Raytheon Company

Paul Vesty

Chris Eugene Geswender

Richard Dryer

Doron Strassman

Stevie Alejandro

Bruce E Morgan

Geoffrey W Frost

Christopher E Geswender

Charles Scarborough

A spinning, rolling, or roll-stabilized vehicle, such as a projectile, includes a fuselage that rotates about its longitudinal axis (spins) during flight. A collar is positionable relative to the fuselage to steer the projectile, with the collar having ailerons to provide a roll force to position the collar. The collar also has elevators to provide lateral force to steer the projectile. The positioning of the collar may be accomplished by moderating the roll force of the ailerons to hold the position of the collar substantially constant with regard to a longitudinal axis of the projectile. The ailerons passively change angle of attack with changes in the dynamic pressure of the projectile. At low speeds the ailerons have a relatively large angle of attack, and at high speeds, the ailerons resiliently reduce their angles of attack, avoiding large rolling forces on the collar.

Rolling vehicle having collar with passively controlled ailerons

A spin-stabilized projectile has a collar around the middle of its spun fuselage, longitudinally spanning a center of mass of the projectile. The collar includes lift-producing aerodynamic surfaces. Positioning the collar relative to the spinning fuselage produces a direct lift force on the projectile that may be used to steer the projectile. Since the projectile is constantly spinning, the positioning may be accomplished by a brake, such as a magnetic brake or a fiction brake, that allows the collar to be positioned substantially fixed relative to inertial space, with the collar not rotating with the fuselage about a longitudinal axis of the projectile. Since the lift force is applied close to the center of mass of the projectile, the steering occurs with no substantial change in the angle of attack of the projectile.

Steerable spin-stabilized projectile

A projectile, such as a missile, rolls during at least a portion of its flight, while retaining its roll reference to enable navigation during the rolling period of flight. The roll reference may be retained by using a sensor, such as magnetometer, to periodically check and correct the roll reference. Alternatively or in addition the missile may alternate roll directions, for example varying roll rate in a substantially sinusoidal function. By rolling the missile inaccuracies in an inertial measurement unit (IMU) of the missile may be ameliorated by being to a large extent canceled out by the changes in orientation of the missile as the missile rolls. This enables use of IMUs with lower accuracy than would otherwise be required to obtain accurate flight. Thus accurate flight may be accomplished with less costly IMUs, without sacrificing the ability to navigate.

Projectile navigation enhancement method

A projectile, air vehicle or submersible craft with a spinning or rolling fuselage, rotating on its axis, has a collar which can be positioned relative to a longitudinal axis of the projectile using aerodynamic forces. Aerodynamic surfaces, such as lift-producing surfaces, for example tails or canards, are coupled to the collar, and rotate with the collar. An actuator system or mechanism controls orienting of the lift-producing surfaces, such as tilting of the lift producing surfaces, to direct the collar into a desired position relative to a longitudinal axis of the projectile, and to maintain the collar in that position. With such a control the projectile is able to be steered using bank-to-turn maneuvering. The actuator system may use any of a variety of mechanisms to move the lift-producing surfaces, thereby positioning the collar.

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Paul Vesty