Flight Refuelling Limited

Dennis Griffin

An airborne store suspension and release arrangement includes two slender &ldquo;Tee&rdquo; hangers located one on either side of a vertical plane through the center of the store. Each hanger has a narrow strut portion mounted on the store by one end and an enlarged cross section portion at the other end of the narrow strut portion. The enlarged cross section portion of each hanger is clamped by releasable clamps mounted in a store carrying aircraft. The store and the aircraft are formed with surfaces which abut one another when the store is suspended from the aircraft and the enlarged cross section portions of the hangers are clamped by the clamps. The arrangement of the hangers, the clamps and the abutting surfaces establishes a couple in reaction to a rolling moment to which the store is subjected during maneuvering of the aircraft. Only one such a slender 'Tee' hanger is aligned with the geometrical center of the store in an alternative embodiment. Again, the combination of the hanger, its clamp and the abutting surfaces establishes a couple in reaction to such a rolling moment. In another embodiment, each of th enlarged cross section portions of the two slender &ldquo;Tee&rdquo; hangers is slidably suspended from a respective overhead rail.

Releasable suspension for an airborne store

A pneumatic actuator operable to carry a missile on an aircraft and to eject the missile from the aircraft in flight on demand, includes a differential area piston which is slidable in a closed chamber which is filed with air under pressure. The smaller diameter portion of the piston is slidably engaged in a cavity which is formed in an end wall of the closed chamber. An actuating rod extends co-axially from the smaller diameter piston portion out of the closed chamber. Initial movement of the piston to actuate ejection of the missile is effected under low force by the application of pressure to the end of the smaller diameter piston portion remote from the larger diameter piston portion until the smaller diameter portion is displaced from the cavity into the closed chamber which allows the largest possible force to be exerted on the piston by the action of the compressed air on the larger diameter piston portion. Releasable hold back means operable to hold the piston with the smaller diameter piston portion slidably engaged in the cavity are provided in one embodiment. In another embodiment, the interior of the closed chamber serves as the compressed air storage reservoir. In a further embodiment, the compressed air storage means includes an air pressure intensification system.

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Shalford, United Kingdom

Dennis Griffin