JP6775270B2 - Air-launch-type rocket and air-launch method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an air-launch-to-air rocket and an air-launch-to-air launch method that are mounted on a carrier aircraft and launched in the air.

Conventionally, as an air-launch-type rocket, for example, there is one described in Non-Patent Document 1. The air-launch-type rocket described in Non-Patent Document 1 has a structure in which booster rockets are arranged on both sides of the main rocket, and both are connected by a connecting arm at a predetermined distance between the main rocket and each booster rocket. ..

The above-mentioned air-launch-to-launch rocket is mounted on the lower part of an aircraft (fighter). At that time, the air-launch-to-air rocket connects the main rocket to the rear side of the nose gear at the lower part of the fuselage of the aircraft, and connects the booster rocket to the outside of the main gear at the lower part of the wing. Then, the air-launch-type rocket is separated from the flying aircraft, and then the main rocket and the booster rocket are activated to fly by itself.

AIAA "7th Responsive Space Conference. April 27-30,2009 Los Angeles, CA" P.2-9

By the way, in the above-mentioned conventional air-launch-type rocket, the main rocket and the booster rocket are separated from each other and connected by a connecting arm in consideration of mountability in the lower part of the aircraft. However, since the above-mentioned air-launch-type rocket flies while maintaining the state when it is mounted even after it is launched in the air, the load applied to the connection structure between the main rocket and the booster rocket (connection structure by the connection arm) tends to increase. At the same time, there is a problem that flutter and the like are likely to occur due to a decrease in the natural frequency of the connected structure, and it has been a problem to solve such a problem.

The present invention has been made by paying attention to the above-mentioned conventional problems, and by changing the distance between the main projectile and the rocket motor to a small value after separating from the aircraft, the connection structure between the main projectile and the rocket motor is formed. It is an object of the present invention to provide an air-launch-type rocket and an air-launch-to-air launch method capable of reducing the load applied to the rocket, ensuring a large natural frequency of the connected structure, and suppressing flutter and the like.

The air-launch-to-launch rocket according to the present invention is an air-launch-to-launch rocket mounted on an aircraft that is a carrier, and consists of a main projectile, a pair of rocket motors arranged on both sides of the main projectile, and each of the main projectiles. Each of the connecting arm devices for connecting the rocket motors in a separated state is provided, and the connecting arm device is provided with a width-aligning mechanism for moving the rocket motors in the vicinity of the main projectile.

Further, in the air-launch-to-air launch method according to the present invention, when launching the above-mentioned air-launch-to-launch rocket in the air, after separating the air-launch-to-launch rocket from the aircraft, the rocket motor is moved to the vicinity of the main projectile, and then the rocket motor. It is characterized by igniting.

The air-launch-to-launch rocket according to the present invention is connected to each rocket motor in a state of being separated from the main projectile by a connecting arm device, and is mounted on an aircraft in that state. Then, after being separated from the flying aircraft, the air-launch-to-air rocket starts the rocket motor and flies by itself. At that time, the rocket motor is the main flying object due to the width adjustment mechanism of the connecting arm device. Move to the vicinity of.

In this way, the air-launch-to-air rocket and the air-launch-to-air launch method apply a load to the connecting structure between the main projectile and the rocket motor by changing the distance between the main projectile and the rocket motor to a small value after separating from the aircraft. It is possible to suppress flutter and the like by reducing the problem and ensuring a large natural frequency of the connected structure.

It is a top view explaining one Embodiment of the air-launch-type rocket and the air-launch-to-launch method which concerns on this invention. It is a front view (A) and a side view (B) of the air-launch-type rocket shown in FIG. It is a front view (A) and a side view (B) which show the state which the air-launch-type rocket is mounted on an aircraft. It is a side view (A) which shows the state which showed the state which the air-launch-to-peer rocket was separated from an aircraft, and the plan view (B) which shows the state after the detachment and after the movement of a rocket motor.

The air-launch-to-launch rocket R shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is mounted on an aircraft as a carrier and launched in the air, and is a main projectile MV and a pair of rocket motors arranged on both sides of the main projectile MV. It is provided with an RM and each connecting arm device A for connecting each rocket motor RM in a state of being separated from the main flying object MV. The aircraft is mainly a fixed-wing aircraft and can be selected according to the size of the air-launch-to-air rocket, etc., but it is preferable to use a fighter aircraft or the like in consideration of mountability and maneuverability.

The main projectile MV is equipped with a predetermined payload and may or may not be equipped with a propulsion device such as a rocket. Each rocket motor RM is a known one composed of solid fuel, an injection nozzle, or the like, and is used as an auxiliary rocket (booster rocket) when the main projectile MV has a propulsion device. The main projectile MV and the rocket motor RM are arranged in parallel with their axes parallel to each other.

The connecting arm device A is arranged between the main projectile MV and each rocket motor RM at a total of four locations, at least two locations on the head side and the tail side. Each connecting arm device A includes a width-aligning mechanism for moving the rocket motor RM in the vicinity of the main flying object MV, and a locking mechanism for restraining the rocket motor RM moved by the width-aligning mechanism at the moving position. There is.

The width-aligning mechanism of the connecting arm device A is a rocket that rotatably connects one end to the first link 1 that is rotatably connected to the main flying object MV and one end to the other end of the first link 1. It is provided with a second link 2 in which the other end is rotatably connected to the motor RM. Further, the width adjusting mechanism includes a drive source 3 that imparts a folding operation to the first and second links 1 and 2.

The first link 1 is connected to the main flying object MV by the first joint portion J1. Further, the first and second links 1 and 2 are connected to each other by the second joint portion J2. Further, the second link 2 is connected to the rocket motor RM by the third joint portion J3. The drive source 3 is not particularly limited, but is a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder, an electric actuator that performs linear motion or rotational motion, and the motion of the cylinder or electric actuator is converted into rotation of the first link 1. It includes a motion transmission mechanism and the like.

The locking mechanism of the connecting arm device A is a mechanism that allows rotation in only one direction at at least one of the first to third joints J1 to J3. Specifically, it is a latch mechanism arranged between a fixed portion and a movable portion in joint portions J1 to J3. That is, in this embodiment, the joint portions J1 to J3 also have a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism may be any as long as it prevents the first and second links 1 and 2 from operating in the opposite direction when performing the folding operation, and the configuration thereof is not particularly limited.

As shown in FIG. 3, the air-launch-to-launch rocket R is mounted on the lower part of the carrier aircraft (indicated by a virtual line) F. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, the air-launch-to-launch rocket R has a first fixing portion 4 that is separably connected to the lower part of the fuselage of the aircraft F on the upper side of the main projectile MV. Further, the air-launch-type rocket R has a second fixing portion 5 that is separably connected to the underside of the aircraft F on the upper side of each rocket motor RM.

Then, the air-launch-to-launch rocket R connects the main projectile MV to the rear side of the nose gear NG at the lower part of the fuselage of the aircraft F, and connects the rocket motor RM to the outside of the main gear MG at the lower part of the wing. Therefore, the aircraft F has a hard point and a pylon for mounting an external fuel tank and weapons in the lower part of the fuselage and the lower part of the wing.

In this way, the air-launch-type rocket R is connected to the main projectile MV with the rocket motors RM separated from each other, and is mounted on the aircraft F in that state, so that the operation of the aircraft F is not hindered at all. ..

Then, as shown in FIG. 4A, the air-launch-type rocket R separates from the flying aircraft F, and then activates the rocket motor RM to fly by itself. At that time, as shown in FIG. 4B, the air-launch-to-launch rocket R moves the rocket motor RM to the vicinity of the main projectile MV by the width-aligning mechanism of the connecting arm device A, and the rocket motor by the lock mechanism. The RM is restrained in the moving position, and then the rocket motor RM is ignited.

Specifically, the air-launch-type rocket R rotates and folds the first and second links 1 and 2 by the drive source 3 in each connecting arm device A, thereby causing each rocket motor RM to rotate in its axial direction. Attracts to the main projectile MV side while maintaining. At this time, in the connecting arm device A of the illustrated example, both links 1 and 2 are rotated forward on the head side, and both links 1 and 2 are rotated rearward on the tail side.

Then, in each of the connecting arm devices A, the air-launch-to-launch rocket R is rotated in the opposite directions of the first and second links 1 and 2 by the first to third joints J1 to J3 having a locking mechanism. Finally, as shown on the left side of FIG. 4B, the rocket motor RM is positioned in the vicinity of the main projectile MV. After that, the air-launch-type rocket R flies in this state.

As an air-launch-to-air launch method, the above-mentioned air-launch-type rocket R separates from the aircraft F, moves the rocket motor RM to the vicinity of the main projectile MV, and then ignites the rocket motor RM. At this time, if the main flying object MV is provided with a propulsion device, the propulsion device may be activated, or the propulsion device may be activated after the rocket motor RM is disconnected.

In this way, the air-launch-to-air rocket and the air-launch-to-air launch method have a structure in which the main projectile MV and the rocket motor RM are connected by changing the distance between the main projectile MV and the rocket motor RM after separation from the aircraft F. The load applied to (connecting arm device A) can be reduced, and the natural frequency of the connecting structure (connecting arm device A) can be largely secured to suppress flutter and the like. Therefore, the air-launch-type rocket R can secure sufficient strength and can perform stable flight while making the configuration of the connecting arm device A simple and lightweight.

Further, in the above-mentioned air-launch-type rocket R, since the connecting arm device A is arranged at least at two locations on the head side and the tail side of the main projectile MV and each rocket motor RM, the connection state of both is reliable. It can contribute to stable flight.

Further, in the above-mentioned air-launch-type rocket R, the main projectile MV has a first fixing portion 4 with respect to the lower fuselage of the aircraft F, and each rocket motor RM has a second fixing portion 5 with respect to the under-wing of the aircraft F. Therefore, it has good mountability on aircraft F such as fighter aircraft.

Further, the air-launch-to-launch rocket R adopts a width-aligning mechanism composed of the first link 1, the second link 2, and the drive source 3, thereby simplifying the structure of the connecting arm device A and reducing the size. Weight reduction can be realized.

Further, the air-launch-to-launch rocket R has a lock mechanism (for example, a latch mechanism) that allows rotation in only one direction at at least one joint of the first to third joints J1 to J3. By adopting it, the structure of the connecting arm device A can be simplified and the size and weight can be reduced, and the connecting arm device A can be made compact in combination with the effect of the width adjusting mechanism described above.

The air-launch-type rocket and the air-launch-to-launch method according to the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiment in the details of the configuration, and the configuration can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention. Therefore, various configurations other than those shown in the illustrated examples can be adopted for the width adjusting mechanism and the locking mechanism constituting the connecting arm device A.

A Connecting arm device F Aircraft J1 1st joint (lock mechanism)
J2 2nd joint (lock mechanism)
J3 3rd joint (lock mechanism)
MV main projectile R Air-launch-type rocket RM rocket motor 1 1st link (width adjustment mechanism)
2 2nd link (width adjustment mechanism)
3 Drive source (width adjustment mechanism)
4 1st fixed part 5 2nd fixed part

Claims (7)

An air-launch-to-air rocket that is mounted on a carrier aircraft and launched in the air.
It is equipped with a main projectile, a pair of rocket motors arranged on both sides of the main projectile, and each connecting arm device that connects each rocket motor in a state of being separated from the main projectile.
An air-launch-type rocket characterized in that the connecting arm device is equipped with a width-aligning mechanism that moves the rocket motor near the main projectile. The air-launch-type rocket according to claim 1, wherein the connecting arm device includes a lock mechanism for restraining a rocket motor moved by a width-aligning mechanism at the moving position. The air-launch-to-launch rocket according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the connecting arm device is arranged between the main projectile and each rocket motor at least at two locations, one on the head side and the other on the tail side. .. The main projectile has a first fixation that is separably connected to the lower fuselage of the aircraft.
The air-launch-type rocket according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each rocket motor has a second fixing portion that is separably connected to the underside of the aircraft wing. The width adjustment mechanism of the connecting arm device
The first link, one end of which is rotatably connected to the main flying object,
A second link in which one end is rotatably connected to the other end of the first link and the other end is rotatably connected to the rocket motor.
The air-launch-type rocket according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first and second links are provided with a drive source for imparting a folding operation. The lock mechanism of the connecting arm mechanism
The joint part that rotatably connects the main flying object and the first link, the joint part that rotatably connects the first link and the second link, and the second link and the rocket motor are rotatably connected. The air-launch-to-air rocket according to claim 5, further comprising a mechanism that allows rotation in only one direction at at least one of the joints. When launching the air-launch-type rocket according to any one of claims 1 to 6 in the air,
An air-launch-to-air rocket launch method characterized by separating an air-launch-to-air rocket from an aircraft, moving the rocket motor to the vicinity of the main projectile, and then igniting the rocket motor.

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