Hypervelocity sabot

Details Hypervelocity sabot Hypervelocity sabot

1992-09-16

1993-08-31

Tudor, Harold J.

Ammunition and explosives

Projectiles

Composite

89 7, F42B 1406

Patent

active

052399303

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to the field of sabots suitable for launching sub-calibre projectiles at very high velocities at targets.
There is a need to investigate how projectiles with velocities in excess of 3500 m/s interact with targets. When the projectiles concerned are smaller than the barrel from which they are being launched they are supported in the barrel by a sabot which acts to transfer the force of propelling gas to the projectile, and which is discarded shortly after leaving the barrel. A particular problem arises however when the projectiles concerned are very small, and are deviated in an unpredictable manner as the sabot is discarded making it impossible to launch such small projectiles with a sufficient degree of accuracy.
The type of gun normally used in high velocity impact investigations is a two stage light gas gun which accelerates a projectile in a barrel with compressed low density gas. In order to reduce the aerodynamic forces which would tend to deviate a projectile from its flight path towards a target, the investigation normally takes place by firing the projectile towards a target located in an evacuated range. As mentioned above, there is often a need to support the projectile in the barrel with a sabot. The form of sabot which has hitherto been used for these investigations has been substantially similar to the sabots employed for the normal launching of sub-calibre projectiles from ordnance in that they are constituted by radially splittable petalled structures which surround the projectile, and are strong enough to transfer the force of the propelling gas to the projectile and survive the high acceleration demands placed on them. When fired into an evacuated range the conventional aerodynamic discarding of the sabot from the projectile is achieved by the use of a short gas chamber through which the sabot and projectile pass and which provides sufficient aerodynamic drag to effect discarding of the sabot from the projectile. The individual sabot petals are then arrested before they reach the target by a guard containing a central passage through which the projectile passes on its flight towards the target. Frequent replacement of this guard is necessary.
A sabot has been proposed for use in light gas guns which comprises a monolithic load spreading rear plate in addition to a smaller spittable sabot structure as described above. A deflector is positioned to deflect the larger plate from the flight path of the projectile into a catcher butt, but allow the smaller projectile to pass undisturbed on its flight towards the target.
When small projectiles such as fragments are being launched however, the stripping of the sabot petals from the projectile causes an unpredictable disturbance to the flight path of the projectile. Typically when firing a 10 g cubic fragment over 10 m at a 150 mm square target at velocities in excess of 3500 m/s the success rate in hitting that target is in the order of 20%. As only a small number of firings can be carried out per day on a two stage light gas gun, due to the required pressurisation, evacuation of the range and the gun and the setting up of instrumentation, the cost of such a failure rate is high.
It is the object of the invention to provide a sabot for launching sub-calibre projectiles which is capable of accelerating a projectile to speeds in excess of 3500 m/s and yet releases the projectile with minimum perturbation to the projectile's flight path.
The inventors have recognised that if a relatively low aspect ratio projectile is being launched the force of the propelling gas may be transferred to the projectile by a simple pusher member and that the projectile need only be located with respect to the pusher member until the acceleration of the sabot has commenced. After this, the acceleration of the pusher member and the inertia of the projectile holds the projectile in place against the pusher member.
Thus according to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a sabot for a projectile comprising a rearwardly positioned projectil

REFERENCES:
patent: 3148472 (1964-09-01), Hegge et al.
patent: 3430572 (1969-03-01), Hebert et al.
patent: 3476048 (1969-11-01), Barr et al.
patent: 3496869 (1970-02-01), Engel
patent: 3598057 (1971-08-01), Potter
patent: 4000698 (1977-01-01), Corney
patent: 4996923 (1991-03-01), Theising

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