Rocket

Details Rocket Rocket

1956-03-07

1977-05-24

Pendegrass, Verlin R.

Aeronautics and astronautics

Missile stabilization or trajectory control

Externally mounted stabilizing appendage

F42B 1510

Patent

active

040249980

ABSTRACT:
1. A slidable fin assembly in combination with a rocket adapted to be laued motor-first with respect to the air, said rocket having a motor at one end and a warhead at the other end, said fin assembly comprising a tube encircling the body of said rocket and adapted to be longitudinally slidable thereon, a plurality of fins symmetrically mounted to said tube, each of said fins having an airfoil cross section which is asymmetric about its chord so that the lift of said fins acts to spin the rocket in the same direction about its longitudinal axis whether the rocket is traveling motor-first with respect to the air or warhead-first with respect to the air, said slidable fin assembly being initially located at the warhead end of the rocket so that said fins provide stabilization as the rocket initially travels motor-first with respect to the air, air-responsive lock means adapted to cooperate with said fin assembly and said rocket so that said lock means holds said fin assembly at the warhead end of the rocket while the rocket travels motor-first with respect to the air and unlocks said fin assembly when the thrust of the rocket motor causes the rocket to stop and reverse directions, said fin assembly in response to the aerodynamic forces on said fins thereupon longitudinally sliding to the motor end of the rocket so that the fins now provide stability as the rocket travels warhead-first with respect to the air, and means on said rocket for engaging and maintaining the fin assembly in position at the motor end after sliding thereto, the spin of the rocket caused by the lift of the fins providing stability for both directions of travel of the rocket and also during the period when the rocket is not in motion.

REFERENCES:
patent: 2344957 (1944-03-01), Anzalone
patent: 2409904 (1946-10-01), Schermuly
patent: 2437211 (1948-03-01), Schermuly
patent: 2470489 (1949-05-01), Hopkins

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