Rheinmetall Gmbh

Jurgen Boecker

Bernhard Bisping

Rudolf Romer

Walter Simon

Peter Wallow

Hans W Luther

Klaus Gersbach

Karl W Bethmann

Gerhard Glotz

Reinhart Fuchs

Hansjorg Becker

A subcaliber projectile has a small-diameter projectile body extending along and centered on an axis, having a radially outwardly directed outer surface, and adapted to move in a predetermined axial back-to-front direction, and a sabot formed of a plurality of similar segments annularly surrounding at least a portion of the body, the segments forming an inner surface generally on the outer surface of the body and having an extreme front end and an extreme rear end. This projectile is formed on one of these surfaces at the extreme rear end of the sabot with a radially projecting ridge of generally semicircular shape having a center of curvature. The other of the surfaces is formed at the extreme rear end of each segment of the sabot with a radially open recess complementary to and receiving the ridge. In addition the segments are pivotal about the center of curvature without the ridge leaving the recess from a position with the respective inner surface lying on the outer projectile-body surface and a position with the inner surface projecting at an angle away therefrom.

Subcaliber projectile with pivotally separable drive cage

A subcaliber projectile having a sabot formed by a plurality of segments is provided. The joined segments forming the sabot, present a gas pressure receiving surface 52 which is covered by a sealing foil 54 formed by a foil material made out of the propellant charge material to seal the joints formed on the gas pressure receiving surface. This foil material is firmly bonded to a portion 62 of the propellant charge proper.

Use of a portion of a propellant charge as a seal

A supersonic nonspinning training projectile has a projectile body extending along an axis and having axially spaced front and rear ends and an aerodynamic rod projecting axially forwardly from the front end of the body. Thus when the projectile is fired axially forward the rod creates turbulence effective laterally on the projectile body at a wind-attack point which moves axially forward from a rear point to a front point as projectile speed drops. It is possible according to the invention to vary the mass distribution of the projectile and thereby displace the center of mass of the projectile axially between the front and rear points. Thus when the wind-attack point moves axially forward of the center of mass the flight of the projectile destabilizes. Such an arrangement works well even at supersonic speeds, so that the projectile can be set to only fly accurately through a relatively short range, as the principal factor determining range after elevation is projectile speed and shape.

Training projectile

Growing community of inventors

Oberhausen, Germany

Jurgen Boecker