GB1597352A

GB1597352A - Missiles

Info

Publication number: GB1597352A
Application number: GB3882770A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: British Aerospace PLC
Current assignee: BAE Systems PLC
Priority date: 1971-06-23
Filing date: 1971-06-23
Publication date: 1981-09-09

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 deelare 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 missile systems of a type in which a missile is stored in the same container from which it is to be launched.

It is advantageous to store a missile in the same container from which it is to be launched as the ends of the container may be sealed, e.g. by frangible material, and the missile thereby protected from damaging environmental changes. However, as missiles are generally provided with radially extending fins or wings, either the container in which a missile is stored and launched has to be of such a cross-section that it will enclose the fins or wings, in which case the container is considerably larger in crosssection than the missile and so is wasteful of storage space, or else the fins or wings have to be folded and the cross-section of the container may then be reduced accordingly.

This latter arrangement however increases the structural weight of the missile to the detriment of its war-head carrying capability.

In order to overcome the disadvantages of the known arrangements, it has been proposed to employ a container in the form of a tube of two different diameters, a forward larger diameter portion housing the fins which are mounted on a sheath from which they extend radially, and a rearward, smaller diameter portion housing the missile.

With such an arrangement the missile may be launched so that it passes through the sheath until a point is reached where the sheath, engages with the missile body. The missile then continues its flight with the sheath securely connected to it and with the fins extending from the sheath. Such an arrangement is less wasteful of space than the previously known arrangements, but nevertheless, the storage of a number of containers each having portions of different diameters is still wasteful of space.

According to the present invention a missile system includes in combination, a missile body, a missile body container, a separate flight portion from which extend flying surfaces, a separate flight portion container, and means for detachably securing the two containers together so that when the missile body is ejected from the body container it passes through the flight portion container, and, in doing so, picks up and carries with it, the flight portion. In one arrangement of the invention, the flight portion comprises an annular member arranged to be engaged by radially extending abutment means on the missile body when the missile is launched from its container.

Preferably the annular member is provided with an internal frusto-conical surface, and the radially extending abutment means comprises a complementary external frusto-conical surface.

In another arrangement of the invention, the missile body is provided with first and second radially extending abutment means spaced along its length, and the flight porton container houses first and second annular members from each of which extend flying surfaces, the first annular member engaging with the first radially extending abutment means and the second annular member engaging with the second radially extending abutment means.

Preferably, the flying surfaces are foldable for storage purposes and are extendable into flying positions when the missile is launched.

One missile system according to the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, of which Figure 1 is a sectional view through the system with the missile body in position in its container, Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1, whilst Figure 3 shows the missile having just been launched from the container. Figure 4 is a plan view of an alternative embodiment of the invention.

A missile body 1 is provided with two annular wedge portions 2 and 3, which extend radially and are of frusto-conical form and both of which are axially slotted at 4 and 5 respectively for engagement with rails 6, 7 extending from the inner surface of a tubular container 8. The smallest diameter of the portion 3 is larger than the largest diameter of the wedge portion 2. Frangible discs 9, 10 seal the ends of the container.

A second tubular container 11 houses a first collar 12 on which is mounted a series of wings 13 shown folded, and a second collar 14 on which is mounted a series of fins 15, shown fixed. The ends of the container 11 are sealed by frangible discs 16, 17. The containers 8 and 11 are located together and locked by means of a mechanism 18.

On launching the missile body 1, the frangible disc 9 bursts, due to the efflux of the missile rocket motor, and the missile body moves along the containers 8 and 11, piercing frangible discs 10, 16 and 17 as it does so. After piercing frangible disc 16, the annular wedge portion 2 passes through the collar 14 but does not touch it as the largest diameter of the portion 2 is smaller than the smallest internal diameter of the collar 14.

The annular wedge portion 2 engages with collar 12 and the forward motion of the missile body drives the two parts tightly together. The wings 13 extend by any known means after the wings leave the container 11.

Further movement of the missile body causes the annular wedge portion 3 to engage with collar 14 and the two parts are tightly driven together. The missile body then continues its flight with the wings and fins securely in place.

As the containers 8 and 11 may be accurately located together, means may be coupled to a drive arrangement within the missile body so that the wings or fins may be controlled in flight to correct the flight path of the missile in the usual way.

For storage purposes, the containers 8 and 11 may be placed at separate locations, for example, the tubes 11 may be stored on the deck of a ship and the containers 8 may be placed in a magazine, the containers 11 being secured to the containers 8 immediately prior to the launching of the missiles.

The containers 8 and 11 need not be of circular cross-section but may be square as shown in Figure 4, or even triangular for convenience of storage.

A variety of flying surfaces may be employed with any one missile, depending upon the role that the missile is to play, and the appropriate container selected which houses the flying surfaces required for that particular role. It can be seen that by employing separate containers for the missiles and the flying surfaces a very flexible missile system is obtained and great economy in storage space is achieved.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A missile system including in combination a missile body, a missile body container, a separate flight portion from which extend flying surfaces, a separate flight portion container, and means for detachably securing the two containers together so that when the missile body is ejected from the body container it passes through the flight portion container and in doing so, picks up and carries with it, the flight portion.

2. A missile system according to claim 1 wherein the flight portion comprises an annular member arranged to be engaged by radially extending abutment means on the missile body when the missile is launched from its container.

3. A missile system according to claim 2 wherein the annular member is provided with an internal'frusto-conical surface, and the radially extending abutment means comprises a complementary external frusto-conical surface.

4. A missile system according to either of claims 2 and 3 wherein the missile body is provided with first and second radially extending abutment means spaced along its length, and the flight portion container houses first and second annular members from each of which extend flying surfaces, the first annular member engaging with the first radially extending abutment means and the second annular member engaging with the second radially extending abutment means.

5. A missile system as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the missile body container is provided with guide rails and the missile body is provided with rail engaging means whereby on launching the missile, the missile body is guided through the missile body container.

6. A missile system as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the flying surfaces are foldable for storage purposes and are extendable into flying positions when the missile is launched.

7. A missile system as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the missile body container and the flight portion container are provided with end covers of frangible material.

8. A missile system substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. annular wedge portions 2 and 3, which extend radially and are of frusto-conical form and both of which are axially slotted at 4 and 5 respectively for engagement with rails 6, 7 extending from the inner surface of a tubular container 8. The smallest diameter of the portion 3 is larger than the largest diameter of the wedge portion 2. Frangible discs 9, 10 seal the ends of the container. A second tubular container 11 houses a first collar 12 on which is mounted a series of wings 13 shown folded, and a second collar 14 on which is mounted a series of fins 15, shown fixed. The ends of the container 11 are sealed by frangible discs 16, 17. The containers 8 and 11 are located together and locked by means of a mechanism 18. On launching the missile body 1, the frangible disc 9 bursts, due to the efflux of the missile rocket motor, and the missile body moves along the containers 8 and 11, piercing frangible discs 10, 16 and 17 as it does so. After piercing frangible disc 16, the annular wedge portion 2 passes through the collar 14 but does not touch it as the largest diameter of the portion 2 is smaller than the smallest internal diameter of the collar 14. The annular wedge portion 2 engages with collar 12 and the forward motion of the missile body drives the two parts tightly together. The wings 13 extend by any known means after the wings leave the container 11. Further movement of the missile body causes the annular wedge portion 3 to engage with collar 14 and the two parts are tightly driven together. The missile body then continues its flight with the wings and fins securely in place. As the containers 8 and 11 may be accurately located together, means may be coupled to a drive arrangement within the missile body so that the wings or fins may be controlled in flight to correct the flight path of the missile in the usual way. For storage purposes, the containers 8 and 11 may be placed at separate locations, for example, the tubes 11 may be stored on the deck of a ship and the containers 8 may be placed in a magazine, the containers 11 being secured to the containers 8 immediately prior to the launching of the missiles. The containers 8 and 11 need not be of circular cross-section but may be square as shown in Figure 4, or even triangular for convenience of storage. A variety of flying surfaces may be employed with any one missile, depending upon the role that the missile is to play, and the appropriate container selected which houses the flying surfaces required for that particular role. It can be seen that by employing separate containers for the missiles and the flying surfaces a very flexible missile system is obtained and great economy in storage space is achieved. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A missile system including in combination a missile body, a missile body container, a separate flight portion from which extend flying surfaces, a separate flight portion container, and means for detachably securing the two containers together so that when the missile body is ejected from the body container it passes through the flight portion container and in doing so, picks up and carries with it, the flight portion.