Parasite Rescue Drone Idea

[Cobra]

Hey Guys, i just got off scanning Google, had an Idea. What If planes like the C-130,Etc. were used by the US Coast Guard,Etc. to Carry Rescue Drones that could drop Emergency Supplies until a Rescue Aircraft,Ship,Whatever arrived on Scene. part of what Sparked the Idea was that Drones like Predator could be Armed, but What If something like Predator could be Used to Save Lives? What Say You? Thanks For Looking.Dan

[lenny100]

already done them but feel free to do your own
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,24605.msg359471.html#msg359471

[Weaver]

Well a C-130 can drop supplies directly, so I don't see the point in carrying a drone on board. Drones certainly have a place in SAR though because they can increase the number of observation platforms conducting a search at a much reduced cost. They may not be as good at spotting fleeting glimpses of somebody in the water as an observer on the scene is, but a drone overhead is still preferable to a manned aircraft 50 nm away.

In a more sci-fi (very Gerry Anderson ) vein, you could see a cruise-efficient search aircraft with much greater range than a helicoter, that deployed a short-range VTOL drone to actually pick-up survivors. The drone drops out of the aircraft, comes to a hover above the rescuee while the mother plane circles, and lowers a line with a harness on it. Once the rescuee is on-board, the drone then accelerates to flying speed and re-docks with the "mothership", which is the seriously technically challenging part. It also begs the question of what you do with an incapable casualty who can't put themselves into the harness: perhaps the drone could have a human pilot/winchman who flies it almost all the way, handing over piloting duties to a remote pilot on the mothership only for the pickup part of the operation.

[Jschmus]

The DOD are currently studying various helicopters for use as drone resupply platforms, with CSAR as a secondary mission.  I know one of the helos they're looking at is the Kaman K-Max.