Multipurpose helicopter and fuselage-replaceable transport system

Abstract

This multipurpose helicopter is provided with: a main aircraft having an accommodation section; and a fuselage that autonomously travels toward the main aircraft on the ground and is attachable to and detachable from the accommodation section. This fuselage-replaceable transport system is provided with: the multipurpose helicopter; a plurality of the fuselages; a ground-side power supply device that supplies power to a power supply target that is at least one of the fuselages; a power supply line that connects the power supply target and the ground-side power supply device; a ground control device that disconnects the connection between the power supply target and the power supply line; and a main aircraft-side power supply device that is mounted on the main aircraft and supplies power to the power supply target connected to the accommodation section.

Description

Multi-role helicopter and convertible fuselage transport system

[0001] The present invention relates to a utility helicopter and a fuselage-replaceable transport system equipped with the utility helicopter. This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-044752, filed on March 21, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Conventional helicopters are used for a variety of purposes due to their high maneuverability and flexibility in takeoff and landing locations. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a configuration in which a helicopter is equipped with a lifting load attitude stabilization device used when hoisting a rescuee. Also, Patent Document 2 below discloses a configuration in which a helicopter is equipped with a liquid discharge device for firefighting activities.

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 6554258 Japanese Patent Publication No. 10-273097

[0004] Among these types of helicopters, there are multi-purpose helicopters that use the same aircraft for various purposes, such as firefighting, emergency medical services, and rescue. When operating these multi-purpose helicopters, loading and unloading of equipment and supplies occurs every time a helicopter is dispatched, depending on the purpose of the dispatch. In particular, the replacement of equipment on the helicopter requires precise manual adjustment of the position of the equipment when it is attached to the helicopter's body. Such delicate replacement work not only increases the workload of the mechanics, but can also cause delays in dispatch times.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a multi-purpose helicopter that can quickly and efficiently perform conversion work such as loading and unloading of equipment in response to changes in use, and a fuselage conversion type transportation system that can efficiently convert the fuselage of this multi-purpose helicopter.

[0006] To solve the above problems and achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following measures. (1) A utility helicopter according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a mothership having a storage compartment; and a fuselage that autonomously travels toward the mothership on the ground and is attached to and detached from the storage compartment. According to the utility helicopter described in (1) above, multiple fuselages pre-loaded with equipment suited to various applications, such as firefighting, emergency medical services, and rescue, are prepared, and a fuselage equipped with the appropriate equipment for the application is selected for deployment. The selected fuselage autonomously travels toward the mothership waiting on the ground and connects to the storage compartment, thereby becoming one with the mothership. After deployment, the utility helicopter returns to the ground after completing its mission and detaches the connected fuselage and evacuates it. When the helicopter is subsequently deployed to the next deployment location, another fuselage equipped with the appropriate equipment approaches the mothership while autonomously traveling, connects to the storage compartment, and becomes one with the mothership.

[0007] (2) In the utility helicopter described in (1) above, the fuselage may include drive wheels, a steering unit that changes the direction of travel, a detection unit that detects the presence or absence of obstacles on the route to the mother helicopter, and a control unit that controls the steering unit and the drive wheels based on information from the detection unit. In the case described in (2) above, when autonomously traveling toward a mother helicopter waiting on the ground, the detection unit detects the presence or absence of obstacles on the route, and the information is sent to the control unit. Based on the obtained information, the control unit controls the steering unit to change the direction of travel and rotate the drive wheels, thereby autonomously traveling while avoiding obstacles.

[0008] (3) In the utility helicopter described in (1) or (2) above, at least one of the mother machine and the fuselage may be provided with a height adjustment mechanism for adjusting the relative height between the mother machine and the fuselage. In the case described in (3) above, when the fuselage is connected to the storage section of the mother machine, the difference in relative height between them can be absorbed by the height adjustment mechanism.

[0009] (4) A replaceable fuselage transportation system according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: the utility helicopter according to any one of (1) to (3) above; a plurality of the fuselages; a ground-side power supply device that supplies power to at least one of the power supply targets among the fuselages; a power supply line that connects the power supply target to the ground-side power supply device; a ground control device that disconnects the power supply target from the power supply line; and a carrier-side power supply device that is mounted on the carrier and supplies power to the power supply target after it is connected to the housing. According to the replaceable fuselage transportation system described in (4) above, when one of the plurality of fuselages is selected and connected to a carrier waiting on the ground, the selected fuselage is supplied with power via the power supply line as the power supply target. The power supply target receives power from the power supply line, travels autonomously, and is then docked with the carrier. After docking, the power supply target receives power from the carrier-side power supply device. When the ground control device detects that power supply from the mother-side power supply to the power supply target has begun, it disconnects the power supply line to the power supply target. In this way, the fuselage can operate while always receiving power from an external power source (ground-side power supply or mother-side power supply), eliminating the need for an onboard power supply. This not only reduces the weight of the utility helicopter, but also enables a larger payload capacity to be secured.

[0010] According to the above-mentioned aspects of the present invention, it is possible to provide a multi-purpose helicopter that can efficiently perform conversion work such as loading and unloading of equipment in response to changes in use in a short amount of time, and a fuselage conversion type transportation system that can efficiently convert the fuselage of this multi-purpose helicopter.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a utility helicopter according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a view showing the utility helicopter, with the mother helicopter viewed from below. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a fuselage to be installed on the utility helicopter. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which a fuselage is being installed on the utility helicopter. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of the internal structure of the fuselage. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the utility helicopter equipped with a fuselage for another purpose, viewed obliquely from below. FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a fuselage-replaceable transport system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] [Multi-Purpose Helicopter] First, a multi-purpose helicopter according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 6. The multi-purpose helicopter 1 of this embodiment is a compound helicopter that is a normal helicopter equipped with wings, and is used for a variety of purposes, such as firefighting, emergency services, and rescue. Note that this embodiment illustrates an example in which a compound helicopter is used as the multi-purpose helicopter 1, but the multi-purpose helicopter is not limited to compound helicopters, and a normal helicopter without wings may also be used as the multi-purpose helicopter 1. As shown in Figure 1, the multi-purpose helicopter 1 has a mother helicopter 10 and a fuselage 20.

[0013] The mother aircraft 10 is a helicopter that stores a fuselage 20 on the ground and flies it to a destination. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the mother aircraft 10 includes an aircraft body 11, a pair of main wings 12, a pair of tail fins 13, a pair of side propellers 14, a tail propeller 15, a main rotor 16, a mother aircraft power supply device 17, and a pair of support legs 18a and 18b. The aircraft body 11 is a streamlined aircraft that is long in the fore-and-aft direction, and a cockpit 11a in which a pilot sits and pilots the aircraft is located at the front side. Meanwhile, as shown in Figure 2, a storage section a, which is a recessed space for storing the fuselage 20, is formed in the aircraft body 11 at a position rearward and below the cockpit 11a. The storage section a is a recessed space surrounded by a lower surface a1 facing downward of the aircraft body 11, a front surface a2 that is continuous with the front end of the lower surface a1 and extends vertically downward, and a rear surface a3 that is continuous with the rear end of the lower surface a1 and extends vertically downward. The storage section a is open vertically downward.

[0014] The pair of main wings 12 are horizontal wings that extend horizontally in the left-right direction from the center of the aircraft body 11 in the longitudinal direction. Side propellers 14 are fixed to the ends of each main wing 12. By differentiating the propeller pitch angles between the left and right side propellers 14, the left and right side propellers 14 have a steering function that changes the direction of the aircraft body 11. These side propellers 14 also apply thrust to the aircraft body 11 in the flight direction through the rotation of the propellers. The pair of tail fins 13 include horizontal wings that extend horizontally in the left-right direction from the rear end of the aircraft body 11 in the longitudinal direction, and vertical wings connected to the ends of each of these horizontal wings. These tail fins 13 ensure the flight stability (straight-line flight) of the aircraft body 11 during flight.

[0015] The tail propeller 15 is a propeller located at the rearmost end of the aircraft body 11 in the longitudinal direction, and rotation of the propeller provides thrust in the flight direction to the aircraft body 11. The main rotor 16 is a large blade located at the upper part and central position in the longitudinal direction of the aircraft body 11, and rotation provides lift to the aircraft body 11. The jet engine 19 is located at the upper part and central position in the longitudinal direction of the aircraft body 11, and provides thrust in the flight direction to the aircraft body 11.

[0016] The mother aircraft power supply device 17 supplies power to electrically operated drive mechanisms such as the side propellers 14 and the tail propeller 15. The mother aircraft power supply device 17 can also supply power to the fuselage 20 after joining, as described below. The pair of support legs 18a are disposed at the front lower portion of the aircraft body 11 and support the aircraft body 11 on the ground. The support legs 18a are housed within the aircraft body 11 during flight to reduce air resistance. The support legs 18b are disposed at the rear lower portion of the aircraft body 11 and, together with the pair of support legs 18a, support the aircraft body 11 on the ground. The pair of support legs 18a and 18b are also equipped with a height adjustment mechanism (not shown) that adjusts their height by extending and retracting. While the present embodiment illustrates a case in which the height adjustment mechanism is provided on the mother aircraft 10, the height adjustment mechanism may alternatively be provided on the fuselage 20, or may be provided on both the mother aircraft 10 and the fuselage 20.

[0017] 3, the fuselage 20 has a payload 21, a hatch 22, a support leg 23a, a pair of support legs 23b, a laser range finder 24, a fuselage control device 25, a first power supply terminal 26, and a second power supply terminal 27. The payload 21 is an accommodation space formed inside the fuselage 20, and can accommodate payloads according to the application. This accommodation space is a closed space, but the interior can be accessed from the outside by opening a hatch 22 formed so as to be freely openable from the side of the fuselage 20 toward the bottom.

[0018] The pair of support legs 23b are both disposed on the rear side of the fuselage 20. Each of the support legs 23b has a drive wheel 23b1 and receives a supply of electric power to generate a driving force for traveling when the fuselage 20 travels on the ground. The pair of support legs 23b may be equipped with a shock absorber mechanism, or may be configured without a shock absorber mechanism to reduce weight. The support leg 23a is disposed on the front side of the fuselage 20 and has a steering wheel 23a1 and a steering unit 23a2. The steering unit 23a2 changes the traveling direction by appropriately changing the orientation of the steering wheel 23a1. The support leg 23a may be equipped with a shock absorber mechanism, or may be configured without a shock absorber mechanism to reduce weight.

[0019] The laser range finder 24 is disposed on the front surface b2 of the fuselage 20. The laser range finder 24 measures the presence and distance of obstacles in its surroundings by emitting a laser beam to the surroundings and receiving the reflected light. Since the front surface b2 is always in front of the fuselage 20 when the fuselage 20 is traveling on the ground, the laser range finder 24 can always detect obstacles ahead in the traveling direction. The fuselage control device 25 acquires the distance measurement information from the laser range finder 24 and, based on this distance measurement information, performs steering control by the steering unit 23a2 and traveling control by the drive wheels 23b1.

[0020] The fuselage 20 does not have a power source, but instead has a first power supply terminal 26 and a second power supply terminal 27. The first power supply terminal 26 is located on a side of the fuselage 20 and is detachably connectable to a power supply line 102 (described later). The second power supply terminal 27 is located on the front surface b2 of the fuselage 20 and is detachably connectable to the mother-side power supply device 17 of the mother machine 10. The fuselage 20 receives power from two systems: one system supplied from the power supply line 102 via the first power supply terminal 26 and one system supplied from the mother-side power supply device 17 via the second power supply terminal 27. The fuselage 20 is configured to always receive power from one of the two systems. The fuselage 20 has a front surface b2 extending vertically, a top surface b1 connected to the front surface b2 and extending in the fore-aft direction, and a rear surface b3 connected to the rearmost end of the top surface b1 and extending vertically. The top surface b1, front surface b2, and rear surface b3 form a connection section b that fits into the accommodation section a of the mother machine 10. That is, the front surface b2 is joined to the front surface a2, the top surface b1 is joined to the bottom surface a1, and the rear surface b3 is joined to the rear surface a3. Mechanical joining and release of these three surfaces is performed by the fuselage control device 25. Although not shown, in consideration of an emergency, a manual operation section for manually joining and releasing the mechanical joining and release of the fuselage 20 may be provided on the outer surface of the fuselage 20.

[0021] As shown in Figure 4, when connecting the fuselage 20 to the mother aircraft 10, the fuselage 20 is brought closer to the mother aircraft 10 from behind while it is waiting on the ground, and then the fuselage 20 is brought alongside the mother aircraft 10 and stopped so that the connection part b is located directly beside the storage part a. The fuselage 20 is then moved sideways, and the connection part b is placed inside the storage part a. Finally, the height of the mother aircraft 10 is gradually lowered by the height adjustment mechanism, so that the mother aircraft 10 welcomes the fuselage 20, and once the position adjustment is complete, the fuselage control device 25 connects the two together. This series of operations completes the connection of the fuselage 20 to the mother aircraft 10, and the utility helicopter 1 is ready for deployment.

[0022] Here, when an emergency fuselage 20 is selected and connected, it is possible to carry a stretcher S, medical equipment, etc., and perform life-saving activities, as shown in Fig. 5. Alternatively, when a firefighting fuselage 20 is selected and connected, it is possible to carry a water tank, a fountain nozzle, a pump, etc., to a fire scene that needs to be extinguished, such as a forest fire, and perform firefighting activities by spraying water W, as shown in Fig. 6. Furthermore, when a rescue fuselage 20 is selected and connected, it is possible to carry a hoist, medical equipment, etc., to a rescue site and perform rescue activities.

[0023] [Replaceable Fuselage Transportation System] Next, a replaceable fuselage transportation system 100 including the utility helicopter 1 described above will be described with reference to Figure 7. The replaceable fuselage transportation system 100 of this embodiment includes the utility helicopter 1, a ground-side power supply device 101, a power supply line 102, and a ground control device 103.

[0024] The utility helicopter 1 includes the mother helicopter 10 and a plurality of fuselages 20. In the example shown in FIG. 7 , the plurality of fuselages 20 includes three fuselages 20: a first fuselage 20A, a second fuselage 20B, and a third fuselage 20C. The number of fuselages 20 is not limited to three, and may be two, four, or more. The first fuselage 20A is a fuselage 20 pre-loaded with a stretcher, medical equipment, and the like as emergency equipment. The second fuselage 20B is a fuselage 20 pre-loaded with a water tank, a fountain nozzle, a pump, and the like as firefighting equipment. The third fuselage 20C is a fuselage 20 pre-loaded with a hoist, medical equipment, and the like as rescue equipment. The first fuselage 20A, the second fuselage 20B, and the third fuselage 20C are all different only in the equipment they are equipped with; the other basic configurations are the same as those described with reference to FIG. 3 and the like.

[0025] The ground-side power supply device 101 is a power supply device installed in the base station (ground), and is connected to be able to supply power to all of the first unit 20A, the second unit 20B, and the third unit 20C via a power supply line 102. The power supply line 102 is a plurality of wires (three in the illustrated example) that electrically connect the ground-side power supply device 101 to the first unit 20A, the second unit 20B, and the third unit 20C, respectively. The connections between the power supply lines 102 and the first unit 20A, the second unit 20B, and the third unit 20C are detachable, and are manually connected by an operator, and are automatically disconnected when an instruction is received from the ground control device 103.

[0026] More specifically, the power feed line 102 is manually connected to the first power feed terminal 26 of the first helicopter 20A to supply power to the first helicopter 20A. Then, upon receiving an instruction from the ground control device 103, the first helicopter 20A autonomously travels toward the mother helicopter 10 while avoiding obstacles and connects to the mother helicopter 10. After the connection is complete, the mother helicopter side power supply device 17 and the second power feed terminal 27 of the first helicopter 20A are electrically connected, and power supply from the mother helicopter side power supply device 17 to the first helicopter 20A begins. This power supply start signal is transmitted to the ground control device 103 via communication means (not shown). Upon receiving the power supply start signal, the ground control device 103 automatically disconnects the power feed line 102 from the first power feed terminal 26. This electrically and mechanically disconnects the power feed line 102 from the first helicopter 20A. Now ready for deployment, the utility helicopter 1 sets off toward its destination.

[0027] When the utility helicopter 1 that has completed rescue operations at its destination and returned to the base station is to continue firefighting operations, first, an operator manually connects the power feed line 102 to the first power feed terminal 26 of the first helicopter 20A. This starts power feeding from the ground-side power feeding device 101 to the first helicopter 20A. Meanwhile, upon this start of power feeding, the second power feed terminal 27 of the first helicopter 20A is disconnected from the mother helicopter 10. Next, the mechanical connection of the first helicopter 20A to the mother helicopter 10 is released. After the connection is released, the first helicopter 20A autonomously travels to a waiting location at the base station. Next, the second helicopter 20B, receiving instructions from the ground control device 103, autonomously travels toward the mother helicopter 10 while avoiding obstacles while receiving power supply from the power feed line 102, and then connects to the mother helicopter 10. After the joining is complete, an electrical connection is made between the mother-side power supply device 17 and the second power supply terminal 27 of the second helicopter 20B, and power supply from the mother-side power supply device 17 to the second helicopter 20B begins. This power supply start signal is transmitted to the ground control device 103 by the communication means. Upon receiving the power supply start signal, the ground control device 103 automatically disconnects the power supply line 102 from the first power supply terminal 26, thereby electrically and mechanically disconnecting the power supply line 102 from the second helicopter 20B. Now that the utility helicopter 1 is ready for deployment, it sets off for its new destination.

[0028] When the utility helicopter 1 that has returned to the base station after completing firefighting activities at its destination is to continue rescue operations, first, an operator manually connects the power feed line 102 to the first power feed terminal 26 of the second helicopter 20B. This starts power feeding from the ground-side power feeding device 101 to the second helicopter 20B. Meanwhile, upon this start of power feeding, the second power feed terminal 27 of the second helicopter 20B is disconnected from the mother helicopter 10. Next, the mechanical connection of the second helicopter 20B to the mother helicopter 10 is released. After disconnection, the second helicopter 20B autonomously travels to a waiting location at the base station. Next, the third helicopter 20C, receiving instructions from the ground control device 103, autonomously travels toward the mother helicopter 10 while avoiding obstacles while receiving power supply from the power feed line 102, and then connects to the mother helicopter 10. After the joining is complete, an electrical connection is made between the mother machine side power supply device 17 and the second power supply terminal 27 of the third helicopter 20C, and power supply from the mother machine side power supply device 17 to the third helicopter 20C begins. This power supply start signal is transmitted to the ground control device 103 by the communication means. Upon receiving the power supply start signal, the ground control device 103 automatically disconnects the power supply line 102 from the first power supply terminal 26, thereby electrically and mechanically disconnecting the power supply line 102 from the third helicopter 20C. Now that the utility helicopter 1 is ready for deployment, it sets off for its new destination.

[0029] The essential features of the utility helicopter 1 and fuselage-replaceable transport system 100 of this embodiment described above are summarized below. (1) As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the utility helicopter 1 of this embodiment comprises: a mother helicopter 10 having a storage compartment a; and fuselage 20 (No. 1 20A, No. 2 20B, No. 3 20C) that autonomously travels toward the mother helicopter 10 on the ground and is attached to and detached from the storage compartment a. According to the utility helicopter 1 described in (1) above, multiple fuselage 20 pre-installed with equipment suited to various applications, such as firefighting, emergency medical services, and rescue, are prepared, and the fuselage 20 equipped with the appropriate equipment for the application is selected upon deployment. The selected fuselage 20 autonomously travels toward the mother helicopter 10 waiting on the ground and connects to the storage compartment a, thereby becoming one with the mother helicopter 10. After deployment, the utility helicopter 1 returns to the ground, detaching the connected fuselage 20 and retracting it. When the vehicle is subsequently dispatched to the next location, another fuselage 20 equipped with equipment suited to the intended use approaches the mother vehicle 10 while autonomously traveling, connects to the storage section a, and becomes integrated with the mother vehicle 10. Therefore, it becomes possible to efficiently carry out replacement work such as loading and unloading of equipment according to the change of use in a short time.

[0030] (2) As shown in Figure 3, in the utility helicopter 1 described in (1) above, the fuselage 20 may include drive wheels 23b1, a steering unit 23a2 that changes the traveling direction, a laser range finder (detection unit) 24 that detects the presence or absence of obstacles on the traveling path to the mother helicopter 10, and a fuselage control device (control unit) 25 that controls the steering unit 23a2 and the drive wheels 23b1 based on information from the laser range finder 24. In the case described in (2) above, when autonomously traveling toward the mother helicopter 10 waiting on the ground, the laser range finder 24 detects the presence or absence of obstacles on the path, and the information is sent to the fuselage control device 25. Based on the obtained information, the fuselage control device 25 controls the steering unit 23a2 to change the traveling direction and rotate the drive wheels 23b1, thereby autonomously traveling while avoiding obstacles.

[0031] (3) In the utility helicopter 1 described in (1) or (2) above, at least one of the mother machine 10 and the fuselage 20 may be provided with the height adjustment mechanism for adjusting the relative height between the mother machine 10 and the fuselage 20. In the case described in (3) above, when the fuselage 20 is connected to the storage section a of the mother machine 10, the difference in relative height therebetween can be absorbed by the height adjustment mechanism.

[0032] (4) As shown in Fig. 7, a replaceable fuselage transportation system 100 according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: the utility helicopter 1 according to any one of (1) to (3) above; a plurality of fuselages 20; a ground-side power supply device 101 that supplies power to at least one power supply target among the fuselages 20; a power supply line 102 that connects the power supply target to the ground-side power supply device 101; a ground control device 103 that disconnects the power supply target from the power supply line 102; and a mother-plane power supply device 17 that is mounted on the mother plane 10 and supplies power to the power supply target after it is connected to the housing section a. According to the replaceable fuselage transportation system 100 described in (4) above, when one of the plurality of fuselages 20 is selected and connected to the mother plane 10 waiting on the ground, power is supplied to the selected fuselage 20 as the power supply target via the power supply line 102. The power supply target receives power from the power supply line 102, travels autonomously, and then connects to the mother helicopter 10. After connection, the power supply target receives power from the mother helicopter power supply 17. When the mother helicopter power supply 17 starts supplying power to the power supply target, the ground control device 103 disconnects the power supply line 102 from the power supply target. In this way, the fuselage 20 can operate while constantly receiving power from an external power source (the ground helicopter power supply 101 or the mother helicopter power supply 17), eliminating the need for an onboard power source. This not only reduces the weight of the utility helicopter 1, but also allows for a larger onboard capacity. The power supply line 102 may be a simple single electric wire connected to only one of the first helicopter 20A, the second helicopter 20B, and the third helicopter 20C. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 7, the power supply line 102 may be an electric wire that branches into multiple lines, so that it is always connected to all of the first unit 20A, the second unit 20B, and the third unit 20C.

[0033] According to the above aspects, it is possible to provide a utility helicopter that can be quickly and efficiently converted into a new configuration, such as loading and unloading equipment, depending on the intended use, and a fuselage-replaceable transportation system that can efficiently convert the fuselage of this utility helicopter. Therefore, the present invention has great industrial applicability.

[0034] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 utility helicopter 10 mother machine 17 mother machine side power supply device 20 fuselage 23a1 steering wheel 23b1 drive wheel 23a2 steering section 24 laser range finder (detection section) 25 fuselage control device (control section) 100 fuselage replacement type transportation system 101 ground side power supply device 102 power supply line 103 ground control device a storage section b connection section

Claims

1. A utility helicopter comprising: a mothership having a storage compartment; and a fuselage that autonomously travels on the ground toward the mothership and is detachable from the storage compartment.

2. A multi-purpose helicopter as described in claim 1, characterized in that the fuselage comprises: drive wheels; a steering unit for changing the direction of travel; a detection unit for detecting the presence or absence of obstacles on the travel path to the mother helicopter; and a control unit for controlling the steering unit and drive wheels based on information from the detection unit.

3. A multi-purpose helicopter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of the mother aircraft and the fuselage is provided with a height adjustment mechanism for adjusting the relative height between the mother aircraft and the fuselage.

4. A fuselage-replaceable transportation system comprising: a utility helicopter as claimed in claim 1; a plurality of said fuselages; a ground-side power supply device that supplies power to a power supply target that is at least one of said fuselages; a power supply line that connects said power supply target and said ground-side power supply device; a ground control device that disconnects said power supply target from said power supply line; and a mother-machine-side power supply device that is mounted on said mother machine and supplies power to said power supply target after it has been connected to said storage section.

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