Diehl Munitionssysteme Gmbh & Co. Kg

Klaus B&auml;r

J&uuml;rgen Bohl

Berndt Warm

Karl Kautzsch

Reinhard Schmiedl

Brigitte Freisleben

Thomas Leidenberger

A projectile ( ) to be fired from a rifled barrel ( ) is described. At its tail ( ) it has control surface vanes ( ) which can be pivoted out from a sub-calibre launch position into an over-calibre functional position. To protect the inwardly folded vanes ( ) and to protect further ballistic and sensor structures at the tail end of the projectile ( ), a securing pot ( ) is temporarily fixed to the tail ( ) of the projectile ( ), the securing pot having a pot peripheral portion ( ) and a pot bottom ( ). There is a pressure chamber ( ) between the tail end face ( ) of the projectile ( ) and the pot bottom ( ) of the securing pot ( ). The pot bottom ( ) has at least one propellent gas inlet ( ) which opens into the pressure chamber ( ). When the projectile ( ) is fired from the barrel propellent gas flows through the propellent gas inlet ( ) into the pressure chamber ( ) so that a correspondingly high propellent gas pressure is produced in the pressure chamber ( ). After leaving the barrel the pressure difference between the gas pressure in the pressure chamber ( ) and the ambient atmosphere then takes effect, whereby the securing pot ( ) is separated from the tail ( ) of the projectile ( ) and the vanes ( ) are deployed from the inwardly folded storage position into the outwardly pivoted flight position.

Projectile to be fired from a barrel with an over-caliber control surface assembly

A deformable mirror ( ) with an at least quasi-continuously deformable optically effective surface ( ) has a floatingly supported mirror plate ( ) which is positioned along its edge by a portion of the adjusting members ( ), whereas the other portion of the adjusting members ( ) locally individually deforms the mirror plate ( ) for the purposes of wave front correction. In that respect all adjusting members ( ) are fixed to the rear side ( ) of the mirror plate ( ), with a coupling portion ( ) which is provided with a desired-flexion location (constriction ( )).

Deformable mirror

In order to provide that the braking elements ( ), which are to be deployed radially under the effect of centrifugal force, of the braking arrangement in the region of the ogival head of a spin-stabilized artillery projectile ( ) are secured in the rest position and can then be released in a defined manner when reaching the braking point of the ballistic trajectory, the stowage space ( ) for accommodating the braking elements ( ) is radially covered by a hood ( ) which is fitted on to the projectile fuse ( ) in the afflux direction and is axially fixed between a recess ( ) in the rear wall ( ) of the stowage space and a front-end holding ring ( ) connected to the ogival head. To release the braking elements ( ) the more solid front annular region ( ) of the hood ( ) is blown off radially by means of pyrotechnic force elements ( ) and therewith the hollow-frustoconical hood wall is broken open rearwardly, over the stowage space ( ), along desired-rupture locations, to form shell portions which are approximately parallel to the axis and which are then firstly pivoted outwardly in a rotational movement hinge-like in the recess ( ) by the afflux flow and are finally flung away. In that way the solid or textile braking elements ( ) which are fitted into the stowage space ( ) can now be deployed out of the stowage space into their radial operative position under the effect of centrifugal force, pivoting about their pivotal mounting to a ring ( ) in the front region of the stowage space ( ).

Braking arrangement for a correctable-trajectory spin-stabilized artillery projectile

A spin-stabilised artillery projectile ( ) can be easily subsequently fitted with an axially symmetrical aerodynamic braking device for reducing the ballistic trajectory if the tip ( ) which is equipped with the fuse ( ) and which is easily removable from the projectile body ( ) is equipped at approximately half its height with flap-shaped sectors ( ) which are pivotably mounted in such a way that they can be pivotably extended and which in their launch position fit snugly into the conical peripheral surface of the tip ( ) and in the operative position are pivotably extended to form a radial ring which is closed or which has gaps.

Spin-stabilized projectile with a braking device

In the case of a deformable mirror ( ) with a mirror plate ( ) which is in glass form in particular for high laser frequencies and an axial actuator ( ) which concentrically engages the rear side of the mirror surface ( )&mdash;with a reduced actuator stroke movement for the same dome-like configuration height&mdash;the dome configuration of the convex curvature of the mirror surface ( ) is now of larger area and at the same time better approximated to the desirable sphere if, instead of the central application of force, the arrangement provides for decentral application of force at diametrally opposite locations. For that purpose the actuator ( ) operates on a ring ( ) which is disposed behind the mirror plate and which is preferably integral with the mirror plate ( ). If the application of pressure to the rear side of the mirror plate ( ) is not along a circular ring but a ring ( ) which is of elliptical cross-section, then astigmatism effects are reliably avoided even with large angles of beam incidence. Besides being influenced by way of the cross-sectional geometry of the ring ( ), the sphere of the mirror surface ( ) can also be influenced by way of a centrally symmetrical weakening or reduction in thickness of the mirror plate ( ), and also by a static increased pressure in a fluid-filled chamber ( ) behind the mirror plate ( ). Heat losses which occur in the mirror plate ( ) are dissipated by way of the fluid filling of the chamber ( ) and the relatively flexurally stiff rear wall ( ) thereof, which is a good conductor of heat, into a heat exchange chamber ( ) disposed therebehind as a heat sink, of a volume which is variable in dependence on pressure, and carried away with the forced circulation of a cooling agent ( ) flowing therethrough.

Growing community of inventors

Lauf, Germany

Klaus Bär

Growing community of inventors

Lauf, Germany

Klaus B&auml;r

Klaus Bär