Method and system for protecting folding wings on a missile while in their stowed state
AssigneeKongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS
InventorsArnstein Solberg, Jens A. Gjestvang, Trond Henning Sleveland, Kristian Jensrud, Ivar Thomle Hoelsæter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cover 10 and method for protecting a missile 15 with stowed wings 20 and connected to a vessel carrying it. The cover 10 includes a spoiler shaped front part 25 for covering a gap between the wings 20 of the missile 15 and the fuselage of the missile 15 for minimizing aerodynamic forces.
Claims18
A cover (10) in combination with a missile (15), the cover (10) protecting the missile (15),
- the missile having a forward-most end, a rear-most end, and a mid-region located between the forward-most end and the rear-most end, the mid-region being provided with wings (20) in a folded and stowed position such that a line going from a root of the wings to a tip of the wings points downwards alongside an outer fuselage of the missile (15),
- wherein, with the wings in the folded and stowed position, the cover (10) encloses the tip of the wings,
- the cover (10) comprising:
- a front part (25), and
- a bottom part (30), the front and bottom parts (25, 30) being angled relative to each other such that with the bottom part (30) positioned horizontally, the front part (25) is angled in a direction upwards from the bottom part,
- the bottom part (30) including a rear part (32),
- wherein with the wings (20) being in the folded and stowed position, a gap is present between the wings (20) and the fuselage,
- wherein the bottom part (30) further includes suspension means connecting the front part (25) and the rear part (32) of the cover (10) to the missile (15), and
- wherein, with the wings in the folded and stowed position, the bottom part (30) of the cover (10) encloses a distal end of the tip of the wings including opposite side edges of the distal end of the tip of the wings of the missile and the front part (25) of the cover (10) covers the gap present between the wings (20) and the fuselage of the missile (15), thereby reducing aerodynamic forces acting on the wings while in the folded and stowed position.
A method for protecting a missile (15) having a forward-most end, a rear-most end, and a mid-region located between the forward-most end and the rear-most end, the mid-region being provided with wings (20) that are foldable alongside an outer fuselage of the missile (15) making a gap between the wings (20) and the fuselage, the method comprising:
- providing a cover (10), that with the wings in the folded and stowed position, encloses the tip of the wings, the cover (10) comprising:
- a front part (25), a bottom part (30) with a rear part (32), and suspension means located in the rear part (32), wherein said front part (25) of the cover (10) is angled in a direction upwards relative to the bottom part (30), and wherein the front part (25) is shaped for covering the gap made between folded wings (20) and the fuselage of the missile (15);
- folding the wings (20) of the missile (15) alongside the fuselage of the missile (15), and
- mounting the cover (10) on the missile (15) by means of the suspension means such that the front part (25) of the cover (10) is covering air intakes (40) of the missile (15) and the gap between the folded wings (20) and the fuselage of the missile (15), and opposite edges of the bottom part (30) of the cover (10) enclose with a respective edge of the wings of the missile, thereby reducing aerodynamic forces acting on the wings while in the folded and stowed position and exposed to air flow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.