AATS/ACET air cushion takeoff support vehicles

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Lockon

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Hello,

Does anyone have any 3 view drawings or photos any info of this take off trolley? That Matej posted on June 11/06 (McDonnell-Douglas F-15 projects).

Any help would be great!

Thanks,

Lockon.
 

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Re: F-15 STOL Takeoff Trolley

It depends on chemicals that you are using.

Back to trolley - it is pure concept, nothing that was actualy built. But in general, it resembles me some proposals from Piasecki.
 
Re: F-15 STOL Takeoff Trolley

Matej said:
It depends on chemicals that you are using.

Back to trolley - it is pure concept, nothing that was actualy built. But in general, it resembles me some proposals from Piasecki.
Click to expand...


Are you sure nothing was built? For some reason I've got it stuck in my head that they actually tried it out with an F-101 Voodoo.
 
Re: F-15 STOL Takeoff Trolley

I am sure that in relatinon with this picture - it means with F-15, not any real hardware was built. And with other planes - I assume that howercraft trolley was never tested. But I will be happy corrected with some evidence.
 
Re: F-15 STOL Takeoff Trolley

Matej said:
I am sure that in relatinon with this picture - it means with F-15, not any real hardware was built. And with other planes - I assume that howercraft trolley was never tested. But I will be happy corrected with some evidence.
Click to expand...

I know the F-15 was never tested. What I'm saying is that I think it made it to a hardware stage but they used the F-101 instead of the F-15 (cheaper if they wrecked it I'm assuming). Don't know if it was just a mockup, just did tow testing, or what but I'm pretty sure they didn't accomplish any takeoffs. Wracking my brains trying to remember where I'd seen it. Might have been an old Airforce magazine. Ah well. Next time I'm digging around in my shed I'll look for it. :-[
 
Re: F-15 STOL Takeoff Trolley

Someone was using chemicals, that's for damn sure.
 
Re: F-15 STOL Takeoff Trolley

LowObservable said:
Someone was using chemicals, that's for damn sure.
Click to expand...

Meh. I can't find anything online. I did find this wind tunnel model of an F-4 being tested on one though.
 

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Re: F-15 STOL Takeoff Trolley

Hi all,

Thanks for your info so far.

Sferrin thanks heaps for the wind tunnel test photo!........whats the web link?

If anyone has any more ideas or info then add it.

Lockon.
 
Re: F-15 STOL Takeoff Trolley

Lockon said:
Hi all,

Thanks for your info so far.

Sferrin thanks heaps for the wind tunnel test photo!........whats the web link?

If anyone has any more ideas or info then add it.

Lockon.
Click to expand...

It was from an AIAA paper on the topic.
 
Re: F-15 STOL Takeoff Trolley

Hi all,

sferrin are you able to post the AIAA paper would be nice to have a read.

Thanks,

Lockon.
 
Re: F-15 STOL Takeoff Trolley

Lockon said:
Hi all,

sferrin are you able to post the AIAA paper would be nice to have a read.

Thanks,

Lockon.
Click to expand...


No thanks. It's available at the AIAA's site.
 
Re: F-15 STOL Takeoff Trolley

Very sorry Overscan did not know that we could not post articles...........Sorry.


Sorry about that sferrin!

Lockon.
 
Re: F-15 STOL Takeoff Trolley

Sferrin, are you able to post the web link to where you found the info and photo of the trolley,
have been all over the AIAA's web page cant find it?

Thanks,

Lockon
 
Re: F-15 STOL Takeoff Trolley

This is the abstract to the article:

http://pdf.aiaa.org/preview/1984/PV1984_2130.pdf


The official name of the program was Advanced Alternate Takeoff System (AATS)
 
Re: F-15 STOL Takeoff Trolley

Thanks sferrin,

Will have a read, if you ever find anything more........please let me know.

Thanks,

Lockon
 
Re: F-15 STOL Takeoff Trolley

LowObservable said:
Someone was using chemicals, that's for damn sure.
Click to expand...

I wasn't completely delusional. Going through an old magazine there was the picture of the two F-15s taking off on the ACV sleds and on the very next page was this picture: (Explains how they got linked in my head over 20 years. :-[ )
 

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Re: F-15 STOL Takeoff Trolley

I must say VERY NICE FIND! sferrin.


I'm guessing those drums are for fuel?

Lockon.
 
The idea of the Alternative Aircraft Takeoff System (AATS) originated at the Flight Dynamics Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, OH. AATS called for the development of a ground-effect vehicle to serve as a support platform enabling combat aircraft to take off from bombed or otherwise damaged runways.

The unmanned hover platform would use its own power for ground effect ascension only; the aircraft's jet engine or engines would accelerated both the plane and the AATS to takeoff speeds. On actual take-off, the aircraft's wheels would leave the wells built into the hover platform and drogue parachutes would deploy automatically to slow and eventually halt the AATS for retrieval.

Photograph of 1/10-scale F-4 mockup, borrowed from the Navy, and AATS used by Bell Aerospace for wind tunnel testing.

"Airborne from the Ground Up" Popular Mechanics September 1981
 

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Wyen, Gerald R. USAF Testing in Support of Air Cushion Equipment Transporter (ACET) Technology.
Wright Lab Wright-Patterson Air Force Base OH May 1987

Abstract:
The Air Cushion Equipment Transporter (ACET) is designed as an air base survivability item, to transport vital heavy equipment (especially aircraft) across battle damaged terrain. This report presents the results of the first ACET program which consisted of the design, construction, and testing of a prototype vehicle. Based upon the design concept evolved for the AATS program, the ACET is essentially a lower performance derivative of the vehicle proposed for that program. Its construction follows closely the methods used in producing the LACV-30 and its cushion lift air system employs almost exclusively the hardware previously installed on the XC-8A aircraft used in the ACLS program. This report summarizes the evolution of the prototype vehicle and presents the results of the test program with the ACET equipped with a full-fingered skirt carrying on F101B aircraft to simulate realistic payloads.
Click to expand...

Handle / proxy Url: http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA240188

Three-view drawing of Air Cushion Equipment Transporter (ACET).
 

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Direct link for report mentioned in previous post: http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a240188.pdf (handle no longer working.)
 
Having seen 'heavy lift' road vehicles etc that deployed an air-cushion to spread load on otherwise unsuitable sections of route or flooring, I'd suggest such a fast-jet system would suit 'rapidly' repaired runways. Sure, you can back-fill craters with a 'dozer, grader or such, but how long for the load-bearing surface to harden ?

Um, would this system work from a straight road or grass field ??

Or snow ?? First launch sortie, then clear run-way...

IIRC, there were trials of 'hover-skirted' cargo aircraft before 'bigger, better skis' proved a simpler, more reliable solution for eg Alaska or Antarctic...
 
Nik said:
but how long for the load-bearing surface to harden ?
Click to expand...
Hmm. While the surface is not yet hard, or worse stillfull of debris, the hover-thingy's overpressure will be spraying stones and debris all around, won't it?
 

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