrid Air Vehicles Limited, Bedford (GB)
PCT Filed Jul. 14, 2020, PCT No. PCT/GB2020/051695
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 12, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/009507, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 21, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 1910197 (GB), filed on Jul. 16, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0315196 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. B64B 1/00 (2006.01); B60V 3/08 (2006.01)
CPC B64B 1/005 (2013.01) [B60V 3/08 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A landing apparatus for an airship or hybrid air vehicle, the landing apparatus comprising:
a hollow, non-toroidal, flexible enclosure, having a substantially vertical axis, and a substantially circular cross-section centered on said axis, a base of the enclosure being arranged to contact the ground, the enclosure being inflatable with air or gas for landing, and deflatable for retraction of the enclosure during flight; and
a plurality of tensioning devices, each extending helically from an upper circumferential location of the enclosure to a lower circumferential location, to rotate the base during retraction of the enclosure.