The US Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory (USAARL) has conducted a flight test of Vita Inclinata’s load stability system litter attachment (LSS-LA).
Carried out at Fort Rucker Aviation Base, the initial prototype flight testing is part of Project Convergence 21.
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‘Project Convergence 21’ is the military’s strategy aimed at modernising and transforming its operations, including future hoist requirements.
USAARL Enroute Care Group director David Jones said: “USAARL flight tests medical systems used in the US military medical evacuation environment to ensure safe interactions among the aircraft, medical system, aircrew, and patients.
“The army needs systems that meet military and industry rotary-wing aircraft standards to ensure safe and effective operations.”
The field tests marked the end of the Electromagnetic Interference and Aircraft Compatibility Testing, which was performed in an anechoic chamber for several months.
During testing, Vita’s LSS-LA did not interfere with aircraft electronics systems.
It performed as designed in ‘hoist insertion and extraction exercises’ and controlled ‘unpredictable motion without taglines’.
An empty litter, a litter with a mannequin, and a barrel man (hoist) were included in the trials under ‘relentless rotor wash’ across different scenarios.
This cleared the path for Vita’s LSS Litter Attachment to fly safely under Blackhawk HH-60M and UH-60L aircraft.
Vita CTO and co-founder Derek Sikora said: “We are grateful to be rigorously testing our system with the army MEDEVAC community because ultimately this is the community that the solution is designed for.
“We know that in the field, no two scenarios are alike. Flight crews are constantly communicating, scouting, managing complex unknowns at any given moment.
“We mitigate at least one unknown: we provide a stable hoist that crews can easily get down and up in a timely manner. The LSS is a tool, not a crutch.”
