Ordnance delivery system and method including remotely piloted or programmable aircraft with yaw-to-turn guidance system
First Claim
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1. A system for guiding an expendable pilotless aircraft to an electromagnetic wave energy emitting target comprisng:
- an aircraft having control surfaces asymmetrical in the pitch and yaw planes, a sensor, and a guidance system operative in the terminal portions of the flight of the aircraft in a yaw-to-turn mode with a substantially zero roll rate; and
rapidly deployable aircraft launching means.
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Abstract
A method and system for delivery ordnance to a target via a remotely piloted or programmable aircraft including a yaw-to-turn guidance system, a deployment and launching system and packaging for the aircraft are disclosed.
115 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A system for guiding an expendable pilotless aircraft to an electromagnetic wave energy emitting target comprisng:
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an aircraft having control surfaces asymmetrical in the pitch and yaw planes, a sensor, and a guidance system operative in the terminal portions of the flight of the aircraft in a yaw-to-turn mode with a substantially zero roll rate; and rapidly deployable aircraft launching means. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A guidance system for an expendable pilotless aircraft having an airframe with control surfaces comprising:
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a directional sensor for providing azimuth and elevation error signals; means for providing guidance signals indicative of the rate of change of said azimuth and elevation signals; a guidance programmer responsive to said guidance signals for providing pitch control and yaw control signals; an altitude sensor for providing an altitude control signal; an angle of attack sensor; roll, pitch and yaw rate gyros for providing rate control signals; and a three axis autopilot responsive to said control signals for controlling the control surfaces of said airframe.
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4. A method for guiding an expendable pilotless aircraft to an electromagnetic wave energy emitting target comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing an aircraft having control surfaces asymmetrical in the pitch and yaw planes, an electromagnetic energy sensor, and a guidance system; (b) controlling the flight of the aircraft in the initial portion of the flight of the aircraft in accordance with a predetermined program; (c) sensing the difference between the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and the line-of-sight to detected electromagnetic wave energy in the pitch and yaw planes with a maximum error between about seven degrees and about ten degrees; and (d) controlling the flight of the aircraft in the terminal portion of the flight of said aircraft in a yaw-to-turn mode with a substantially zero yaw roll rate.
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5. A method for guiding an expendable pilotless aircraft to an electromagnetic wave energy emitting target comprising the steps of:
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(a) launching an aircraft having control surfaces asymmetrical in the pitch and yaw planes; (b) sensing an electromagnetic wave energy emitting target; and (c) controlling the flight of the aircraft in response to the sensing of the electromagnetic wave enregy in a yaw-to-turn mode with a substantially zero roll rate.
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6. A system for guiding an expendable pilotless aircraft to a target comprising:
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an aircraft having control surfaces about the pitch and yaw axis and a guidance system operative to turn said aircraft in the terminal portions of the flight of the aircraft by yawing the aircraft without effecting any substantial roll rate; and rapidly deployable aircraft means. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. A system for guiding an expendable pilotless aircraft to an electromagnetic wave energy emitting target comprising:
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an aircraft having control surfaces generally symmetrical about the roll axis, asymmetrical about the pitch and yaw axis, an electromagnetic wave energy detector, and a guidance system operative in a first position of the flight of the aircraft in resonse to predetermined data in a roll-to-turn mode and operative in a second portion of the flight of the aircraft in response to the detection of electromagnetic wave energy in a yaw-to-turn mode; and rapidly deployable aircraft launching means. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A system for guiding an expendable pilotless aircraft to an electromagnetic wave energy emitting target comprising:
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an aircraft having control surfaces about the pitch and yaw axis, means for sensing electromagnetic wave energy, and a guidance system operative in the termial portions of the flight of the aircraft in response to said sensing means to turn the aircraft without any substantial roll rate; and rapidly deployable aircraft launching means. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A method for guiding an expendable pilotless aircraft to an electromagnetic wave energy emitting target comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing an aircraft having control surfaces symmetrical about the roll axis and asymmetrical about the pitch and yaw axis, an electromagnetic energy sensor, and a guidance system; (b) controlling the flight of the aircraft in a first portion of the flight of the aircraft in a mode which includes substantial roll rate in effecting a turn in accordance with a predetermined program; (c) senisng the difference between the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and the line-of-sight to detect electromagnetic wave energy in the pitch and yaw planes with a maximum error between about seven degrees and about ten degrees; and (d) controlling the flight of the aircraft in a second portion of the flight of the aircraft in response to said sensed differences in a mode which includes a substantially zero roll rate in effecting a turn.
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13. A method for guiding an expendable pilotless aircraft to an electromagnetic wave enregy emitting target comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing an aircraft having control surfaces about the pitch and yaw axis, an electromagnetic energy sensor, and a guidance system; (b) controlling the flight of the aircraft in an initial portion of the flight of the aircraft in accordance with a predetermined program; (c) sensing the difference between the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and the line-of-sight to detect electromagnetic wave energy in the pitch and yaw planes; and (d) controlling the yawing of the aircraft in the terminal portion of the flight of said aircraft without inducing any substantial yaw roll rate.
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14. A method for guiding an expendable pilotless aircraft to an electromagnetic wave energy emitting target comprising the steps of:
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(a) launching an aircraft having control surfaces about the pitch and yaw axis; (b) sensing an electromagnetic wave energy emitting target; and (c) controlling the flight of the aircraft about the yaw axis in response to the sensing of the electromagnetic wave energy without indicing any substantial roll rate. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A method for guiding an expendable pilotless aircraft to an electromagnetic wave energy emitting target comprising the steps of:
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(a) launching an aircraft having control surfaces about the pitch and yaw axis; (b) sensing an electromagnetic wave energy emitting target; and (c) turning the aircraft in response to the sensing of the electromagnetic wave energy by yawing the aircraft without rolling the aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A method for guiding an expendable pilotless aircraft to an electromagnetic wave energy emitting target comprising the steps of:
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(a) launching an aircraft having control surfaces about the pitch and yaw axis; (b) sensing an electromagnetic wave energy emitting target; and (c) yawing the aircraft in response to the sensing of the electromagnetic wave energy without rolling the aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification