"An Aircraft Cargo Door Protector"

introduction

This invention relates to a guard capable of being temporarily positioned to protect an aircraft during loading and unloading of cargo to and from the aircraft.

Airlines are under constant pressure to maximise aircraft usage. An important factor in maximising aircraft usage is to reduce the turn around times of aircraft on the ground. Cargo handlers, catering staff, oil re-fuelers, cleaners and maintenance crews are under pressure to complete their allotted tasks in as short a time as possible. In order to help the cargo handlers speed up the loading and unloading of cargo from aircraft, Unit Load Devices (ULDs) were developed. A ULD is essentially a large container of predetermined shape that can be loaded with differently sized pieces of cargo prior to the arrival of the aircraft. The predetermined shape of the ULD allows it to be loaded into or unloaded from the cargo hold of the aircraft through an ope on the aircraft relatively quickly using bespoke loading/unloading equipment, such as scissor lifts and loaders, thus reducing the turn around time of the aircraft on the ground.

Accidents sometimes occur as a result of the time pressure placed on the cargo handlers during the turn around of the aircraft. In particular, collisions between ULD loaders and ULDs with aircraft have caused delays in the past. The financial cost of these collisions to the airlines can be extremely high, and the delays caused to passengers are aggravating.

A significant amount of collisions between ULDs or ULD loaders and the aircraft occur along the sides of the cargo door opes on the outer fuselage of the aircraft. Normally, such collisions occur on the farside of the ope relative to the driving and controlling position of the cargo handler on his or her ULD loader, however, nearside collisions have also occurred. Due to the curvature of the bottom half of the fuselage on the aircraft, the farside edge of the cargo door ope on an aircraft falls away from the eye line of a ULD loader operator. This makes it very difficult for the ULD operator to correctly judge the distances involved whilst aligning the ULD loader up with the

ope on the aircraft. Moreover, most ULD loaders allow for a certain amount of controlled movement of the ULD when the ULD is on the loader as most ULD loaders are slightly wider than a standard cargo door ope width. The ULDs can be side shifted on the ULD loader to align the ULD up with the ope. However, the operator also has difficulty in aligning the ULD on the loader with the ope on the aircraft due to the curvature of the fuselage. In both cases, any misjudgement will result in the ULD or the ULD loader colliding with the aircraft.

Stringent safety procedures govern the airline industry and the severity of any damage caused by a collision must be investigated by a qualified aeronautical engineer. Such collisions, and subsequent airworthiness investigations, lead to delays for passengers and disruption of flight schedules. If the collision has caused an unacceptable amount of damage to the aircraft, then replacement of the aircraft by standby aircraft will be necessary which will add greatly to the cost of the effects of the collision. Additional costs relating to the actual repair of the aircraft itself and to the re-certification of air worthiness are also incurred as a result of damaging collisions. Airlines may also have to pay higher insurance premiums as a result of these collisions.

There is clearly a need to protect aircraft against the effects of potentially damaging collisions. An obvious solution would be to increase the strength of the fuselage of the aircraft so that they are able to withstand collisions between the ULDs and the ULD loaders. However, the Basic Empty Weight (BEW) of the aircraft would increase which is disadvantageous for airlines as the fuel costs would increase due to the increase in the weight of the aircraft. An alternative solution is required.

It is known from the prior art to protect the sill of these cargo door opes by using protective covers which deploy from within a stowed position within the cargo hold. However, the protective covers do not protect the outer fuselage adjacent the cargo door ope, nor do the covers have any shock absorbing capabilities.

A bulky, shock absorbing aircraft-based guard would add weight to the basic empty weight of the aircraft and take up room in the cargo hold.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a guard that overcomes at least some of the above-mentioned problems.

Statements of the Invention

The present invention is directed to a guard capable of being temporarily positioned to overlay a portion of outer fuselage adjacent the ope during loading and unloading of cargo, comprising a shielding member to cover a portion of the ope surrounding outer fuselage and a mounting device for securing the guard to the aircraft.

An advantage of using a guard capable of being temporarily positioned is that the guard can be used to protect the portion of outer fuselage adjacent the ope. The majority of collisions between the fuselage of aircraft and ULDs occur at the side of the cargo door opening, and specifically, on the farside of the ULD loader from the operators position. At present, there are no guards that specifically protect the outer fuselage adjacent a cargo door ope, and by providing a guard which does so, the severity of any collision will be greatly diminished, if not completely eradicated. As the severity of the collisions will be reduced, the necessary air worthiness checks that have to be performed may be done quicker and therefore the delays to passengers will be reduced. Furthermore, damage that may otherwise have occurred can be avoided thus saving the airlines large amounts of financial costs in terms of repairs and replacement aircraft.

In a further embodiment, the guard is detachable from the aircraft when no loading or unloading of cargo is taking place.

As the guard is detachable, the guard does not need to be transported with the aircraft. The guard can be fitted to a side of a cargo door ope on the aircraft when the aircraft arrives at the gate on the apron. The unloading and subsequent loading of cargo then takes place, and the guard is then removed prior to the aircraft taking off again. As the aircraft does not need to transport the guard, there is no reduction in available space in the cargo hold. Additionally, the Basic Empty Weight of the aircraft will not increase due to having a permanently attached guard. The use of a detachable guard avoids an increase in fuel cost overheads for an airline company

with would be associated with an increased Basic Empty Weight, and, loss of earnings due to transporting a permanent fixed guard, as in the prior art, instead of income-generating cargo.

In a further embodiment, the guard is permanently and fixedly attached to the aircraft.

An advantage of such a type of guard is that the cargo handlers are not responsible for remembering to bring a guard out to the aircraft. The guard is already attached to the aircraft and may be in a stowed position which obstructs the loading and/or unloading of cargo. Once the guard is transitioned into a deployed state, it will no longer obstruct the loading and/or unloading of cargo from the aircraft.

In a further embodiment, the guard comprises a gripping member to releasably engage an edge of the ope to retain the guard in place during the loading and unloading of cargo to and from the aircraft.

In a further embodiment, the gripping member comprises a C-shaped clamp.

In a further embodiment, the C-shaped clamp is dimensioned to form a securing fit around a frame of the ope.

In a further embodiment, the gripping member comprises a hook to inter-engagably co-operate with a complimentary receiving member on the aircraft.

In a further embodiment, the gripping member comprises a receiving member to inter-engagably co-operate with a complimentary hook on the aircraft.

In a further embodiment, the gripping member comprises an fuselage engaging element which is connected to and urged towards the shielding member such that the engaging element and the shielding member form a substantially C-shaped assembly which releasably engages a frame of the ope.

In a further embodiment, the guard is hingedly attached to the aircraft, such that, the shielding member is articulated from a stowed state within the aircraft towards a

deployed state to protect the portion of outer fuselage adjacent the ope.

In a further embodiment, the guard is constructed of a rigid material.

In a further embodiment, the shielding member comprises a plurality of portions moveable relative to each other to extend the size of the shielding member.

An advantage of the shielding member comprising a plurality of portions moveable relative to each other to extend the size of the shielding member is that the guard is then extensible. Thus, when the guard is placed on the side of the cargo door opening of the aircraft, at least two portions can be moved relative to each other to provide more comprehensive protection to the outer fuselage adjacent the cargo door ope on the aircraft. Moreover, with the plurality of portions in a fully retracted position, the guard is compact and is easier to carry for the cargo handlers. This is an important benefit as the aircraft handler may be reluctant to fit such a guard if it is cumbersome to transport and operate.

In a further embodiment, the plurality of portions are slidably connected.

In a further embodiment, the plurality of portions are nestably arranged.

In a further embodiment, the plurality of portions are hingedly connected.

In a further embodiment, an interior of the shielding member comprises a shock absorbing structure.

In a further embodiment, the shock absorbing structure comprises a honeycomb structure.

In a further embodiment, the shock absorbing structure comprises a resilient foam material.

In a further embodiment, the guard comprises two parallel frameworks bridged by a plurality of cross-members therebetween, with each framework comprising of a

plurality of rods arranged to form a pantographic linkage; and, the guard further comprises comprising a protruding linkage at one end of one of the frameworks, whereby the protruding linkage further comprises depending members which act to form a securing fit around an edge of the ope on the aircraft.

In a further embodiment, the guard further comprises tensioning means to force the plurality of pantographic linkages into either a fully collapsed state or fully extended state.

In a further embodiment, each cross-member is connected to corresponding hinges on the parallel pantographic frameworks, wherein the hinges also connect the plurality of rods that form the pantographic linkage.

In a further embodiment, the tensioning means comprise a spring located in at least one of the corresponding hinges.

In a further embodiment, the tensioning means comprise a resilient cord.

In a further embodiment, the corresponding hinges on the guard comprise a rubber outer layer.

In a further embodiment, the guard is inflatable from a stowed state into a deployed state.

An advantage of using an inflatable guard is that the guard can cover a relatively large portion of outer fuselage in the deployed state whilst the guard may be compacted into a relatively small and lightweight guard when in the stowed state by completely deflating the guard. Moreover, the guard may be permanently attached to the aircraft without adding too much to the basic empty weight of the aircraft and without taking up too much room in the cargo hold. Alternatively, an inflatable guard may be detachable from the aircraft and will provide a guard which is easy to handle and carry out to the aircraft by a cargo handler. In both cases, the guard will be lightweight and relatively simple to operate. In the case that the guard is attached to the aircraft, an automatic inflation may be programmed to occur once the cargo door

has be fully opened. This would offer a simplified working practice for the cargo handlers.

In a further embodiment, the shielding member is inflatable into a deployed state.

In a further embodiment, the guard further comprises a connection to a compressed air source to inflate the guard or shielding member into the deployed state.

In a further embodiment, the guard further comprises a pump to inflate the guard or shielding member into the deployed state.

In a further embodiment, the guard further comprises a release valve to facilitate the deflation of the guard or shielding member.

In a further embodiment, the guard further comprises a pump to,deflate the guard or shielding member.

In a further embodiment, the pump is driven by compressed air.

In a further embodiment, the shielding member covers a portion of outer fuselage along one side of the ope on the aircraft.

In a further embodiment, the shielding member covers a portion of outer fuselage along both sides of the ope on the aircraft.

In a further embodiment, the shielding member covers a portion of outer fuselage on both sides of the ope and below the ope on the aircraft.

In a further embodiment, the gripping member releasably engages a sill of the ope on the aircraft.

In a further embodiment, a lowermost portion of the guard abuts against the sill of the ope when the guard is deployed.

In a further embodiment, the guard comprises two separate shielding members to cover a portion of outer fuselage on both sides of the ope, and, the guard further comprises at least one cross-member connected between the two shielding members to provide a retaining force on the shielding members against an edge of the ope on the aircraft.

In a further embodiment, the cross-member is telescopic and comprises a spring.

In a further embodiment, substantially all parts of the guard that abut against the outer fuselage of the aircraft comprise an outer rubber layer.

In a further embodiment, the guard comprises an extendable handle to allow a cargo handler located at ground level to deploy the guard on the ope of the aircraft.

In a further embodiment, the guard is constructed without any rivets.

Detailed Description of Embodiments

The invention will be more clearly understood by the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of an aircraft;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a guard according to an embodiment of the present invention attached to an aircraft;

Fig. 3 is a part sectioned side view of the guard of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view along the lines Ill-Ill' of the guard of Fig. 3;

Figs. 5A-F are cross-sectional views along the lines IV-IV of a variety of extending portions of the guard of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a side view of a further embodiment of a guard according to the present invention;

Fig. 7 is a front view of the guard of Fig. 6 shown in place on a portion of a side of a cargo door opening of an aircraft;

Fig. 8 is a side view of the guard of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a further side view of the guard of Fig. 6;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a guard according to a further embodiment of the present invention with the guard in a deployed state;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a guard according to a further embodiment of the present invention with the guard in a semi-deployed state;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a guard according to a further embodiment of the present invention with the guard in a stowed state;

Fig. 13 is a side view of the guard of Fig. 10; and,

Fig. 14 is a side view of the guard of Fig. 11.

Referring to Fig. 1 , there is illustrated an aircraft indicated generally by reference numeral 100 comprising a forward cargo door ope 110 and an aft cargo door ope 120. A ULD 140 is shown being transported to the aircraft 100 on a trailer 170. A ULD loader 130 lifts the ULDs from the trailer 170 into the aircraft 100. A further ULD 150 is shown on a lowered platform of the ULD loader 130 while another ULD 160 is shown in a raised position passing through the cargo door ope 120.

With reference to Fig. 2, there is shown a portion of the ope 120 surrounded by a portion of outer fuselage 202 on the aircraft 100. A guard, indicated generally by reference numeral 200, is mounted in abutment against the portion of outer fuselage 202 adjacent the cargo door ope 120. The guard comprises a shielding member

formed by a sleeve portion 206 having a shock absorbing outer face 214 and a shock absorbing extensible portion 216 that is housed in the sleeve portion 206. The shock absorbing extensible portion 216 is slidably moveable relative to the sleeve portion 206 to extend the guard 100 to overlay on a larger area of outer fuselage 202 to protect the outer fuselage 202 against collisions with ULDs or ULD loaders.

The guard 200 comprises a mounting device in the form of a gripping member 210 that forms a tight fit around a side face 204 of the cargo door ope 120. The gripping member 210 is formed by a C-shaped clamp. The C-shaped clamp comprises an inwardly protruding arm 208 and a depending plate (not shown) which depends perpendicularly from the inwardly protruding arm 208 along the inside of the aircraft 100.

The shock absorbing extensible portion 216 is connected to a rod indicated generally by reference numeral 218 via a hinge 224. The rod 218 comprises an elongate body

220 with the hinge 224 at one end and a handle 222 located substantially close to the other end of the rod 218. The shock absorbing outer face 214 of the sleeve portion

206 comprises a groove through which the rod 222 passes. The rod 218 is connected to the shock absorbing extensible portion 216. A user may slidably extend the guard from a fully retracted position, wherein the shock absorbing extensible portion 216 is substantially encased within the sleeve portion 206, to a fully extended position, wherein the shock absorbing extensible portion 216 extends proud of the sleeve portion 206. Conversely, the user may retract the extendable guard 200 using the rod

218 from a fully extended position to a retracted position so that the shock absorbing extensible portion 216 is predominately housed within the sleeve portion 206. The guard 200 further comprises a carrying handle 212 abutted to a side of the guard 200 to assist an operator in carrying the guard 200.

In further embodiments (not shown) the groove may be placed on either side of the guard 200, or on the underside of the guard 200. Preferably, the guard comprises a latching mechanism (not shown) to hold the shock absorbing extensible portion 216 locked in a fully extended position relative to the sleeve portion 206. The latching mechanism may be fitted on either of the portions 206, 216 and/or the rod 218 with a complementary receiver fitted on the other of the portions 206, 216 and/or the rod

218.

Referring to Fig. 3, wherein like parts previously described have been assigned the same reference numerals, there is shown the guard 200 in use fitted on the aircraft 100. The aircraft 100 comprises a cargo hold area 302 having a floor 304. A portion of the floor 304 acts as a sill 306 for the cargo door ope 120. The guard 200 further comprises a protective outer layer 308. The outer layer 308 is located to be intermediate the fuselage of the aircraft 100 and the guard 200 when the guard is in place on the aircraft 100. The shock absorbing extensible portion 216 further comprises a protective outer layer 310. An underside 312 of the guard 200 abuts against the sill 306 of the cargo door ope 120 when the guard 200 is in use. The guard engages and grips the aircraft 100 around the side of the cargo door ope 120 by abutting against the portion of outer fuselage 202, the side face 204 of the cargo door ope 120 and a portion of inner fuselage.

It should be understood that in further embodiments (not shown), the outer layer 308, 310 may be constructed out of plastics or other such cushioning materials, such as rubber, foam or sponges.

With reference to Fig. 4, wherein like parts previously described have been assigned reference numerals, there is shown a cross-section along the lines Ill-Ill' of Fig. 3 in which the portion of outer fuselage 202 of the aircraft 100 has the guard 200 fitted around the side of the cargo door ope 120. The guard 200 abuts against the portion of outer fuselage 202, against the side face 204 of the aircraft 100 and against a portion of inner fuselage of the aircraft 100. The side face 204 of the aircraft 100 further comprises a cargo door jam 402. The gripping means of the guard 200 is specifically designed and dimensioned to fit around the cargo door jam 402.

It may be necessary to construct a bespoke guard for each type of aircraft as the dimensions and location of the cargo door jam of each aircraft may vary.

It can be further seen that the sleeve portion 206 further comprises an end floor plate 404 to limit the downward travel of the shock absorbing extensible portion 216 relative to the sleeve portion 206. The guard 200 comprises an interior shock

absorbing structure 406 designed for maximum absorbency of sudden impacts.

Preferably, the interior shock absorbing structure of the guard 200 is a honeycomb structure. Alternatively, the interior shock absorbing structure could comprise a spring mechanism to absorb a sudden impact, or an airbag to dissipate the energy connected with a sudden shock, or the inner structure could comprise a cellular like structure. In yet a further embodiment, the interior shock absorbing structure could be formed to provide a crumple zone. However, it would be preferable that the guard

200 could absorb a relatively high impact without sustaining significant damage, allowing the guard 200 to be reused.

Referring to Figs. 5A-4F, wherein like parts previously described have been assigned the same reference numerals, there are shown alternate designs 502, 504, 506, 508, 510, 512 respectively for the shock absorbing extensible portion 216 of the guard 200.

With reference to Fig. 5A, there is provided the shock absorbing extensible portion 216 which is dimensioned to fit within the sleeve portion 206 of Fig. 4.

By altering the shape of the shock absorbing extensible portion 216, it is possible to provide increased impact absorption by distributing the impact force in different manners. The shape of the sleeve portion 206 in Fig. 4 will be altered in a manner to correspond to the shape of the shock absorbing extensible portion 216 of Figs. 5B- 5F. The different shapes of the shock absorbing extensible portion 216 in Figs. 5B-5F will disperse the impact force in different ways, and it is possible to reduce the pressure of an impact on the aircraft body by dispersing the force over as large an area as possible. It should be noted that the shape of the shock absorbing extensible portion 216 is not restricted to the examples shown.

The guard 200 may be preferably constructed of a non-corrosive sturdy material such as aluminium. In addition, it would be advantageous to weld all joints on the guard 200 as opposed to riveting or screwing the joints together in order to minimise the risk of rivets or screws from becoming dislodged from the guard and falling onto the airport apron. Any foreign objects such as rivets or screws on the airport apron could

be dangerous as they could potentially affect the safe operation of nearby aircraft, ULD loaders and other airport apron machinery.

In yet a further embodiment, the shock absorbing extensible portion 216 may be nested into the sleeve portion 206 so that there will no gap between the shock absorbing extensible portion 216 and the portion of outer fuselage 202 of the aircraft 100.

Referring to Figs. 6-9, wherein like parts previously described have been assigned the same reference numerals, there is provided a guard 600 comprising a plurality of pantograph-forming rods 602 and a plurality of pantograph-forming hinges 604, 606.

The plurality of pantograph-forming rods 602 are arranged in a criss-cross fashion and hinged together with the pantograph-forming hinges 604, 606 to form a pantographic linkage 702, 704. The pantograph-forming hinges 604, 606 extend to also act as cross-members that connect the two pantographic linkages 702, 704 together.

The guard 600 further comprises a plurality of gripping linkage rods 608 and a plurality of depending gripping members 610. The plurality of gripping linkage rods 608 are connected to one of the pantographic linkages 704 and the plurality of depending gripping members 610 depend perpendicularly from the gripping linkage rods 608 in parallel with the cross-members formed of the pantograph-forming hinges. The gripping linkage rods 608 and the depending gripping members 610. are therefore arranged to form a C-shaped gripping linkage to act as a mounting device which fits around the side of the cargo door ope 120 of the aircraft 100.

The pantograph-forming hinges 604, 606 and the depending gripping members 610 are wider than the pantograph-forming rods 602, 608 and are covered in a shock absorbing material such that the pantograph-forming hinges 604, 606 and the depending gripping members 610 project beyond the pantograph-forming rods 602, 608. The pantograph-forming hinges 604, 606 and the depending gripping members 610 abut against the portion of outer fuselage 202 when the guard 600 is in place. The cross-members 604, 606 and the depending gripping members 610 may preferably comprise a rubber outer layer to form a non-abrasive contact with the

portion of outer fuselage 202 on the aircraft 100.

Preferably, the pantographic linkages are collapsed and extended under tensioning means (not shown). The tensioning means may be a resilient cord such as a bungee or a spring loaded hinge between at least some of the pantograph-forming cross- members 604, 606 and the pantograph-forming rods 602. In a further embodiment, the tensioning means may be designed to force the frameworks 702, 704 into fully collapsed or fully extended positions. For example, if a user applies a compressing force to an extended pantographic linkage, the pantographic linkage will begin to collapse. Once the pantographic linkage is compressed beyond an 'over-centre' point, the linkage will fully collapse without any further force from the user. Similarly, mutatis mutandis, a pantographic linkage may be extended from a fully collapsed position under force from a user. Once the pantographic linkage extends beyond an 'over-centre' point, the linkage will automatically fully extend itself due to the tensioning means and without any further force being applied from the user.

As shown in Fig. 8, a fully collapsed guard 600 will present enough of a gap (dist _max ) between the depending gripping members 610 and some of the pantograph-forming hinges 604 to facilitate the guard 600 to be loosely placed around a side of the cargo door ope 120. As the fully collapsed guard 600 is gradually extended under force by a user, the gap between the depending gripping members 610 and some of the pantograph-forming hinges 604 is reduced and forced towards its minimum value (dist _m i _n ), which is denoted in Fig. 6. This minimum value is chosen to be less than the width of the side of the cargo door ope 120.

The depending gripping members 610, some of the pantograph-forming hinges 604 and the gripping linkage rods 608 form a tensioned C-shaped clamp around the side portion of the cargo door ope 120.

Therefore, in its fully extended position the guard 600 forms an elongated protective element, which is held in abutment against the portion of outer fuselage 202 adjacent the cargo door ope 120 on the aircraft 100. When the guard 600 is not in use, it can be fully collapsed using the pantographic linkages into a compact size that is convenient for carrying manually.

Furthermore, the guard 600 may be arranged to curve in a deployed state such that the guard 600 will abut along the curved monocoque of the aircraft 100.

Although the above embodiment illustrated two frameworks 702, 704 having a plurality of cross-members therebetween, it should be understood that any number of frameworks may be used, with each framework having cross-members connecting adjacent frameworks.

Referring to Rg. 10, wherein like parts previously described have been assigned the same reference numerals, there is provided an inflatable guard indicated generally by reference numeral 800. The guard 800 comprises a shielding portion 802 that is substantially L-shaped in form. The shielding portion 802 of the guard 800 comprises a substantially vertically elongate portion 806, which protects a portion of the outer fuselage 202 adjacent a side of the cargo door ope 120, and, a substantially horizontally elongate portion 808, which protects a portion of the outer fuselage 202 beneath the cargo door ope 120. The shielding portion 802 comprises indentations 810 to provide an increase in the rigidity of the shielding portion 802.

A strap 804 is fixedly attached by a mounting device (not shown) to the aircraft 100. The strap 804 extends over the side face 204 of the cargo door ope 120 and the strap 804 is used to locate the shielding portion 802 of the guard 800 along the portion of outer fuselage 202 during deployment of the guard 800. The strap 804 comprises a gas feed channel 812 which feeds gas from an internal pump on the aircraft 100 to the shielding portion 802 of the guard 800.

In a further embodiment (not shown), the entire strap 804 may form the gas feed channel.

With reference to Figs. 11 and 12, wherein like parts previously described have been assigned the same reference numerals, the guard 800 is shown in a semi-inflated state and a deflated state respectively. In use, a cargo handler (not shown) positions the deflated guard 800 outside the aircraft 100 by using the strap 804 as a hinge which extends over the side face 204 of the cargo door ope 120, and, the cargo

handler rotates the guard 800 from a stowed state inside the aircraft 100 to a ready- to-be deployed state outside the aircraft 100. The cargo handler then deploys the guard 800 by inflating the guard 800.

Referring to Fig. 13, wherein like parts previously describes have been assigned the same reference numerals, there is provided the guard 800 comprising the substantially vertically elongate portion 806 of the shielding portion 802 and the substantially horizontally elongate portion 806 of the shielding portion 802. An inflation means 1302 is connected to a gripping portion 1300 of the guard 800 by a length of tubing 1304. The inflation means 1302 may be located on the floor 304 of the cargo hold 302, or, in further embodiments (not shown), the inflation means 1302 may be located on the walls of the cargo hold 302. The inflation means 1302 may be an air pump capable of drawing in surrounding air and pumping the guard 800 up to a requisite pressure to protect the portion of outer fuselage 202. The air pump may also be used in reverse to speed up the deflation of the guard 800 and thus reduce the turn around times of aircraft.

Alternatively, the inflation means 1302 may comprise a valve providing a controllable connection to the pressurised air system that is already installed on aircraft and used in the lavatory system on aircraft. By opening the valve, a cargo handler will allow the pressurised air in the pressurised air system to inflate the guard 800. In a further embodiment (not shown), the pressurised air may be used to drive a deflation pump. The deflation pump would draw air out of the guard 800 to deflate the guard 800 in a relatively quick manner. Alternatively, the guard 800 may comprise a release valve capable of being opened to provide an opening for air in the guard 800 to flow out through.

Referring to Fig. 14, wherein like parts previously describes have been assigned the same reference numerals, the guard 800 is shown in a completely deflated state within the aircraft 100. The guard 800 may be stowed in a bespoke container or held in a compacted, stowed state using netting, strapping or the like.

It may be advantageous to provide the guard 200, 600, 800 in fluorescent colouring to assist the operator of the ULD loader 130 to determine the distance to the far side

204 of the cargo door ope 120 even in bad weather conditions having poor visibility.

The guards 200, 600, 800 in the above embodiments have been illustrated and described with regard to fitting on the outer aft side of the cargo door ope 120 of an aircraft 100 to primarily protect the aircraft 100 during loading and unloading. It is normally the outer aft side of a cargo door ope which is struck by a ULD or a ULD loader because the ULD loader operator is normally position on the forward side of the ope. It will be readily understood that the guards 200, 600, 800 may be constructed to fit on an outer right-hand side of a cargo door ope 120 of an aircraft 100.

The guards 200, 600, 800 may be substantially elongate in shape to protect an elongate portion of outer fuselage, or the guards 200, 600, 800 may be L-shaped to protect the outer fuselage along one side of the cargo door ope 120 and the outer fuselage beneath the cargo door ope 120. In a further embodiment (not shown), the guards 200, 600, 800 may be U-shaped to protect the outer fuselage along both sides of the cargo door ope 120 and the outer fuselage beneath the cargo door ope 120. In a further embodiment (not shown), the guards 200, 600, 800 may be designed to also protect the side face 204 of the cargo door ope so that no damage may occur during the unloading of ULDs from the cargo hold 302.

In further embodiments (not shown), it is envisaged that the portions 206, 216 may comprise more than two portions and the portions may be slidably connected or hingedly connected as opposed to nestably connected. It may be advantageous to provide a guard 200, 600, 800 comprising a plurality of portions, each portion nesting into the preceding portion so that the portions may be telescopically extended in use.

The inflatable guard 800 may be detachable from the aircraft 100 and provide a C- shaped gripping means dimensioned to fit around a side of a cargo door ope 120. The C-shaped gripping means may comprise the shielding portion 802 of the guard 800 and the gripping portion 1300 of the guard 800 being urged towards one another to grip around the side of the cargo door ope 120 when the guard 800 is inflated.

In the specification the terms "comprise, comprises, comprised and comprising" or

any variation thereof and the terms "include, includes, included and including" or any variation thereof are considered to be totally interchangeable and they should all be afforded the widest possible interpretation and vice versa.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in both construction and detail with the scope of the appended claims.