1. An impact absorption panel having a top surface, a bottom surface, and edges, the bottom surface having a plurality of projections that define drainage channels, the edges having at least one standout spacer arranged to form a gap with an adjacent panel, the gap being configured to provide fluid communication with the bottom side drainage channels, the panel further having a plurality of drain holes arranged on the panel, the plurality of drain holes providing fluid communication between the top surface and the drainage channels of the bottom surface.
2. The impact absorption panel of claim 1 wherein the plurality of projections each have a first spring rate characteristic and a second spring rate characteristic such that the first spring rate characteristic provides for more deflection under load than the second spring rate characteristic.
3. The impact absorption panel of claim 1 wherein the top surface includes a plurality of projections that cooperate to define top surface drainage channels, the top surface channels being directly connected with the bottom surface drainage channels by way of the drain holes.
4. The impact absorption panel of claim 1 wherein the bottom surface drainage channels are configured to hold water for release to a substrate layer.
5. The impact absorption panel of claim 4 wherein the release rate of water to the substrate layer is slower than a rate of lateral drainage across the bottom surface drainage channels to the panel edge.
6. The impact absorption panel of claim 2 wherein the first spring rate characteristic of the projections is part of a first stage and the second spring rate characteristic is part of a second stage, the first stage having a smaller volume of material than the second stage.
7. The impact absorption panel of claim 6 wherein the panel is formed from a polyolefin material.
8. The impact absorption panel of claim 2 wherein the first and second spring rate characteristics combine to form a general spring rate gradient over the entire projection length between a truncated end of the projection and the bottom surface.
9. The impact absorption panel of claim 2 wherein the first stage is configured to collapse initially when subjected to an impact load, the second stage is configured to provide greater resistance to the impact load than the first stage, and a panel section is defined between the top surface and the bottom surface, the panel section being configured to provide greater resistance to the impact load than the first and second stages.
10. The impact absorption panel of claim 9 wherein the second stage is configured to be dimensionally larger than the first stage such that the first stage can deflect into the second stage during the impact.
11. An impact absorption panel comprising:
a panel section having a plurality of drain holes formed therethrough;
a top surface configured to support at least a layer of loose infill material, the top side further including a texture that maintains the general position of the loose infill material on the top surface; and
a bottom surface having a plurality of projections that cooperate to define channels suitable to permit water flow across the bottom surface, the channels being in fluid communication with the panel drain holes, the projections having tapered sides such that the bottom side channels will retain up to 25 mm of water for a slower release rate into a substrate than a drainage rate across the channels.
12. The impact absorption panel of claim 11 wherein the top surface includes a three dimensional surface texture that creates friction to retain the loose infill material or a covering layer.
13. The impact absorption panel of claim 11 wherein the top surface includes a molded topography configured to facilitate drainage.
14. The impact absorption panel of claim 11 wherein at least one flange extends from the panel section, the flange being configured to overlap with a mating panel flange such that the top surface and the bottom surface of one panel are generally continuous with the top surface and bottom surface of the adjacent panels.
15. The impact absorption panel of claim 7 wherein at least one flange extends from the panel section, the flange being configured to overlap with a mating panel flange and further configured to compensate for thermal expansion.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An air transport comprising:
a blended wing body having
a scalloped underside shaped to smoothly curve from an underside of a wing downward toward an underside of the fuselage and to smoothly curve upward from the underside of the fuselage to an underside of an opposite wing,
wherein the scalloped underside comprises at least one depression therein, the at least one depression having an outer surface to receive at least an upper portion and a front portion of a cargo pod so that when the cargo pod is loaded to the air transport and the at least the upper portion and front portion of the cargo pod is submerged within the at least one depression, the loaded cargo pod precludes an air passage way between an upper surface of the cargo pod and the scalloped underside of the air transport, and such that when the cargo pod is not loaded, the outer surface of the at least one depression provides an aerodynamic surface suitable for flight without an attached cargo pod.
2. The air transport of claim 1, wherein the at least one depression is sufficiently deep to receive a conformal cargo pod, the conformal cargo pod comprising a shape configured to nest within the at least one depression, and the conformal cargo pod having an underside surface shaped to blend smoothly with an aerodynamic curvature of the scalloped underside so as to minimize air flow disturbance around the conformal cargo pod, when it is loaded to the air transport.
3. The air transport of claim 1, comprising a thin aerofoil, and the scalloped underside comprises a removable conformal fairing attached to and extending laterally and longitudinally along an underside of the thin aerofoil, the conformal fairing extending laterally at least across a region for cargo pod attachment and the conformal fairing comprising the at least one depression for receiving the at least the upper portion of the cargo pod in the region for cargo pod attachment.
4. The air transport of claim 1, wherein the at least one depression extends longitudinally along the scalloped underside of the air transport.
5. The air transport of claim 4, wherein the at least one depression of the scalloped underside comprises three substantially parallel depressions configured to receive at least the upper portion of a cargo pod.
6. The air transport of claim 5, wherein the air transport comprises landing gear located on either side of a central one of the three substantially parallel depressions, the landing gear configured to extend from and to be stowed within landing gear compartments.
7. The air transport of claim 6, wherein the landing gear compartments comprise landing gear compartment doors, and the landing gear compartment doors have door exterior surfaces configured such that when the landing gear compartment doors close, the door exterior surfaces blend smoothly with an aerodynamic curvature of the scalloped underside to minimize air flow disturbance around the landing gear compartment doors.
8. An air transport, comprising:
A blended-wing body having a scalloped underside comprising a depression to receive at least an upper portion and a front portion of a cargo pod, the depression having a first edge, a second edge parallel to and opposite the first edge, and an arcuate outer surface that curves from the first edge to the second edge, forming an aerodynamic surface configured both for flight without an attached cargo pod and for receiving the upper portion and the front portion of the cargo pod.
9. An air transport system, comprising:
a blended-wing body having a scalloped underside and three parallel depressions formed into the scalloped underside, each depression having a first edge, a second edge parallel to and opposite the first edge, and an arcuate outer surface that curves from the first edge to the second edge, forming an aerodynamic surface configured both for flight without an attached cargo pod and for receiving an upper portion and a front portion of the attached cargo pod;
a cargo pod having an upper surface shaped to compliment the arcuate outer surface of each depression; and
a conformal pod configured to fit entirely within a depression when the cargo pod is not attached, the conformal pod comprising
an upper surface shaped to compliment the arcuate outer surface of the depression, and
a lower surface shaped to conform with the scalloped underside to create a continuous lower surface of the blended-wing body.