GB943310A - Improvements in or relating to automatic control systems for guiding air-borne missiles - Google Patents

Abstract

943,310. Automatic steering of missiles. ALBISWERK ZURICH A. G. Dec. 5,1961 [Dec. 7, 1960], No. 43490/61. Heading G3R. In a system for controlling an airborne target seeking missile, angular co-ordinates of the line of sight of the target from the missile, relative to the missile, co-operate with angular coordinates of the attitude of the missile, relative to a fixed direction in space, to so steer the missile as to maintain the direction of the line of sight fixed in space. The direction of a target is located by means of an optical detector, Fig. 5, pivoted about two axes 8, 9 and responsive to radiation from the target which is focused through a rotary disc modulator 5 on to a radiation-sensitive electric cell 7. The electric output of this detector, detector 1 in Fig. 4, is converted in a stage 3 to signals which control servomotors 2 adjusting the detector about its two axes to maintain it pointing towards the target. An electric transmitter 10 positioned by the detector produces signals α, #, corresponding to the direction of the target in azimuth and elevation relative to the missile. In a similar manner a detector 13 is automatically maintained directed towards a light source 12 mounted on a gyro 11 so that signals α 2 , # 2 are produced corresponding to the attitude of the missile about two axes relative to a fixed direction in space. The differences between #, # 2 and α 1 , α 2 , representing components of change in direction of the line of sight are produced in units 17,18, differentiated at 19, 20 and used to respectively control the elevation and azimuth controls of the missile so that the direction of the line of sight is maintained constant. To maintain the ratio between rates of change in elevation and heading constant, the ratio is measured by a servo unit 23 which produces a signal which is differentiated to control the roll attitude of the missile.