Abstract: A cross-leg alert device comprising a cross-leg detector for detecting a cross-legged posture and an alert generator is disclosed. The alert generator is to generate an alert to a user upon the cross-leg detector detecting a change in posture from a non-cross-legged posture to a cross-legged posture. The cross-leg detector is for detecting a cross-legged posture and the alert generator is for generating an alert signal to a user when the cross-leg detector has detected a change in posture from a non-cross-legged posture to a cross-legged posture.

Abstract: A heat exchanger has a shell formed of several sections placed side by side and each defining an intermediate baffle forming part of a spiral surface. The adjacent sections define together a spiral path extending through the shell in the direction of its axis. Tubes extend in this axial direction through aligned holes provided in each shell section. The tubes communicate between end spaces comprising an inlet and outlet for the first fluid. The use of shell sections provides a convenient construction method for the heat exchanger while the spiral path for the second fluid gives better flow characteristics.

Abstract: A seating unit for a vehicle, particularly an aircraft, that has a movable portion including a back rest, a seat pan and a leg rest, and a fixed portion having front and rear legs. The movable portion is movable between a fully reclined position and an upright position. A recess is disposed below the back rest and seat pan in the upright position, the recess constituting a foot-well for a person using another seat therebehind. Front and rear cross-members can be fixedly secured respectively to the lower ends of the front and rear legs, and are fixed to seat tracks provided in the vehicle. In one embodiment, the fixed portion includes two spaced rear legs that are positioned on opposing sides of the recess, and the rear cross-member can be fixedly secured to the lower ends of both of the rear legs.

Abstract: The present invention provides a seat for a passenger vehicle, particularly an aircraft, which seat comprises a first fixed part for supporting the seat adjacent a floor of a vehicle; a second movable part comprising a seat pan component, a back-rest component and a leg-rest component. A guiding device between the first fixed and second movable part for guiding movement of the movable parts relative to the fixed part between an upright position and a fully reclined position, such that as the movable part is moved towards the fully reclined position, said back-rest component is lowered translationally towards the floor. A reclining device for reclining the back-rest component from an upright orientation to a fully reclined orientation as the movable portion is moved from the upright to the fully reclined positions.

Abstract: The present invention provides a seat for a passenger vehicle, particularly an aircraft, which seat comprises a first fixed part for supporting the seat adjacent a floor of a vehicle; a second movable part comprising a seat pan component, a back-rest component and a leg-rest component; guiding means between the first fixed and second movable part for guiding movement of the movable parts relative to the fixed part between an upright position and a fully reclined position, such that as the movable part is moved towards the fully reclined position, said back-rest component is lowered translationally towards the floor; reclining means for reclining the back-rest component from an upright orientation to a fully reclined orientation as the movable portion is moved from the upright to the fully reclined positions; the arrangement being such that as the movable part is moved between the upright and fully reclined positions, the locking drive means is controlled such that the leg-rest component remains in contact wit

Abstract: A store ejector includes at least one fluid pressure operated ram (4). In use the ram (4) engages and ejects a store (5). The ejector includes a source of fluid under pressure and a throttle valve connected between the source of fluid under pressure and the ram (4). A pressure sensor detects the pressure supplied to the ram and an extension sensor monitors the extension of the ram. A computer receives inputs from the pressure and extension sensors and provides a control output to the throttle valve to control the valve to provide a predetermined applied thrust profile to the store.

Abstract: An inductive coupler (1) comprises a rectifier (2) to rectify an input alternating current power supply, a high frequency oscillator (3) driven by the rectified power supply, a modulator (4) to modulate the output of the high frequency oscillator (3) with a lower frequency alternating signal, a split transformer (6) having physically separable primary and secondary sections, and a demodulator (7). The output of the modulator (4) is coupled to the primary section of the transformer (6), and the secondary section of the transformer (6) is coupled to the demodulator (7) which demodulates the modulated high frequency signal to produce a low frequency power output. An auxiliary connector (8) connects a reference from the low frequency modulation signal imposed by the modulator (4) to the demodulator (7) to maintain synchronism.

Abstract: A pyrometer system for the measurement of the temperature of a primary source of heat which might be contaminated by radiation from a transient spurious source of heat at a higher temperature, and in which the presence of radiation from the spurious source can be detected or identified by spectral discrimination. The received radiation is separated into two spectral components of which a second component comprises a significantly higher proportion of radiation emitted by the spurious source than does the first component. The ratio of, or the difference between, the magnitudes of the radiation in the second and first components is used to identify or detect the presence of spurious radiation and to produce an error, or flag, signal which is used to inhibit operation of the pyrometer or to cause it to hold the last received `good` reading before the occurrence of the spurious radiation.

Abstract: A reclining or semi-supine aircrew ejection seat is provided with an ejection gun that is in the usual upwardly extending and rearwardly inclined attitude, and the seat is attached to the portion of the gun assembly that leaves the aircraft by a pivotal connection between the back of the seat and the upper part of the gun assembly portion. This allows the part of the seat that supports the user's back to extend forward away from the pivotal connection and the gun assembly. During the initial phase of ejection, the seat turns angularly, bringing the part of the seat that supports the user's back against the gun assembly.

Abstract: An aircraft take-off runway, especially a ship's flight desk, is provided with a terminal ramp that curves upward to launch the aircraft in a semi-ballistic trajectory. The ramp is so configured as to have a varying contour or profile, in longitudinal section, at different regions across it, such that the path up the ramp of wheels on the center line of the aircraft is different from the path of wheels off the center line, e.g. outrigger wheels, whereby a desired pitching moment is imparted to the aircraft at launch.

Abstract: A variable flow air outlet valve is provided, e.g. for admitting conditioned air to an aircraft cockpit, comprising two relatively rotatable parts relative rotation of which progressively varies the length of the path that the air must follow through the valve before reaching the outlet so that the outlet flow is changed due to change in the amount of viscous drag the air is subjected to inside the valve. In this way change in the outlet flow is achieved without noise-producing turbulence. The path for the air within the valve extends through varying lengths of a body of foraminous material such as a reticulated foam material.

Abstract: In a VTOL, aircraft having pairs of angularly movable jet-engine-efflux discharging vectored thrust lift and propulsion nozzles at the under side of the fuselage, a deflector door is provided to divert the hot exhaust gases that rise toward the fuselage when the aircraft is near the ground and thereby prevent such gases from approaching the engine air intakes. The deflector door swings from a retracted position to a position in which it projects downwardly and forwardly below the fuselage and it has edge blowing slots through which bleed air from the engine is blown in a downward and forward direction with a lateral fan-wise spread. This door also serves duty as an airbrake.

Abstract: In an aircraft with a multi-engine configuration at the aft end of the fuselage the engines lie on top and on either side with their air intakes so positioned that downward and sideways noise shielding is provided by the fuselage and the wings, the wings having rearwardly extendible flaps to substantially close at take off and landing, gaps in the noise shield that would otherwise exist between the intakes and the unextended wing trailing edges. The engines exhaust into a noise shielding duct the bottom and side walls of which are provided respectively by a fixed-incidence portion of the tail plane and a pair of fins and rudders upstanding from the tailplane. Upward and downward thrust reversal passages are obtained by rocking back an aft end portion of each engine housing and simultaneously tilting a hingedly mounted forward section of said fixed incidence tail plane portion.