Raytheon Company

Matthew Glenn Murphy

Jesse H Blake

Scott D Thomas

Erick W Elkins

Carlos M Garcia

James L Porter

Michael S Cherry

John C Feneck

Carlos E Garcia

A translating harness includes an umbilical within a translating assembly to define a translation distance. A method for operating the translating harness incudes launching a vehicle from a tube of a host system, the translating harness between a host system and the vehicle; completing a translation length of the translation harness; and disconnecting a vehicle connector of the translating harness from the vehicle while the vehicle is within the tube.

Translating harness with passive disconnect

A clamp for internally coupling and decoupling two components can include a base fittable within an interior of at least one of two components to be coupled together. The clamp can also include an engagement member movably supported about the base. The engagement member can interface with and engage interior portions of the two components when in a coupled position separated from the interior portions of the two components when in a decoupled position. The clamp can further include a wedge movably supported about the base to facilitate movement of the engagement member between the coupled and the decoupled positions. In addition, the clamp can include a secure and release mechanism operable with the base and the wedge to alternately secure the wedge to maintain the engagement member in the coupled position and release the wedge to facilitate movement of the engagement member to the decoupled position.

Clamp for internally coupling and decoupling two components

A container is used to launch a small aircraft, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), from a host aircraft. The container protects the UAV from stresses during the initial ejection from a launcher that is part of the host aircraft. The initial stresses may be due to turbulence in the vicinity of the host aircraft, high airspeed, and/or tumbling that may result from the ejection from the host aircraft moving at a high airspeed. The container may deploy a drag device, such as a drogue chute, to slow the container down and reorient the container, prior to deployment of the UAV from the container. During the time between ejection from the host aircraft and deployment from the container, the UAV may be powered up and acquire data, such as global positioning system (GPS) data, to allow the UAV a 'hot start' enabling immediate mission commencement.

Air-launchable container for deploying air vehicle

Control surfaces secured tangentially to a round projectile, such that the lift force generated by the control surfaces is generated through the projectiles centerline. This eliminates the need for an opposing fin to counter roll moment. Sizing the control surfaces to form an equilateral triangle gives each panel equal span, and enables the force generated by two panels to be equal and opposite to that of the opposing panel. The end effect is that each panel only has two active states (neutral and positive deflection). Thus, a solenoid and a return spring may be used to control the canards. Additionally, the control panels may fold along the surface of the projectile, which frees up internal volume and minimizes the length of the control section.

Bang-bang control using tangentially mounted surfaces

Embodiments of a multi-purpose mounting device for mounting an electrical device to a structure coupled to an airborne object are provided. In one embodiment, the multi-purpose mounting device includes an adapter member and a slide member coupled to the adapter member. The slide member is radially spaced apart from the adapter member to form an open slot, which is configured to receive a portion of the external structural therein to secure the multi-purpose mounting device to the airborne object. A first mounting surface is provided on one of the adapter member and the slide member and configured to support the electrical device.

Multi-purpose mounting devices for mounting electrical packages to airborne objects

A communication interface for a laser-guided projectile is configured to use the SAL seeker on board the laser-guided projectile as a communication link. A communication device generates a pulsed optical beam that overlaps the detection band of the SAL seeker. The pulsed optical beam is encoded with data for the SAL seeker. Computer-readable program code is loaded into and executed by the seeker's signal processor to process the signals generated in response to the pulsed optical beam to extract the data for the SAL seeker. Data is typically coupled to the projectile pre-launch but may be coupled in flight to the target.

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Matthew Glenn Murphy