Abstract: Coupling a landed helicopter to a positioning device, on a ship deck, for example, has up to now been carried out by an operator in such a way that the operator manually operates a grasping means (18), engaging with a longitudinal side of the helicopter, and stops it. The coupling device and method according to the invention use an optical device (30) on at least on grasping mechanism (18) and a reflection means, corresponding to an optical device on the helicopter. The optical device (30) locates the helicopter regardless of the helicopter's landing position, and moves the grasping mechanism (18) by means of corresponding control systems in simple fashion to an exact coupling position without any need for intervention by an operator.

Abstract: Lacquer coatings are stripped from a large surface, e.g. aircraft and vehicle body surfaces, and the surface is simultaneously cleaned by a spraying device that carries at least three spraying units, each with at least one, preferably two, spray heads arranged in a row. Two outer spraying units flank one central spraying unit. The spraying device is secured to a free end of an outrigger arm on a mobile carriage, by a wrist mechanism, by a rod linkage, and by a mounting member (20a) tiltable by the rod linkage. The central spraying unit is directly secured to the tiltable mounting member while the two outer spraying units are secured by lazy tongues operable to track the contour of the large surface.