#590: Blastdown

Military helicopters sometimes have to make a forced landing: an event which often results in a sickening impact with the ground and multiple casualties.

Today’s invention is an adaptation of the Russian approach to space vehicle landings, using retro rockets, which attempts to lessen the injuries caused in such helicopters.

In the event of an imminent crash landing, the underwing munitions on board a military helicopter could be swivelled to point vertically upwards (but with the release catches still locked). All such rockets still on board would be automatically and symmetrically fired, when the vehicle was within a few feet of the ground, significantly cushioning its impact.