Air vehicle with bilateral steering thrusters

Abstract

An air vehicle, such as a missile or a steerable submunition released from a missile or another air vehicle, has a bilateral thrust system for steering. The thrust system includes a pair of diametrically-opposed divert thrusters that provide thrust having radial components in opposite radial directions. In order to control the direction of thrust, the air vehicle controls rotation of the divert thrusters and/or timing of the firing of the thrusters. The air vehicle (or some part of the air vehicle that includes the divert thrusters) may be discretely rolled to position the divert thrusters to produce desired steering thrust. Alternatively, the air vehicle or part of the air vehicle may be continuously rolled, with the steering controlled by timing the thrust to the divert thrusters, such as by allocating thrust between the diametrically-opposed thrusters. Pressurized gas may be allocated between the two thrusters by use of pintle valve.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.