GB941909A - Improved aerial target - Google Patents

Abstract

941,909. Towed aerial targets. J. PASQUALINI. March 11, 1960 [March 13, 1959], No. 8704/60. Headings B7G and B7W. An aerial target to be launched and towed by an aircraft and then released in flight to permit its recovery, comprises in combination a recovery member, a main body, a towing harness attached to said main body, a rear body fixed to said main body, a container in said rear body, a parachute in said container, a safety device which connects the parachute to the body of the target when said target moves at a predetermined speed but leaves said parachute disconnected from said main body until said speed is attained, and means for releasing said target in flight. The target comprises a spike or member member 1, to which removable balance weights may be attached, a cone 3, main body 2 and a rear cone 21 to which is attached a tube 24 for supporting tail fins 26. A towing bridle 17 is pivotally attached at 16 to body 2 and it is connected by a swivel joint and explosively releasable connection 18, 19 to a towing cable 20. A tube 4, to which member 1 is attached, extends axially through core 3 and body 2 and it carries three principal partitions 5, 6 and 7 and an intermediate partition 8, the partitions 5 and 8 being connected by boxes 9 to receive detection or other apparatus. The partitions 5, 6 and 7 are enclosed by two hinged shells 2b hinged at 10 and secured when closed by projections 11 and the core 21 is formed with a pair of apertures 22 to enable photographs to be taken by interiorly-mounted cameras. The tube 24 encloses a container 28 for a parachute 29, the container being secured at 30 and closed by a cover 31 held in place by explosive bolts 32. The rigging lines 34 of the parachute are attached to a pair of rods 35 which pass freely through partition 7 and are apertured at their forward ends to receive hooks 38 transversely connected at 39, 40 and pivotally mounted on fixed projections 41 on partition 7. The hooks are spring biased to act as toggles and before launching they are in the position shown in Fig. 2 in which brace 39 bears against the depending arm 43 of a plate 44. After launching air pressure on plate 44 springs hooks 38 into the position shown in Fig. 3 whereby the parachute is attached to the tube 4. In a further embodiment inopportune release of the parachute energizes a circuit to detonate connection 18 between cable 20 and bridle 17 to release the target from the aircraft. A further detonating control mechanism 46 is provided to detonate connection 18 and which comprises also a clockwork mechanism 53 actuated by a cable 52 in response to movement of a lever 51 connected to shaft 16 of bridle 17 whereby the explosive bolts 32 securing cover 31 are fired after the firing of connection 18. Apparatus is described in which the towing cable is connected to a further cable bridging a pair of pylons, the towing aircraft being provided with a tail hook to engage the bridging cable.