Guided projectile
AssigneeThomson-CSF
InventorPierre Metz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A guided projectile, especially a propelled or ballistic missile, has its trajectory corrected by gas jets from pulse thrusters disposed in at least on axial plane of the missile symmetrically on opposite sides of the center of gravity thereof and whose thrusts are countered, when no longer needed, by the operation of diametrically opposite pulse thrusters in the same plane and at the same side of the center of gravity. The pulse thrusters are formed as gas generators which can be triggered to feed respective nozzles. The projectile is also roll stabilized, e.g. by a rotatable empennage. The transverse thrusts produced by the pulse thrusters are controlled by a sensor which responds to deviations from the correct orientation of the missile. The invention is particularly applicable to self-guided or homing tactical weapons.
Claims16
A guided projectile comprising:
- an elongated axially extending projectile body having a front end, a rear end and a center of gravity located along the axis of said body between said ends;
- a plurality of pulse thrusters axially spaced along said body and each provided with a pair of diametrically opposite, oppositely opening thrust nozzles lying in a guidance director plane, the nozzles of both said pulse thrusters being disposed symmetrically on opposite sides of said center of gravity in the same guidance director plane;
- respective triggerable-release closures for each of said nozzles;
- and
- control means for simultaneously triggering both of said pulse thrusters and for releasing said closures of the nozzles oriented in the same direction on opposite sides of said center of gravity to apply a resultant thrust to said center of gravity in response to an error signal representing deviation from a desired trajectory, thereby returning the projectile to said trajectory, said control means releasing the closures of the diametrically opposite nozzles to terminate the resultant thrust at said center of gravity upon restoration of the desired trajectory.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.