Maneuvering aeromechanically stable sabot system
AssigneeUniversity of Kansas
InventorsRonald Martin Barrett, Lauren Nicole Schumacher
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aeromechanically stable sabot system that includes a center of gravity that is placed forward of an aerodynamic center of the aeromechanically stable sabot system when in steady-state flight. By placing the center of gravity forwards of the aerodynamic center, the sabot system exhibits positive longitudinal and directional stability. To illustrate, the sabot system and/or portions thereof will return to stable flight after being disturbed in pitch (vertically or about a transverse horizontal axis) or yaw (side to side or about a vertical axis) when traveling horizontally.
Claims17
An apparatus comprising:
- a monolithic sabot configured to support and accelerate a projectile within the monolithic sabot, wherein the monolithic sabot is configured to be launched from in a gun barrel, wherein the monolithic sabot includes:
- one or more control surfaces;
- and
- a controller configured to adjust the one or more control surfaces,
- wherein a center of gravity of the monolithic sabot is positioned forward of an aerodynamic center of the monolithic sabot during steady-state, stable free flight following exit from the gun barrel, and
- wherein, following separation of the projectile, the center of gravity is forward of longitudinal and directional aerodynamic centers of the monolithic sabot during the steady-state, stable free flight such that the monolithic sabot will not tumble about pitch and yaw axes after releasing the projectile.
An apparatus comprising:
- a sabot assembly including a plurality of pieces and configured to support and accelerate a projectile in a gun barrel,
- wherein, after separation of the sabot assembly from the projectile, a center of gravity of at least one piece of the plurality of pieces of the sabot assembly is positioned forward of an aerodynamic center of the at least one piece.
A method achieving stable flight, the method comprising:
- increasing, by a sabot coupled to a projectile, a velocity of the projectile responsive to receiving force from a propellant, wherein a center of gravity of at least one piece of the sabot is positioned forward of an aerodynamic center of the at least one piece;
- separating the sabot from the projectile after exiting a gun barrel;
- achieving stable flight of the sabot after separation from the projectile by maintaining the center of gravity forward of the aerodynamic center;
- and
- activating a control surface, a motor, or both, to move the sabot away from a flight path of an aircraft after exiting the gun barrel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.