US 12,145,745 B2
Methods for managing center of gravity while loading wind turbine blades on a cargo aircraft using internally-extending rails
Etan D. Karni, Boulder, CO (US); Scott David Rewerts, Boulder, CO (US); and Mark Emil Lundstrom, Boulder, CO (US)
Assigned to ZSM Holdings, LLC, Dover, DE (US)
Filed by ZSM HOLDINGS LLC, Dover, DE (US)
Filed on Jul. 11, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/862,317.
Application 17/862,317 is a division of application No. 17/550,620, filed on Dec. 14, 2021, granted, now 11,383,838.
Application 17/550,620 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2020/049786, filed on Sep. 8, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/938,853, filed on Nov. 21, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/896,529, filed on Sep. 5, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/896,533, filed on Sep. 5, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0340281 A1, Oct. 27, 2022
Int. Cl. B64D 9/00 (2006.01); B64C 1/06 (2006.01); B64C 1/14 (2006.01); B64C 1/20 (2006.01); B64C 1/22 (2006.01); B64C 3/32 (2006.01); B64C 3/34 (2006.01); B64C 17/08 (2006.01); B64D 37/04 (2006.01); B64F 1/32 (2006.01); F03D 13/40 (2016.01)
CPC B64D 9/003 (2013.01) [B64C 1/0683 (2020.01); B64C 1/1415 (2013.01); B64C 1/20 (2013.01); B64C 1/22 (2013.01); B64C 3/32 (2013.01); B64C 3/34 (2013.01); B64C 17/08 (2013.01); B64D 9/00 (2013.01); B64D 37/04 (2013.01); B64F 1/32 (2013.01); F03D 13/40 (2016.05); B64D 2009/006 (2013.01); F05B 2260/02 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of loading one or more blades of one or more wind turbines onto a cargo aircraft, comprising:
passing a package that includes one or more blades of one or more wind turbines into an interior cargo bay defined by a fuselage of a cargo aircraft; and
securing the package at a location within the interior cargo bay such that a center of gravity of the package is located proximate to a center of gravity of the cargo aircraft,
wherein passing the package into the interior cargo bay further comprises sliding the package along one or more rails disposed in the interior cargo bay to reach the location at which the package is to be secured, the one or more rails extending from a forward end to an aft end of the cargo aircraft,
wherein at least one rail of the one or more rails extends continuously along an interior bottom contact surface of the interior cargo bay from the forward end of the cargo aircraft to the aft end of the cargo aircraft, the bottom contact surface defining a bottommost surface of the interior cargo bay upon which the package is arranged within the interior cargo bay, and
wherein the sliding further comprises sliding the package along at least a portion of the at least one rail that is disposed in the aft end of the cargo aircraft.