GB1597098A - Missiles - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO MISSILES (71) We, BRITISH AEROSPACE, a Corporation established under the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act 1977, of Brooklands Road, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 OSJ, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to missiles of a type which have extendable and retractable wings or fins, and particularly to such missiles which are launched from a tube.

It is advantageous to provide a missile with wings or fins which may be retracted into the body of the missile as the storage space required for such a missile is considerably less than that required for a missile the wings or fins of which are not retractable. It is particularly advantageous to store a missile in the same tube from which it is to be launched as the ends of the tube may then be sealed by, e.g. a frangible disc and the missile thereby protected from damaging environmental changes. By providing the missile with wings which retract into the body of the missile, the overall cross-sectional area of the missile may be reduced to a minimum and the diameter of the tube may be reduced accordingly. In this way, the maximum number of missiles in their protective tubes may be stored in a given space and, they may even be stored in the open if necessary.

According to the present invention, a missile of the type described includes a body and at least two wings or fins, each wing or fin comprising two members pivotally connected together at one of their ends and to the body of the missile at their other ends so that in the retracted position, the pivotal connection between the two members lies adjacent the body of the missile, the pivotal connections at said other ends being arranged for movement relative to each other so as to allow the pivotal connection between the two members to move outwardly relative to the body of the missile when the members are extended to form a wing or fin, wherein the two members lie in end-to-end relationship when the wing or fin is in the retracted position and one of the members pivots forwardly and the other pivots rearwardly when the members are extended to form a wing or fin.

Preferably, one of the pivotal connections connecting the members to the body of the missile is slidable along the body of the missile.

The invention may be put into practice in various ways and some alternative embodiments will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings of which Figure 1 shows a side view of one embodiment of the invention, Figure 2 shows an end view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a cross-section on the line Ill-Ill of Figure 1, and Figure 4 shows a side view of a second embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the arrangement shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 a missile body 1 is provided with four wings 2 equally spaced circumferentially around the body and each mounted in respective collars 3 extending from the body 1. One wing only is shown for convenience of description but all four are similarly constructed and mounted.

The wing 2 comprises a forward portion 4 and a rearward portion 5 pivoted together at their outer ends at 6. In the extended position, the portion 5 slots into the portion 4 as can be seen in Figure 3. The rearward wing portion 5 is pivoted at 7 within the collar 3, whilst the forward wing portion 4 is pivoted at 8 by a pin which is slidable along channels 9 and 10 within the collar 3. When the wing portions 4 and 5 are retracted, they lie within the collar 3 in an end-to-end relationship as shown in broken outline in Figure 1. A fluid jack 11 whose cylinder 12 is pivotally attached to the missile body, is provided with a ram 13 which is pivotally connected to a lug 14 at the base of the rearward wing portion 5.To extend the wing to its flying position the ram 13 of the jack 11 is withdrawn causing the rearward wing portion 5 to swing outwardly about pivot 7 thereby causing the pivot 6 to move outwardly and causing the wing portion 4 to pivot about pin 8 which - simultaneously slides rearwardly in channels 9 and 10 as the pivot 6 moves outwardly.

With its wings folded, the missile may be conveniently housed within a square section launching container 15 as shown by the chain line in Figure 2 thus resulting in very little space being wasted.

The wing extension means need not be power operated as described but may merely comprise a spring box or a trip at the mouth of the launching container co-operating with a finger extending from the rear edge of wing portion 5 which pulls the wings to the extended position as the missile is launched from the container.

The arrangement shown in Figure 4 illustrates the rear end of a missile 30, being launched from a container 31 in which the missile has previously been stored. From the rear end of the missile extends a tubular metal exhaust pipe 32 over which slides a tube 33 having a nozzle portion 34 attached to its rear end. In the storage position within the container 31, the nozzle portion 34 rests against a conical exhaust deflector 35 attached to the end of the container 31.

The rear end of the missile carries a number of brackets 36, each providing a pivot 37 for a forward fin portion 38. A rearward fin portion 39 is pivotally connected to each forward portion 38 by means of a pivot pin 40; it is also pivotally connected to a bracket 41 on the tube 33.

A collar 42 extending from the rear end of the missile 30 fits over the forward end of the pipe 32 and is provided at its rear end with a magnetic ring 43 for co-operation with a magnetic ring 44 in the forward end of the tube 33.

When the missile's rocket motor is fired, exhaust gases impinge upon the exhaust deflector 35 and force the tube 33 and nozzle portion 34 to move along the exhaust pipe 32 thereby causing the fin portions 38 and 39 to move outwardly and burst through protective barriers covering cut-outs in the container wall. These cut-outs extend along the length of the container and allow the fins to extend without restriction. When the fins are fully extended, the magnetic rings 43 and 44 engage and lock the fins in the extended position.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A missile having extendable and retractable wings or fins including a body and at least two wings or fins, each wing or fin comprising two members pivotally connected together at one of their ends and to the body of the missile at their other ends so that in the retracted position, the pivotal connection between the two members lies adjacent the body of the missile, the pivotal connections at said other ends -being arranged for movement relative to each other so as to allow the pivotal connection between the two members to move outwardly relative to the body of the missile when the members are extended to form a wing or fin wherein the two members forming the wing or fin lie in end-to-end relationship when the wing or fin is in the retracted position and one of the members pivots forwardly and the other pivots rearwardly when the members are extended to form a wing or fin.

2. A missile as claimed in claims 1 or 2 wherein one of the pivotal connections connecting the members to the body of the missile is slidable along the body of the missile.

3. A missile as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein means is provided to cause the members to extend to form a wing or fin.

4. A missile as claimed in claim 3 wherein the means which causes the members to extend to form a wing or fin is a spring means connected between one of the members and the body of the missile.

5. A missile as claimed in claim 3 wherein the means which causes the members to extend to form a wing or fin is a fluid operated means.

6. A missile as described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A missile as described with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. slides rearwardly in channels 9 and 10 as the pivot 6 moves outwardly. With its wings folded, the missile may be conveniently housed within a square section launching container 15 as shown by the chain line in Figure 2 thus resulting in very little space being wasted. The wing extension means need not be power operated as described but may merely comprise a spring box or a trip at the mouth of the launching container co-operating with a finger extending from the rear edge of wing portion 5 which pulls the wings to the extended position as the missile is launched from the container. The arrangement shown in Figure 4 illustrates the rear end of a missile 30, being launched from a container 31 in which the missile has previously been stored. From the rear end of the missile extends a tubular metal exhaust pipe 32 over which slides a tube 33 having a nozzle portion 34 attached to its rear end. In the storage position within the container 31, the nozzle portion 34 rests against a conical exhaust deflector 35 attached to the end of the container 31. The rear end of the missile carries a number of brackets 36, each providing a pivot 37 for a forward fin portion 38. A rearward fin portion 39 is pivotally connected to each forward portion 38 by means of a pivot pin 40; it is also pivotally connected to a bracket 41 on the tube 33. A collar 42 extending from the rear end of the missile 30 fits over the forward end of the pipe 32 and is provided at its rear end with a magnetic ring 43 for co-operation with a magnetic ring 44 in the forward end of the tube 33. When the missile's rocket motor is fired, exhaust gases impinge upon the exhaust deflector 35 and force the tube 33 and nozzle portion 34 to move along the exhaust pipe 32 thereby causing the fin portions 38 and 39 to move outwardly and burst through protective barriers covering cut-outs in the container wall. These cut-outs extend along the length of the container and allow the fins to extend without restriction. When the fins are fully extended, the magnetic rings 43 and 44 engage and lock the fins in the extended position. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A missile having extendable and retractable wings or fins including a body and at least two wings or fins, each wing or fin comprising two members pivotally connected together at one of their ends and to the body of the missile at their other ends so that in the retracted position, the pivotal connection between the two members lies adjacent the body of the missile, the pivotal connections at said other ends -being arranged for movement relative to each other so as to allow the pivotal connection between the two members to move outwardly relative to the body of the missile when the members are extended to form a wing or fin wherein the two members forming the wing or fin lie in end-to-end relationship when the wing or fin is in the retracted position and one of the members pivots forwardly and the other pivots rearwardly when the members are extended to form a wing or fin.

2. A missile as claimed in claims 1 or 2 wherein one of the pivotal connections connecting the members to the body of the missile is slidable along the body of the missile.

3. A missile as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein means is provided to cause the members to extend to form a wing or fin.

4. A missile as claimed in claim 3 wherein the means which causes the members to extend to form a wing or fin is a spring means connected between one of the members and the body of the missile.

5. A missile as claimed in claim 3 wherein the means which causes the members to extend to form a wing or fin is a fluid operated means.

6. A missile as described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A missile as described with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.