Control systems for moving bodies

A missile comprising a first rotatable portion arranged for rotation relative to a second rotatable portion of the missile, a pair of variable-incidence pitch control surfaces mounted on the first rotatable portion for rotation about a common lateral axis and a pair of variable-incidence yaw control surfaces mounted on the first rotatable portion for rotation about a common lateral axis at right-angles to the common lateral axis of said pitch control surfaces, said pitch and yaw control surfaces being pre-set always to occupy positions in which they cause the first rotatable portion to rotate in one sense in the absense of any restraining or opposing forces, and said second rotatable portion having means subjecting it to a thrust causing it to rotate in the opposite sense during the flight of the body, braking means for braking the first rotatable portion against the second rotatable portion to bring said first rotatable portion to a predetermined roll attitude in space and to hold it in that attitude, and first and second actuator mechanisms for actuating said pitch and yaw control surfaces in response to steering signals applied thereto to steer the missile by pitch and yaw movements.

A missile comprising a first rotatable portion arranged for rotation relative to a second rotatable portion of the missile, the first rotatable portion being subjected to a thrust causing it to rotate in one sense during the flight of the body and in the absense of any restraining or opposing forces and said second rotatable portion being subjected to a thrust causing it to rotate in the opposite sense during the flight of the body, braking means for braking the first rotatable portion against the second rotatable portion to bring said first rotatable portion to a predetermined roll attitude in space and to hold it in that attitude, a pair of variable-incidence pitch control surfaces mounted on the first rotatable portion for rotation about a common lateral axis, a pair of variable-incidence yaw control surfaces mounted on the first rotatable portion for rotation about a common lateral axis at right angles to the common lateral axis of said pitch control surfaces, and pitch and yaw actuator mechanisms for actuating said pitch control surfaces and said yaw control surfaces in response to steering signals applied thereto.

A missile comprising a first rotatable portion arranged for rotation relative to a second rotatable portion of the missile, the first rotatable portion being subjected to a thrust causing it to rotate in one sense during the flight of the body and in the absense of any restraining or opposing forces and said second rotatable portion being subjected to a thrust causing it to rotate in the opposite sense during the flight of the body, braking means for braking the first rotatable portion against the second rotatable portion to bring said first rotatable portion to a predetermined roll attitude in space and to hold it in that attitude, variable-incidence control surfaces mounted on the first rotatable portion and actuator means responsive to steering signals applied thereto to actuate the control surfaces to steer the missile by pitch and yaw movements thereof.