Krauss-Maffei Aktiengesellschaft

Erwin Francke

Peter Molzer

Juergen Poeschel

Heinrich Adler

Ulrich Frie

An aircraft extending along a longitudinal aircraft axis and having a nose wheel pivotal about an upright wheel axis can be maneuvered by a tractor extending along a longitudinal tractor axis and adapted to engage the nose wheel of the aircraft. The tractor and aircraft axes can extend at an angle to each other that should not exceed a predetermined maximum turnout angle. A turnout protection system has structure on the aircraft that is directed generally perpendicular of the aircraft axis and that is only directed toward the tractor when the aircraft and tractor axes extend generally at the maximum turnout angle relative to each other. At least one electronic sensor on the tractor directed toward the aircraft detects the structure when the aircraft and tractor axes extend generally at the maximum turnout angle relative to each other. A controller on the tractor takes action, e.g. emits an alarm or takes over the tractor steering and/or braking, when the electronic sensor detects that the aircraft and tractor axes extend generally at the maximum turnout angle relative to each other.

Turnout protection for aircraft tractor

An elevatable observation and target for combat vehicles increases safety and the reaction velocity by a stabilized vision line camera, that is remotely controlled from the combat compartment with an adjustable focal width prepared on an elevatable platform, with the camera comprising angle indicators for the generation of the prevailing sight line coordinates and the platform being capable of following the sight line of the panoramic camera as a function of the angle indicator signals.

Elevatable observation and target system for combat vehicles

A process for the simulation of weapons fire for gunner training, particularly for the gunners of armored vehicles. The process allows the exact evaluation of every shot, including its prehistory, permits the accurate determination of the location of a hit and allows a simple evaluation of the shot--even under field maneuver conditions. The process provides that every target emitting a characteristic radiation which is received by a television camera together with the image of the target and transmitted to a control center. The signal received further contain coded characteristics for the identification of the vehicles providing the target image, so that if the reticule is located on the target at the instant of firing, a score is detected and a smoke charge may be optionally ignited on the target by a coded radio command.

Growing community of inventors

Grobenzell, Germany

Erwin Francke