High speed glide target

• US 6,116,606 A
• Filed: 08/21/1998
• Issued: 09/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meggit Defense Systems
• Original Assignee: Meggit Defense Systems
• Inventors: Martin, Bryan J., Brum, Roger D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ricci, John A.
• Application Number:
  US09/137,574
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 244/1 TD, 273/360, 273/361, 434/14, 434/15
• US Class Current: 273/360
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 9/10 towed

Abstract

A glide target comprising a fuselage having forward and aft ends. Movably attached to the fuselage is at least one control surface, while releasably attached to the fuselage is a tow line adaptor. Disposed within the fuselage is a tow line adaptor release mechanism which mechanically couples the tow line adaptor to the control surface in a manner wherein the (control surface is effectively locked into a set position until the tow line adaptor is detached from the fuselage. The glide target further comprises a glide target parachute which is disposed within the fuselage and a parachute launching mechanism which is also disposed within the fuselage and is used for selectively deploying the glide target parachute therefrom. The tow line adaptor, when attached to the fuselage, is cooperatively engaged to the parachute launching mechanism in a manner preventing the deployment of the glide target parachute from within the fuselage.

Claims

1. A glide target comprising:

a fuselage having forward and aft ends;

at least one control surface movably attached to the fuselage;

a tow line adaptor releasably attached to the fuselage; and

a tow line adaptor release mechanism disposed within the fuselage and mechanically coupling the tow line adaptor to the control surface in a manner wherein the control surface is effectively locked into a set position until the tow line adaptor is detached from the fuselage.

2. The glide target of claim 1 wherein said at least one control surface comprises a pair of control surfaces movably attached to the fuselage.

3. The glide target of claim 2 wherein the fuselage comprises:

an elongate, generally cylindrical body;

a nose cone attached to the body and defining the forward end of the fuselage;

a tail cone attached to the body and defining the aft end of the fuselage; and

multiple tail fins attached to said body;

said control surfaces being movably attached to respective ones of said tail fins.

4. The glide target of claim 3 wherein said fuselage includes an upper pair of tail fins and a lower pair of tail fins, said control surfaces being movably attached to respective ones of the lower pair of tail fins.

5. The glide target of claim 3 wherein the fuselage further comprises a fixed wing member attached to the body.

6. The glide target of claim 2 wherein the tow line adaptor release mechanism comprises:

a pair of control surface servomotors;

a pair of cam members attached respective ones of said control surface servomotors and independently rotatable thereby; and

a pair of control rods attached to and extending between the cam members and the control surfaces such that the rotation of each of the cam members facilitates the movement of a respective one of the control surfaces;

said tow line adaptor, when attached to the fuselage, being cooperatively engaged to the cam members in a manner preventing the rotation thereof by the control surface servomotors.

7. The glide target of claim 6 wherein the tow line adaptor release mechanism further comprises:

a release pin movable between a locked position and an unlocked position; and

a release pin servomotor mechanically coupled to the release pin and operable to move the release pin from the locked position to the unlocked position;

said release pin, when in the locked position, being cooperatively engaged to the tow line adaptor in a manner preventing the detachment thereof from the fuselage.

8. The glide target of claim 7 wherein the tow line adaptor release mechanism further comprises a biasing spring which is cooperatively engaged to the release pin and normally biases the release pin to the locked position.

9. The glide target of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one wing lift spoiler attached to the tow line adaptor such that the detachment of the tow line adaptor from the fuselage facilitates the removal of the wing lift spoiler therefrom;

said wing lift spoiler being maintained in attachment to the tow line adaptor subsequent to the deployment thereof from the fuselage.

10. The glide target of claim 9 wherein the tow line adaptor comprises:

a cover plate releasably attached to the fuselage, said at least one wing lift spoiler comprising a pair of wing lift spoilers which are attached to the cover plate;

the detachment of the tow line adaptor from the fuselage facilitating the removal of the cover plate and the wing lift spoilers therefrom.

11. The glide target of claim 10 wherein said fuselage comprises a pair of fixed wing segments and said fixed wing spoilers are removably positioned upon respective ones of the fixed wing segments.

12. The glide target of claim 1 further comprising:

a glide target parachute disposed within the fuselage; and

a parachute launching mechanism disposed within the fuselage for selectively deploying the glide target parachute from therewithin;

said tow line adaptor, when attached to the fuselage, being cooperatively engaged to the parachute launching mechanism in a manner preventing the deployment of the glide target parachute from within the fuselage.

13. The glide target of claim 12 wherein said parachute launching mechanism comprises:

a parachute door releasably attached to the fuselage;

a latching member cooperatively engaged to the parachute door and movable between a latched position wherein the parachute door is maintained in attachment to the fuselage and an unlatched position wherein the parachute door may be detached from the fuselage; and

a parachute door servomotor cooperatively engaged to the latching member and operable to move the latching member between the latched and unlatched positions;

the detachment of the parachute door from the fuselage facilitating the deployment of the glide target parachute from therewithin.

14. The glide target of claim 13 wherein:

the tow line adaptor comprises a retaining rod which is cooperatively engaged to and maintains the parachute door in attachment to the fuselage when the tow line adaptor is attached thereto;

the detachment of the tow line adaptor from the fuselage facilitating the release of the retaining rod from the parachute door which permits the detachment thereof from the fuselage upon the movement of the latching member to the unlatched position.

15. A glide target comprising:

a fuselage having forward and aft ends;

at least one control surface movably attached to the fuselage;

a tow line adaptor releasably attached to the fuselage;

a glide target parachute disposed within the fuselage; and

a parachute launching mechanism disposed within the fuselage for selectively deploying the glide target parachute therefrom;

said tow line adaptor, when attached to the fuselage, being cooperatively engaged to the parachute launching mechanism in a manner preventing the deployment of the glide target parachute from within the fuselage.

16. The glide target of claim 15 wherein said parachute launching mechanism comprises:

a parachute door releasably attached to the fuselage;

a latching member cooperatively engaged to the parachute door and movable between a latched position wherein the parachute door is maintained in attachment to the fuselage and an unlatched position wherein the parachute door may be detached from the fuselage; and

a parachute door servomotor cooperatively engaged to the latching member and operable to move the latching member between the latched and unlatched positions;

the detachment of the parachute door from the fuselage facilitating the deployment of the glide target parachute from therewithin.

17. The glide target of claim 16 wherein:

the tow line adaptor comprises a retaining rod which is cooperatively engaged to and maintains the parachute door in attachment to the fuselage when the tow line adaptor is attached thereto;

the detachment of the tow line adaptor from the fuselage facilitating the release of the retaining rod from the parachute door which permits the detachment thereof from the fuselage upon the movement of the latching member to the unlatched position.

18. A method of deploying a glide target from an aircraft having a reeling machine with a tow line, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) attaching the glide target to the tow line;

(b) causing the aircraft to climb to a first altitude and maintain a first air speed;

(c) deploying the glide target from the aircraft by reeling out the tow line of the reeling machine;

(d) causing the aircraft to climb to a second altitude and accelerate to a second air speed; and

(e) releasing the glide target from the tow line.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of:

(f) using global positioning satellites to cause the glide target to glide toward an assigned destination under active control from a launch control site.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein step (c) comprises reeling out the glide target to a distance of approximately fifty meters from the aircraft.

21. A glide target comprising:

a fuselage;

a tow line adaptor releasably attached to the fuselage;

a tow line adaptor release mechanism disposed within the fuselage; and

at least one wing lift spoiler attached to the tow line adaptor such that the detachment of the tow line adaptor from the fuselage facilitates the removal of the wing lift spoiler from the fuselage.