An aerial refueling system for refueling a receiver aircraft in flight comprises a hose reel assembly mounted onto a fuel supply aircraft's fuselage. The hose reel assembly has a rotatable drum defined by an outside diameter. A hose is wound around the drum and has an outlet end with a drogue affixed thereto. A telescoping stowage tube stores the outlet end of the hose and the drogue when the system is not in use and guides the outlet end and the drogue toward the receiver aircraft when the system is in use. The telescoping stowage tube has a forward end configured to be mounted on the hose reel assembly to receive the hose from the drum and an aft end adapted to be mounted to the door. As a result, the telescoping stowage tube may be extendable between a retracted stowed position and an extended position for refueling.

An aerial refueling system for refueling a receiver aircraft in flight comprises a hose reel assembly mounted onto a fuel supply aircraft's fuselage. The hose reel assembly has a rotatable drum defined by an outside diameter. A hose is wound around the drum and has an outlet end with a drogue affixed thereto. A telescoping stowage tube stores the outlet end of the hose and the drogue when the system is not in use and guides the outlet end and the drogue toward the receiver aircraft when the system is in use. The telescoping stowage tube has a forward end configured to be mounted on the hose reel assembly to receive the hose from the drum and an aft end adapted to be mounted to the door. As a result, the telescoping stowage tube may be extendable between a retracted stowed position and an extended position for refueling.

Described are systems and methods for deploying and stowing a refueling boom. In certain examples, deploying the refueling boom includes lowering a refueling boom structure with a hoist while a boom aerodynamic control surface of the refueling is deactivated, determining that first transition conditions have been met, switching the hoist actuator state mode, and activating the boom aerodynamic control surface. In other examples, stowing the refueling boom includes flying the refueling boom towards a fuselage, determining that second transition conditions have been met, switching the hoist actuator state mode, and raising a refueling boom structure of the refueling boom with the hoist.

Described are systems and methods for deploying and stowing a refueling boom. In certain examples, deploying the refueling boom includes lowering a refueling boom structure with a hoist while a boom aerodynamic control surface of the refueling is deactivated, determining that first transition conditions have been met, switching the hoist actuator state mode, and activating the boom aerodynamic control surface. In other examples, stowing the refueling boom includes flying the refueling boom towards a fuselage, determining that second transition conditions have been met, switching the hoist actuator state mode, and raising a refueling boom structure of the refueling boom with the hoist.

Apparatus to store a drogue hose on an aircraft are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes a pod to be attached to an aircraft to store a drogue hose, a drum disposed in the pod around which the drogue hose is coiled, where an axis of the drum is aligned with a direction of flight of the aircraft, guides to move along a length of the drum to guide the drogue hose as the drogue hose is coiled around the drum, and exit rollers adjacent to a drogue chute cave of the pod, the exit rollers to guide the drogue hose as the drogue hose moves through the drogue chute cave.

Apparatus to store a drogue hose on an aircraft are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes a pod to be attached to an aircraft to store a drogue hose, a drum disposed in the pod around which the drogue hose is coiled, where an axis of the drum is aligned with a direction of flight of the aircraft, guides to move along a length of the drum to guide the drogue hose as the drogue hose is coiled around the drum, and exit rollers adjacent to a drogue chute cave of the pod, the exit rollers to guide the drogue hose as the drogue hose moves through the drogue chute cave.

An image processing system capable of detecting the position of an unmanned mobile body and measuring the timing of passing a predetermined position is provided. The system includes an unmanned mobile body in which an imaging apparatus is mounted and an image processing device that is connected to the unmanned mobile body by wireless communication and displays an image captured by the imaging apparatus. The image processing device includes: an image data acquisition unit acquiring image data; a screen display unit displaying the image on a display; a mark detection unit detecting the presence of a detection mark in the image; and a gate passing determination unit determining that the unmanned mobile body has passed through a passing gate in which the detection mark is provided when the detection mark is detected under predetermined condition. The screen display unit displays the image and the content based on the determination result.

A propellant-handling module for installation in a host aircraft comprises: a motorised drum unit comprising a line and drogue for engagement with a propellant supply line of a propellant supply aircraft and for drawing the propellant supply line from the propellant supply aircraft to the host aircraft when the propellant supply aircraft is located behind the host aircraft; a propellant inlet configured for connection with the propellant supply line; a propellant outlet in communication with the propellant inlet and configured for connection with a propellant system of the host aircraft; an electrical power unit for powering the propellant-handling module; and a communication and control system for receiving a deploy command signal and a return command signal from the supply aircraft and configured to: receive said deploy command signal and in response control the motorised drum unit to deploy the line and drogue for said engagement with the propellant supply line; and receive said return command signal and in response control the motorised drum unit to return the line and drogue to the host aircraft in said engagement with the propellant supply line for drawing the propellant supply line from the propellant supply aircraft to the host aircraft when the propellant supply aircraft is located behind the host aircraft.

A propellant-handling module for installation in a host aircraft comprises: a motorised drum unit comprising a line and drogue for engagement with a propellant supply line of a propellant supply aircraft and for drawing the propellant supply line from the propellant supply aircraft to the host aircraft when the propellant supply aircraft is located behind the host aircraft; a propellant inlet configured for connection with the propellant supply line; a propellant outlet in communication with the propellant inlet and configured for connection with a propellant system of the host aircraft; an electrical power unit for powering the propellant-handling module; and a communication and control system for receiving a deploy command signal and a return command signal from the supply aircraft and configured to: receive said deploy command signal and in response control the motorised drum unit to deploy the line and drogue for said engagement with the propellant supply line; and receive said return command signal and in response control the motorised drum unit to return the line and drogue to the host aircraft in said engagement with the propellant supply line for drawing the propellant supply line from the propellant supply aircraft to the host aircraft when the propellant supply aircraft is located behind the host aircraft.

A method for compensating for aerodynamic radial loads applied to a drogue coupling of a hose and drogue air to air active refueling system including: deploying a refueling hose from a tanker aircraft, wherein the drogue coupling is at a distal end of the hose and the drogue coupling is connected to a hose end control unit which includes at least three fins extending outward into air flowing over the hose end control unit; sensing acceleration of the hose end control unit and/or the drogue coupling, generating an acceleration signal with data representing the sensed acceleration; determining at least one deflection angle for at least one of the three fins based on the acceleration signal, and rotating at least one of the three fins by the at least one deflection angle.