BOSCH Aerospace Rapid Deploy Aerostat

Aerostats

"BOSCH Aerospace leads the nation in rapidly deployed aerostats."

A typical aerostat inflation requires a large area, ground tarps, an inflation crew, calm winds, and a great deal of patience. BOSCH Aerospace has eliminated all of these obstacles with the invention of the aerostat rapid inflation deployment system. Inflation can be initiated by a single operator or via a remote radio link. Once the start sequence has been initiated, the aerostat is totally autonomous.

The rapidly deploy aerostat program was initially developed exclusively for the U.S. Navy. Permission was granted to BOSCH Aerospace to make these patented aerostats readily available to other Government agencies and to the commercial advertising market.

The size of an aerostat is dependent upon the weight of the payload to be lifted. The range of free lift will vary from a few pounds to several hundred pounds.

With a decade of practical DoD experience in airship and aerostat design, our engineering and fabrication staff produced the rapid inflation aerostat package. They are each customized for individual application requirements, or are available as standard off-the-shelf units. Aerostat packages are available in a multitude of sizes, options and price ranges.

The images below are of a shipboard version for ocean or fresh-water deployment or a self-weathervaning version for deployment in unattended remote locations.

Regardless of the size, Bosch Aerospace aerostats are available in many different configurations. Experimentation has been done with an airborne package that could be deployed from an aircraft via a parachute and delivered to unaccessible areas where terrain restrictions prohibit access.

Options include a truck or small trailer mounted version, as shown below. This version was used to field demonstrate the capabilities of this unique deployment system to several agencies. The demonstration was conducted on the U.S. Mexico border. Attendies included several members of Congress, U.S. Border Patrol Chief and Deputy Chief, Director of the Border and Technology Center, Smart Weapons Mangement Office and the Navy Facilities Engineering Services.

Several REAP units were produced specifically to join our troops in the Middle East. These units were constructed in a modular fashion. The system consists of a base unit, a rotator unit, a winch unit, and finally the container unit. Each part can be lifted by two persons and assembled within a moments notice, ready for depolyment. REAP's modular design allows the unit to be broken down and transported in almost any vehicle. The pictures below depict a design that when assembled will fit into the back of a HUMMV. The payload is a Bosch built, stabilized pan and tilt gimbal which directs daylight and a night vision cameras. The system is wireless and it's deployment and camera controlls are accessed through either the wireless link or hard mounted switches, located on the winch unit. Another key feature is the ability to replenish the helium from the ground without retracting the winch cable. This feature was designed to combat small arms fire directed at the platform.

This is a brief description of the autonomous aerostat system...
The rapid deploy aerostat arrives in a weatherproof container. A weatherproof door is opened by the technician and a payload is placed inside the canister. The payload is fastened to the tether line and the door is closed. The start sequence is initiated, and the aerostat breaks the all-weather seal on the main container lid and self inflates to a preset pressure. This inflation time will vary due to the size of the aerostat (i.e., a two-minute inflation has been accomplished on a small aerostat with a length of 25 feet and a volume of 1500 cubic feet, and a four-minute inflation was accomplished on an aerostat with a length of 60' and a volume 9000 cubic feet). A pressure sensor tells the on-board computer that the aerostat is full of Helium and shuts off the flow of gas. The aerostat then detaches itself from the weatherproof container, and via an automatic winch and tether setting, it achieves a pre-set altitude. These autonomous inflations can be done in high-wind conditions and in confined spaces leaving the operator free to perform other duties.

The majority of our video clips require a fast internet connection. You can browse our video files here.

For pricing and more information please contact: James Boschma by clicking here