Air-Carried Missle Launcher

This invention relates to airborne missile launchers.

Whereas it is desirable that pilots should have available the option to jettison missiles in an emergency, the only ways currently to jettison a missile are:

(a) jettison of the entire launcher with the missile if the missile is carried on an ejector release unit (E.R.U.).

(b) ignition of the missile rocket motor to effect an untargeted launch if the launcher is not on an E.R.U.

Both of these methods have major disadvantages such as in the case of (a), loss of a valuable launcher, centre of gravity problems giving rise to dangerous jettison trajectories, low separation velocity due to the launcher and missile's combined mass, and poor aerodynamic behaviour of the combination after launch. Most significantly, method a) is not possible at all if the missile is not carried on an E.R.U. In the case of (b), the hazard of an unguided missile is obvious, and with certain missiles the weapon is incapable of being launched unarmed and inactive.

It is therefore an object of this invention to achieve an alternative jettison option.

According to the present invention, in an airborne missile launcher the missile is carried on a sub-rail detachably secured to the underside of the main launcher body, and a jettisoning mechanism is provided operable to detach the sub-rail from the launcher body and eject it downward together with the missile. In a preferred form, by incorporating in the launcher a mechanism which is pyrotechnically operated in emergency jettison conditions such that it first withdraws the rail latch, then forces the rail (and missile) rearwards to disengage the rail/launcher body connection and thereafter thrusts downward on the rail, rail separation complete with the missile can be effected.

An arrangement in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional elevation of part of a missile launcher according to the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a view in section on the line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

The drawings show a missile launcher in which the missile (not shown) is carried on a sub-rail 11 mounted under the main body 12 of the launcher, such as described in our patent specifications Nos. EP0136917 and GB2166526, by means of lugs 28 the stems of which pass up through slots 29 in the underneath wall of the main body 12. The launcher is modified by the inclusion of the jettisoning mechanism for separating the sub-rail 11 and missile from the launcher body 12.

The mechanism within the main launcher body 12 comprises a gas-powered piston 13 operating in a horizontal cylinder 14 and having a forwardly-extending piston rod 15 pivotally connected at its forward end to the bifurcated upper forward end of an inclined driving strut 16. Links 17 each have one end pivotally connected to the driving strut 16 midway along the strut while their other ends are guided to travel horizontally in guideways 18 along the sides of the cylinder 14.

A roller foot 19 at the lower rearward end of the driving strut 16 bears rearwardly against an upstanding abutment 20 on a central longitudinal top rib 21 of the sub-rail 11 that extends up through a central slot 31 in the underneath wall 30 of the main launcher body 12. When the driving strut 16 is driven rearwardly by the admission of gas pressure to the forward end of the cylinder 14 via a pipe 27 from the breech of a pyrotechnic cartridge system 22, having duplicated gas cartridges 23 for reliability, the sub-rail 11 with the missile is slid in the rearward direction a sufficient distance to disengage the sub-rail from the launcher body 12, by reason of the lugs 28 arriving at locations where there are gaps in the underneath wall 30 of the launcher body through which the lugs can pass. At this time, inclined cam or abutment faces on the sub-rail, one of which is shown at 21a on the back of the abutment 20, engage co-operating inclined cam or stop faces on the launcher body, one of which is shown at 25, to impart a downward velocity to the sub-rail and missile.

Simultaneously, the linkage 17, which is now constrained to exert a downward force on the rail 11 by virtue of its upper end reaching the limit of horizontal travel permitted by the guideways 18, continues to be operated by the gas piston 13 such that the rail is ejected downwards, the driving strut 16 eventually reaching the position shown in broken lines at 26, with the roller 19 following the path indicated at 34. In order to relieve the bending moment on the piston rod 15, a roller 32 at the upper forward end of the driving strut 16 runs horizontally along a thrust bar 33, extending from the cylinder 14, during the piston stroke.

The arrangement is designed so as to provide the downward force at a position on the rail/missile combination slightly forward of the collective centre of gravity. The missile is thereby subjected to a nose down pitching moment in addition to the downward vertical thrust, and in consequence separation from the aircraft is assisted by aerodynamic forces in the form of negative lift.

The arrangement described thus provides a means of safely jettisoning, in an inactive condition, air-carried missiles, in a manner not possible with conventional rail launchers. It is an important added advantage of the design of rail launcher featured in our aforementioned patent specifications, which employs a detachable rail, selectable to interface with different types of missiles.

The mechanism for pyrotechnically imparting first rearward then downward motion to the launch rail and its missile is simple, and it can be produced as a module, which can be fitted in the launcher as circumstances require.