Curved grid fin
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorsWilliam D. Washington, Thomas L. Killough, Pamela F. Booth, Billy J. Walker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A curved grid fin that is constructed of strips of thin gauge metal such as teel honeycomb secured together in a grid pattern with the honeycomb structure enclosed around a periphery thereof by a thin support structure that is secured thereto in a conventional manner and with a base structure secured to the thin support structure to provide a fin that is designed to be mounted on a missile to provide a fin structure that can control or guide a missile as well as provide a breaking or deceleration means for control of a missile or payload.
Claims11
A grid fin for use with a guided missile, comprising:
- (a) a honeycomb porous core structure comprised of thin gauge material for permitting air to flow therethrough substantially unrestricted when said grid fin is transverse of said air flow;
- (b) a support structure for supporting said core structure;
- and
- (c) means for mounting said support structure on a control mechanism of said missile for relative movement between said missile and said support structure.
A guided missile having a plurality of symmetrically disposed aerodynamic control grid fins for decelerating and stabilizing said missile, each of said grid fins comprising:
- (a) a honeycomb porous core structure comprised of thin gauge material for permitting air to flow therethrough substantially unrestricted when said grid fin is transverse of said air flow;
- (b) a support structure for supporting said core structure;
- and
- (c) means for mounting said support structure on a control mechanism of said missile for controlled movement relative to said missile for decelerating and stabilizing said missile during flight.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.