The safety tripod includes a tripod, a flight driving machine mounted on the tripod to enable the tripod to fly, a landing base for seating the tripod on the ground when the tripod lands, and a standing guide mounted on the tripod to enable the tripod to stand up.

The invention provides a firefighting float plane having a fuselage and two floats mounted to the fuselage. The fuselage has a water tank with open and closed configurations. In some embodiments, the water tank is integrated into the fuselage, and/or both the water tank and the fuselage have a generally triangular cross-sectional configuration. The water tank has a closed bottom in its closed configuration and an open bottom in its open configuration. In some embodiments, the plane has specified ratio of water tank holding capacity to total power of two engine assemblies. It can optionally also have the above-noted fuselage configuration, tank configuration, or both. In some embodiments, the plane has dual propellers, two engine assemblies, and two tail booms, optionally together with specified ratio of water tank holding capacity to total power of two engine assemblies. It may also have the above-noted fuselage configuration, tank configuration, or both.

The invention provides a firefighting float plane having a fuselage and two floats mounted to the fuselage. The fuselage has a water tank with open and closed configurations. In some embodiments, the water tank is integrated into the fuselage, and/or both the water tank and the fuselage have a generally triangular cross-sectional configuration. The water tank has a closed bottom in its closed configuration and an open bottom in its open configuration. In some embodiments, the plane has specified ratio of water tank holding capacity to total power of two engine assemblies. It can optionally also have the above-noted fuselage configuration, tank configuration, or both. In some embodiments, the plane has dual propellers, two engine assemblies, and two tail booms, optionally together with specified ratio of water tank holding capacity to total power of two engine assemblies. It may also have the above-noted fuselage configuration, tank configuration, or both.

A convertible ducted fan engine having a shroud, a drive shaft connected to a mechanical fan, and a rotational drive motor configured to rotate the mechanical fan. An embodiment includes a linear drive motor configured to translate the drive shaft and mechanical fan in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the shroud. The convertible ducted fan engine includes a fluid-propulsion configuration in which the mechanical fan rotates freely with respect to the shroud to produce thrust through fluid flow, and a drive-wheel configuration in which the shroud rotates about the rotational axis.

A convertible ducted fan engine having a shroud, a drive shaft connected to a mechanical fan, and a rotational drive motor configured to rotate the mechanical fan. An embodiment includes a linear drive motor configured to translate the drive shaft and mechanical fan in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the shroud. The convertible ducted fan engine includes a fluid-propulsion configuration in which the mechanical fan rotates freely with respect to the shroud to produce thrust through fluid flow, and a drive-wheel configuration in which the shroud rotates about the rotational axis.

The invention relates to an aircraft for takeoff and landing on water or on land. The aircraft comprises a fuselage and a spring-mounted landing gear. Landing gear wheels are mountable on the landing gear for takeoff and landing on land. Furthermore, the aircraft comprises a floating device coupleable to the landing gear of the aircraft via a connecting device. The floating device is configured such that the hydrostatic lifting force of the floating device is greater than the maximum takeoff weight of the aircraft.

An amphibious aircraft has a tricycle landing gear that is movable between a retracted, or up, position and an extended, or down, position. Each member of the landing gear is protected in the forward direction by a hydrodynamic protector, or vane, or shoe, such as may tend to create lift when brought into engagement with water, as during landing. The landing gear protector vanes may be mounted to move with extension and retraction of the landing gear. The landing gear wheels may protrude to extend partially downwardly proud of the sole of the shoe. The landing gear actuator and transmission may operate all gear in concert. The shoes may include sacrificial wear members for ground engagement in the event of an inadvertent gear-up landing on terrain.

An amphibious aircraft has a tricycle landing gear that is movable between a retracted, or up, position and an extended, or down, position. Each member of the landing gear is protected in the forward direction by a hydrodynamic protector, or vane, or shoe, such as may tend to create lift when brought into engagement with water, as during landing. The landing gear protector vanes may be mounted to move with extension and retraction of the landing gear. The landing gear wheels may protrude to extend partially downwardly proud of the sole of the shoe. The landing gear actuator and transmission may operate all gear in concert. The shoes may include sacrificial wear members for ground engagement in the event of an inadvertent gear-up landing on terrain.

An amphibious aircraft has a tricycle landing gear that is movable between a retracted, or up, position and an extended, or down, position. Each member of the landing gear is protected in the forward direction by a hydrodynamic protector, or vane, or shoe, such as may tend to create lift when brought into engagement with water, as during landing. The landing gear protector vanes may be mounted to move with extension and retraction of the landing gear. The landing gear wheels may protrude to extend partially downwardly proud of the sole of the shoe. The landing gear actuator and transmission may operate all gear in concert. The shoes may include sacrificial wear members for ground engagement in the event of an inadvertent gear-up landing on terrain.

An amphibious aircraft has a tricycle landing gear that is movable between a retracted, or up, position and an extended, or down, position. Each member of the landing gear is protected in the forward direction by a hydrodynamic protector, or vane, or shoe, such as may tend to create lift when brought into engagement with water, as during landing. The landing gear protector vanes may be mounted to move with extension and retraction of the landing gear. The landing gear wheels may protrude to extend partially downwardly proud of the sole of the shoe. The landing gear actuator and transmission may operate all gear in concert. The shoes may include sacrificial wear members for ground engagement in the event of an inadvertent gear-up landing on terrain.