Airborne towed aerobody employing an expendable towing/deployment

Abstract

A launching and regulation system that incorporates an expendable towing and deployment mechanism for use with a towed aerobody that provides for launching and controlled tow line payout between the towed aerobody and a towing vehicle. The system comprises a housing, a nonrotating spool disposed in the housing, and a tow line wound around the spool that is coupled between the aerobody and the vehicle. The tow line preferably comprises a photonic, fiber optic, link. The launching mechanism comprises a plurality of impulse cartridges for deploying the aerobody and severing the tow line at a predetermined time. A spring piston is disposed inside a wedge-shaped tube that confines expanding gasses within the tube that are generated by an impulse cartridge and moves the spring piston to launch the aerobody. The regulation mechanism may comprise a mechanical system or adhesive resin system. The mechanical system comprises a rotatable wedge-shaped tube, and the tow line is wrapped around it. A rotatable mechanical regulator is slidably coupled to the wedge-shaped tube. The regulator rotates with the tube and move transversely along the length of the tube as the tow line unwinds. A brake mechanism and a brake drum are provided to control payout of the tow line. The adhesive resin system comprises an adhesive resin coating disposed on the tow line that has an adhesion coefficient that permits it to peel off of the spool at a predetermined rate. Either regulation system provides the ability to control the rate at which the tow line comes off of the spool such that tow line tension is regulated during deployment. A severing mechanism is provided for severing the tow line using an impulse cartridge.