Aerial gunnery target system

An aerial gunnery target system, comprising:

• a forebody having an elongated main body extending in a forward to aft direction;
• means to attach said forebody to a tow cable;
• a ballast member positioned in said forebody;
• scoring means having a component which is positioned forward of said ballast member, and said ballast member including a converging surface which converges in a forward to aft direction and is inclined at an angle such that projectiles fired into said forebody aft of said ballast member are redirected in a direction away from said component of the scoring means.

An aerial gunnery target system, comprising:

• a forebody adapted for being towed by an aircraft and said forebody having an aft end;
• a visual augmenter assembly having a collapsible front end, a collapsible main body, riser lines, and a connector connecting said riser lines to said forebody;
• a cover assembly dimension to receive therein said visual augmenter assembly when in a collapsed state, said cover assembly including a first cover segment, a second cover segment, and a hinge pivotably joining the aft ends of said cover segments;
• snap strings connected with said cover segments and with the front end of said visual augmenter;
• maintenance means for maintaining said cover segments in contact with one another and secured to the aft end of said forebody;
• release means for releasing said maintenance means such that said cover assembly is released from securement with said forebody and said cover segments separate about said hinge due to drag forces impinging upon the forward end of said cover assembly as the forebody is being towed;
• said snap strings being dimensioned and arranged such that during the initial stages of cover segment separation said snap strings draw the front end of said visual augmenter at least partially open and during the later stages of cover segment separation said snap strings break so as to release said cover assembly from said visual augmenter being dragged by said forebody.

An apparatus for use with a towed member, comprising:

• a support structure;
• a bracket assembly supported by said support structure and extending out away from said support structure;
• a rod supported by said support structure and adapted to shift with respect to said support structure and said bracket assembly between a first rod position and a second rod position,
• a biasing device in contact with said rod;
• a movable detention device having a first position wherein said detention device is in contact with said rod so as to maintain said rod in said first rod position, and said detention device having a second position wherein said detention device is positioned such that said biasing device shifts said rod to said second rod position;
• a contact member supported by said bracket assembly and retained in a first contact member position when said rod is in said first rod position and positioned so as to be moved to a second contact member position upon a shifting of said rod from the first rod position to the second rod position, and wherein said bracket assembly and contact member are dimensioned and arranged so as to fix the towed member in place when said rod is in said first rod position and release the towed member when said rod is in said second rod position, and said contact member having a first end, an intermediate area and a second end, said intermediate area being pivotably supported by said bracket assembly, said first end securing the towed member when said rod is in said first rod position and said second end being adapted for shifting when said rod shifts from said first to said second rod position.