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AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorKenneth A. B. Macdonald
Estimating the term…
A gun barrel and projectile system utilizes a smooth central bore gun barrel fitted with a short rifled insert near the breech end. A projectile fitted with a perforated skirt and driving band about the base of the skirt are loaded into the gun barrel so that the driving band just engages the rifled insert, and the warhead portion of the projectile extends into the smooth bore portion of the barrel. Upon firing of a breech charge, gases from the breech charge are ducted to the space between the thin side walls of the projectile and the smooth central bore, thereby establishing a gas bearing. The gas bearing provides lateral support to the projectile and lubricates the projectile in the smooth central bore. Because of the lateral support the projectile receives from the gun barrel and the gas bearing, much less projectile structural strength is required to resist set-back forces. Mass fraction ratios of ordnance payload mass to structural mass in the projectile are on the order of ninety percent. Projectiles or guided rockets utilizing flip out fins or reaction jets during the ballistic trajectory portion of the flight are loaded in the gun barrel without a driving band so that no engagement with the rifled insert and consequently no projectile rotation occurs. Thus, a single gun barrel may be used to fire a large variety of projectile or rocket designs. Because the bore does not contain rifling at the muzzle, erosion at the muzzle is greatly reduced and barrel life increased many times. Additionally, muzzle velocity may be increased to achieve much greater range.
A gun barrel and projectile round combination, comprising:
A gun barrel and projectile round combination which achieves increased projectile velocity and extends barrel life, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.