A projectile including at least one pair of airfoil sections, deployable from housings located inside the body and emerging toward the outside of the projectile. The projectile includes a casing surrounding the body of the projectile and outer surface of which is in profile continuity with the body. The casing can pivot around body along longitudinal axis and includes, for each section, an opening having two zones. A first zone is indented to be positioned, by pivoting of the casing, so as to face a housing in order to allow the section to pass to allow it to be deployed, and second zone located as a recess lateral to the first zone, the recess being oriented along a direction substantially perpendicular to the first zone's longitudinal direction, the second zone having a width allowing the passage of a foot of the deployed section.

A projectile-launched aircraft system includes a projectile launcher including a triggering mechanism, a rotary-wing, hover-capable aircraft including a rotor assembly that includes at least one rotor blade, wherein the rotor blade includes a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration that is circumferentially spaced from the stowed configuration about a pivot axis, wherein, upon actuation of the triggering mechanism, the projectile launcher is configured to launch the aircraft along a flightpath.

A projectile-launched aircraft system includes a projectile launcher including a triggering mechanism, a rotary-wing, hover-capable aircraft including a rotor assembly that includes at least one rotor blade, wherein the rotor blade includes a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration that is circumferentially spaced from the stowed configuration about a pivot axis, wherein, upon actuation of the triggering mechanism, the projectile launcher is configured to launch the aircraft along a flightpath.

A lock and release mechanism includes a primary ring with a first surface and a second surface, each surface including a plurality of channels of varying depths. A secondary ring has first and second surfaces, the first surface including a plurality of channels of varying depths. The channels of the secondary ring are aligned with a portion of an opposing channel of the primary ring. Arranged between the primary and secondary rings are a plurality of low friction elements partially arranged within a channel of the primary ring and partially arranged within an opposing channel of the secondary ring. In order to lock and release the mechanism, the primary ring translates relative to the secondary ring such that the bearing balls move within each channel from a first depth to a second depth greater than the first depth.

A lock and release mechanism includes a primary ring with a first surface and a second surface, each surface including a plurality of channels of varying depths. A secondary ring has first and second surfaces, the first surface including a plurality of channels of varying depths. The channels of the secondary ring are aligned with a portion of an opposing channel of the primary ring. Arranged between the primary and secondary rings are a plurality of low friction elements partially arranged within a channel of the primary ring and partially arranged within an opposing channel of the secondary ring. In order to lock and release the mechanism, the primary ring translates relative to the secondary ring such that the bearing balls move within each channel from a first depth to a second depth greater than the first depth.

A nose or tail assembly for a flight vehicle is provided in which the deployment of the canards or fins is driven by energy imparted by the shroud when it is released. A tip section is rotatably coupled to a base, and both are stowed in a volume between the shroud and nose/tail assembly. As the shroud is released, a drive feature engages the tip section to rotate and join the base to form a complete canard or fin. This eliminates the need for storing the canards or fins in or wrapped around the body and eliminates the need for a complex deployment mechanism occupying an internal volume of the body. Although viable for all sizes of flight vehicles, the shroud-driven deployment system scales to very small diameter vehicles in which internal volume is not available to store either flight surfaces or deployment mechanisms.

A projectile is disclosed, comprising: a body; a fin having a magnet disposed thereon, the fin being coupled to the body, at least a portion of the fin being arranged to: (i) stay inside the body before the projectile is launched, and (ii) exit the body after the projectile is launched; a magnetic sensor disposed within the body, the magnetic sensor being arranged to detect changes in a position of the magnet relative to the magnetic sensor while the fin is exiting the body; and a data recorder disposed within the body, the data recorder being operatively coupled to the magnetic sensor, wherein the data recorder is configured to use the magnetic sensor to collect data indicating a displacement of the fin relative to the body after the projectile is launched.

A projectile is disclosed, comprising: a body; a fin having a magnet disposed thereon, the fin being coupled to the body, at least a portion of the fin being arranged to: (i) stay inside the body before the projectile is launched, and (ii) exit the body after the projectile is launched; a magnetic sensor disposed within the body, the magnetic sensor being arranged to detect changes in a position of the magnet relative to the magnetic sensor while the fin is exiting the body; and a data recorder disposed within the body, the data recorder being operatively coupled to the magnetic sensor, wherein the data recorder is configured to use the magnetic sensor to collect data indicating a displacement of the fin relative to the body after the projectile is launched.

The system and method for an additively manufactured self-destructive delay device is a bellow/lattice structure or other form. The device may be installed as a replacement to a previous device, where the device yields under the deployment force at a specific rate to match the time-displacement curve established by a previous hydraulic delay device. The delay device has a virtually unlimited lifespan, is cheap to manufacture, and can be adaptable to other loads and conditions for use in or on other platforms. This solution can be applied anywhere where mechanical delay devices are needed within systems. Some examples include wing/fin deployment mechanisms, safety crumple zones, or devices that act as shear pins.

The system and method for an additively manufactured self-destructive delay device is a bellow/lattice structure or other form. The device may be installed as a replacement to a previous device, where the device yields under the deployment force at a specific rate to match the time-displacement curve established by a previous hydraulic delay device. The delay device has a virtually unlimited lifespan, is cheap to manufacture, and can be adaptable to other loads and conditions for use in or on other platforms. This solution can be applied anywhere where mechanical delay devices are needed within systems. Some examples include wing/fin deployment mechanisms, safety crumple zones, or devices that act as shear pins.