US 5,183,960 AGranted

Rocket glider stabilization system

OwnerJames D. Shiresinventor

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Abstract

A rocket glider stabilization system wherein a releasable, granular, counterweight, or ballast material is provided in the forward end of a model rocket aircraft to offset the weight of a tail mounted rocket motor assembly. The counterweight ballast material is releasably maintained in a counterweight bay formed at the opposite end of the model glider fuselage from the rocket motor. A rocket body tube connects the rocket motor with the counterweight bay and, when the ejection charge of the rocket motor is ignited, the ejection charge pressure ruptures or opens a retaining structure to release the ballast and maintain the desired center of gravity for glide flight of the rocket back to the ground. At least one adjustable or fixed trim tab is employed on at least one of the flight surfaces to induce the desired glide path return for the model aircraft.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A rocket glider comprising:

a model rocket propelled aircraft having a center of gravity located at substantially the longitudinal center thereof;
a rocket engine having a solid rocket propellant disposed in the aft end of said aircraft for propelling said model aircraft;
a counterweight bay formed in the nose end of said model aircraft;
a counterweight material releasably provided in said counterweight bay to balance or offset the weight of said rocket engine and thereby maintain the center of gravity of said aircraft at substantially the longitudinal center thereof;
whereby when said model rocket aircraft is propelled on a flight by said rocket engine, as said solid propellant is expended from said rocket engine, the center of gravity of the aircraft will shift toward the aircraft nose end to effect a pitch down movement for said aircraft and including,
means responsive to the depletion of said solid propellant for releasing said counterweight material into the atmosphere and thereby return the center of gravity of the aircraft to the substantially longitudinal center thereof to facilitate a controlled glide flight path back to the ground.

3 more elements

A rocket glider comprising, in combination:

a model rocket propelled aircraft;
at least one elongated model rocket tube having open forward and aft ends and disposed in said aircraft,
an engine stop ring disposed within and spaced from said aft end of said at least one elongated model rocket tube;
an elongated solid propellant rocket engine having a head end disposed against said engine stop ring and a nozzle end extending from said aft end of said rocket tube;
said elongated solid propellant rocket engine having a rocket nozzle, a propellant charge adjacent said nozzle, a delay charge adjacent said propellant charge, an ejection charge disposed adjacent said delay charge and a clay plug closure at said head end;
a tube wadding stop ring disposed within said forward end of said at least one elongated model rocket tube;
said tube wadding stop ring having an axial pressurization port extending therethrough;
said tube wadding stop ring and said engine stop ring defining and forming the termini of an elongated pressure tube chamber within said rocket tube;
a tube wadding positioned adjacent said axial pressurization port of said tube wadding stop ring in said elongated model rocket tube;
a counterweight bay formed within said rocket glider adjacent said forward end of said elongated rocket tube;
a counterweight material disposed within said counterweight bay and serving as a counterweight to the propellant rocket engine to thereby maintain the center of gravity of said rocket glider at the desired location for optimum flight;
closure means for said counterweight bay for releasably securing said counterweight material within said counterweight bay;
whereby
when said propellant rocket engine is ignited the propellant charge therein will launch and propel said rocket glider to a height of several hundred feet, said propellant rocket engine changing in weight as the materials therein are expended causing a shift in the rocket glider center of gravity toward the nose thereof due to the weight of the counterweight material disposed within said counterweight bay, and when the propellant charge in said propellant rocket engine is expended, it ignites said delay charge that burns while the rocket coasts, with said delay charge igniting said ejection charge causing it to rupture said clay plug and expel the explosive gases therefrom into said elongated pressure tube chamber with said tube wadding stop ring axial pressurization port conveying said explosive gases to propel said tube wadding toward said counterweight bay and force said counterweight material to open said closure means and be released from said counterweight bay to thereby cause a shifting of the rocket glider center of gravity to the desired location for maximum glide flight of the rocket glider back to the ground.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.