Projectile and fuze with fin
A projectile is outfitted with a target finder and is intended to be fired from a launching device and includes one or several fins where the fins, upon being extended, cause the projectile to be urged into a controlled oscillating movement. A fuze is also provided.
1 . A projectile adapted to be launched from a launching device, the projectile comprising a target finder, and one or more extensible fins, wherein the one or more fins, upon launching of the projectile and extension of the fins, cause the projectile to be put into a controlled oscillating movement to provide a conical scan area of increased size compared to a non-oscillating target scan area for the target finder around the original trajectory, said oscillating movement characteristic of one or more of a selected fin shape of the one or more fins, an amount of fin extension of the one or more fins, a frequency or interval of fin extension of the one or more fins, a speed of fin extension of the one or more fins, and an acceleration of fin extension of the one or more fins, and wherein the target finder controls the projectile flight after locating an identified target and delimits the oscillations to focus on the identified target.
2 . The projectile according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more fins comprises a single fin.
3 . The projectile according to claim 1 , wherein each fin of the one or more fins is arranged on the projectile, in a longitudinal direction of the projectile, in a range between a factor of 0.1 of a projectile caliber to a factor 2 of the projectile caliber, from the tip of the projectile.
4 . The projectile according to claim 1 , wherein a radial extent of each fin of the one or more fins relative to a surface of the projectile, in an extended position of the fin, is in a range between a factor of 0.1 of a caliber of the projectile and a factor 1 of the caliber of the projectile.
5 . The projectile according to claim 1 , wherein a width of each fin of the one or more fins is in a range between a factor of 0.1 of a circumference of the projectile and a factor of 0.5 of the circumference of the projectile.
6 . The projectile according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more fins are variably adjustable between a fully extended position and a fully retracted position.
7 . The projectile according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more fins comprises two fins.
8 . The projectile according to claim 1 , wherein each fin of the one or more fins is disposed at an angle α of between 0.1 degrees and 5 degrees to a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the projectile.
9 . A fuze adapted to be affixed to a projectile, the fuze comprising a target finder and one or more extensible fins, wherein the one or more fins, upon launching of the projectile to which the fuze is affixed and extension of the one or more fins, cause the projectile to which the fuze is affixed to be put into a controlled oscillating movement to provide a conical target scan area of increased size as compared to a non-oscillating target scan area around the original projectile trajectory, the oscillating movement characteristic of one or more of selection of a fin shape of the one or more fins, an amount of fin extension of the one or more fins, a frequency or interval of fin extension of the one or more fins, a speed of fin extension of the one or more fins, and an acceleration of fin extension of the one or more fins, and wherein the target finder controls the projectile flight to eliminate undue oscillation movement after locating an identified target.
10 . The fuze according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more fins of the fuze comprises a single fin.
11 . The fuze according to claim 9 , wherein each fin of the one or more fins is arranged on the fuze, in the longitudinal direction of the fuze, in the range between a factor of 0.1 of a caliber of the projectile and a factor of 2 of the caliber of the projectile, from the tip of the fuze.
12 . The fuze according to claim 9 , wherein a radial extent of each fin of the one or more fins relative to a surface of the fuze, in an extended position of the fin, is in a range between a factor of 0.1 of a caliber of the projectile to a factor 1 of the caliber of the projectile.
13 . The fuze according to claim 9 , wherein a width of each fin of the one or more fins is in a range between a factor of 0.1 of a circumference of the fuze and a factor of 0.5 of the circumference of the fuze at a position on the fuze where the fins are situated.
14 . The fuze according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more fins are variably adjustable between a fully extended position and a fully retracted position.
15 . The fuze according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more fins comprises two fins.
16 . The fuze according to claim 9 , wherein each fin of the one or more fins is disposed at an angle α of between 0.1 degrees and 5 degrees to a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the projectile.
17 . A method of launching a projectile from a launching device, the projectile comprising one or more extensible fins and an optical target finder, the method comprising:
launching the projectile; and
causing the projectile to be put into a controlled oscillating movement to provide a conical scan area of increased size compared to a non-oscillating target scan area for the optical target finder around the original projectile trajectory, said oscillating movement by extending at least one fin of the one or more fins and one or more of
selecting a fin shape for the at least one fin of the one or more fins,
selecting an amount of fin extension of the at least one fin of the one or more fins,
selecting a frequency or interval of fin extension of the at least one fin of the one or more fins,
selecting a speed of fin extension of the at least one fin of the one or more fins,
selecting an acceleration of fin extension of the at least one fin of the one or more fins and further controlling the projectile flight to eliminate undue oscillation movement after locating an identified target.