Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Auxiliary Equipment

Auxiliary Equipment Missile Gyroscopes Short Brothers & Harland Ltd., Belfast, and the Giannini Controls Corp., of New York and Pasadena, California, have concluded an agreement under which the American Company is to manufacture under Details of Some Components Used for Subsidiary licence in the U.S.A. a free gyro and a rate gyro both of which are used in the Short Seacat anti-aircraft Services in Aircraft, Missiles and Space Vehicles guided missile. In the Seacat missile, pyrotechnic charges are used to drive the gyroscope and one of the principal design MG 300 Rate Gyro ture; ±0∙5 p.f. for +10 per cent to 15 per cent features common to each gyro is the very quick start variations in supply voltage; and less than 0·5 p.f. De Havilland Propellers Ltd., Hatfield, Herts have obtained by means of the charge within the rotor. for ambient temperature changes from 0 deg. C. to produced a miniature rate gyro for use where compact­ The rotor is propelled by the exhaust gases escaping 40 deg. C. Measurements at up to 160 yd. from the ness, low weight, and reliability are of prime import­ through tangential jets in its periphery and accelerates point of detection can be made and a choice can be ance. Designed to reduce the complex and delicate to its maximum speed in approximately one-tenth of a made for High or Low Level operation. A reversible nature of a missile instrument pack, it has been devel­ second at normal ambient temperatures. plug allows choice of direction or reverse acting mode oped to the stage where it can be considered as a The free gyro has two degrees of freedom and is of operation. thermionic valve with the transfer function of a rate designed for roll stabilisation. Almost immediately For the basic instrument, relay is robust, lightweight, gyro. The gyro is hermetically sealed and consists of upon the rotor reaching its maximum speed the gym- and dust-protected with switching capacity 250 v.A.C., three basic units, the gyro rotor, spring and pick-off. bal system is released and the gyro becomes fully 5 amp. max. (non inductive). For the Heavy Industrial The rotor is driven by a hysteresis motor, synchron­ functional. Pick-off can be by A.C. transducer, D.C. model, relay is contactor type with guaranteed switch­ ous at 24,000 r.p.m., and is energized by 26 volts potentiometer, or commutator. ing capacity 440 v.A.C., 5 amp. max. or 250 v.A.C., 2-phase at 400 c.p.s. The rate gyro is intended for pitch and yaw rate of 10 amp. max. (non inductive). Both have one pair turn indications and contains two wire-wound pick- normally open contacts, one pair normally closed off potentiometers, one for telemetry and one for contacts. Power consumption is 10 watts approx. for output signal. The rotor and gymbal systems are the general purpose model, 13 watts approx. for the basically similar to those in the free gyro, but are Heavy Industrial model. resiliently restrained and damped to provide rate of turn information. Miniature Potentiometer Attention has been paid to size and weight; each The Plessey Co. Ltd., Ilford, Essex, has introduced gyro weighs only 200 grammes (7 ozs.). the Type L potentiometer, the smallest of the spindle- operated type in production. Housed in an aluminium Midget Camera for Guided Missiles case, it is 0·5 in. in diameter. The L series, robustly A midget camera is being mounted in guided missiles constructed on the Plessey principle of moulded at Woomera to record details of target interceptions. carbon tracks, incorporates a brush assembly of It weighs 8 oz., is 1½ in. in diameter and 1¼ in. long, unique design. Two tracks are included in the mould­ is made of steel and is virtually indestructible. An ing: a carbon, resistive outer and a silver-loaded, con­ ultra wide angle lens gives a field of view of 186 deg. ductive inner. They are bridged by a single, tension- so that two cameras mounted back to back will located brush housed in an insulated carrier. By provide coverage through 360 deg. Each camera takes reducing the number of pressure contacts, greater one photograph only, the shutter being operated by reliability is achieved. the firing of an electric fuse. The camera, known as a W.R.E.C.I.S.S. (Weapons Research Establishment Camera Interception Single Shot), has been designed and developed by the The spring unit with its pick-off armature attached Weapons Research Establishment at Woomera and is takes the place of the normal gimbal, as the rotor manufactured by the Fairey Aviation Company of assembly is completely supported by it. The spring is Australasia Pty. Ltd., Salisbury, South Australia, a extremely stiff in all planes, so that acceleration forces subsidiary of The Fairey Company Ltd. on the rotor assembly produce negligible errors in It is intended primarily for the measurement of the output. The pick-off is a variable reluctance bridge attitude of a missile relative to its target and vector with four poles and is normally energized with 2·4 miss distance, the W.R.E.C.I.S.S. photographs may kilocycles, 80 volts (mean). also show the horizon or ground features and thus The gyro has an undamped natural frequency of give a clear indication of the missile's attitude rela­ 140 c.p.s. Damping is provided by silicone fluid which tive to the ground. fills the gyro apart from the sealed motor compartment. The gyro is normally operated in ambient temperatures between 20 deg. C. and 100 deg. C. which gives a The L potentiometer operates within the tempera­ damping factor variation of between 0·8 and 0·13. ture range minus 55 deg. C. to plus 85 deg. C. and has a The gyro, however, will operate down to a temperature voltage limitation of 350 volts. of minus 70 deg. C. with greatly increased damping as the only penalty. The damping fluid semi-floats the Pneumatic Engine Starter rotor assembly which greatly reduces forces on the A portable pneumatic starting device called the Air assembly due to acceleration. Partner, has recently been introduced by Atlas Copco, Hemel Hempstead, Herts. Industrial Proximity Switch The Air Partner delivers through the nose connexion Thomas Industrial Automation Limited Altrin- of the aircraft a continuous flow of warm, oil-free air cham, Cheshire, have announced a new capacitance which drives small, high-speed turbines geared to the operated industrial controller, the Leveltron. It is jet engines of the aircraft. The air, which is heated by designed to cover applications in industry for free the compression, is hot enough to provide good start­ flowing solids and liquids, as well as many other ap­ ing, although it never reaches a temperature which plications such as its use for monitoring sight glass could endanger the interior ducting of the aircraft, or manometer levels. and the available output ensures short starting times. The differential range of 1·60 p.f. is achieved by The Air Partner unit is capable of turning over the adjustment of two simple controls. The first sets the engine continuously, thereby allowing oil pressure control point of the relay. The second then varies the checks to be made, tail pipe fires to be blown out and Miss distance can be measured to an accuracy of reset point without affecting the setting of the control mis-starts through lack of air supply eliminated and 5 per cent and missile-to-target attitude, derived in point, and so fixes the differential as required. This is truck mounted so that it is completely portable. conjunction with a wing-tip camera system, to an allows: (a) adjustment to obtain best conditions for The compressor consists of two screw rotors which accuracy of approximately ± 1 deg. In terms of each application; (b) subsequent adjustment to intermesh but never come into contact with each other. ground axes, attitude may be measured to an accuracy changing plant requirements; (c) use of one such in­ Normal overhaul period for screw compressors of this of + 1 deg. in pitch and roll, and, by reference to the strument where two of the fixed differential type would type is 10,000 hours. Maintenance can be carried out sun, to ± 3 deg. in heading. Accuracy of heading in many cases be necessary. by airline personnel anywhere in the world. measurement may be improved by the use of ground Improved circuit design and careful layout result The Air Partner can also serve as a ground air- features. in rigid stability and high sensitivity. The relay current conditioning unit. It can, in less than one hour, warm is triggered to provide a snap action of the relay and All-Metal Anti-Vibration Nut up both the passenger cabin and the cockpit from be­ eliminate chatter or creep. Reliability is also improved Simmonds Acrocessories Ltd., Treforest, Glamor­ low freezing point to the desired temperature for com­ by the conservative rating of all components, and the fortable travelling, or it can cool down the aircraft's gan, a member of the Firth Cleveland Group, have design of circuits, as far as possible, from fail to safe. interior to a suitable temperature after ground ex­ announced a new all-metal Potentiometer anti- Long and short term stability are given as follows: posure to tropical sun. vibration nut. Control Point Drift is less than 1 p.f. over period of 3 By attaching a special ejector pipe mouthpiece to This new all-metal nut is made of Aluminium alloy months, given steady supply voltage and temperature; the air delivery hose the wings and fuselage of the B.S.S. 1476 H.E. 10, with internal threads ⅜ in. × 32 less than ± 1 p.f. for +10 per cent to 15 per cent varia­ aircraft can be 'air-sprayed' by hand for de-icing. The t.p.i. and external threads ⅝ in. × 28 t.p.i. It has a tions in supply voltage; and less 1 p.f. for ambient removal of ice and sleet from the windscreens, main spring steel, cadmium plated locking insert which gives temperature changes from 0 deg. C. to 40 deg. C. plane leading edges and air-intake lips is effected by a highly consistent performance over much wider Differential Drift is less than ±0· 5 p.f. over a period operating through the usual nose connexion and using spindle tolerances than the existing Nyloc version, of 3 months given steady supply voltage and tempera­ the ordinary de-icing outlets. which it is intended to supersede. April 1960 http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology Emerald Publishing

Auxiliary Equipment

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology , Volume 32 (4): 1 – Apr 1, 1960

Loading next page...
 
/lp/emerald-publishing/auxiliary-equipment-aiHu0aCWu1

References

References for this paper are not available at this time. We will be adding them shortly, thank you for your patience.

Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © Emerald Group Publishing Limited
ISSN
0002-2667
DOI
10.1108/eb033240
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Missile Gyroscopes Short Brothers & Harland Ltd., Belfast, and the Giannini Controls Corp., of New York and Pasadena, California, have concluded an agreement under which the American Company is to manufacture under Details of Some Components Used for Subsidiary licence in the U.S.A. a free gyro and a rate gyro both of which are used in the Short Seacat anti-aircraft Services in Aircraft, Missiles and Space Vehicles guided missile. In the Seacat missile, pyrotechnic charges are used to drive the gyroscope and one of the principal design MG 300 Rate Gyro ture; ±0∙5 p.f. for +10 per cent to 15 per cent features common to each gyro is the very quick start variations in supply voltage; and less than 0·5 p.f. De Havilland Propellers Ltd., Hatfield, Herts have obtained by means of the charge within the rotor. for ambient temperature changes from 0 deg. C. to produced a miniature rate gyro for use where compact­ The rotor is propelled by the exhaust gases escaping 40 deg. C. Measurements at up to 160 yd. from the ness, low weight, and reliability are of prime import­ through tangential jets in its periphery and accelerates point of detection can be made and a choice can be ance. Designed to reduce the complex and delicate to its maximum speed in approximately one-tenth of a made for High or Low Level operation. A reversible nature of a missile instrument pack, it has been devel­ second at normal ambient temperatures. plug allows choice of direction or reverse acting mode oped to the stage where it can be considered as a The free gyro has two degrees of freedom and is of operation. thermionic valve with the transfer function of a rate designed for roll stabilisation. Almost immediately For the basic instrument, relay is robust, lightweight, gyro. The gyro is hermetically sealed and consists of upon the rotor reaching its maximum speed the gym- and dust-protected with switching capacity 250 v.A.C., three basic units, the gyro rotor, spring and pick-off. bal system is released and the gyro becomes fully 5 amp. max. (non inductive). For the Heavy Industrial The rotor is driven by a hysteresis motor, synchron­ functional. Pick-off can be by A.C. transducer, D.C. model, relay is contactor type with guaranteed switch­ ous at 24,000 r.p.m., and is energized by 26 volts potentiometer, or commutator. ing capacity 440 v.A.C., 5 amp. max. or 250 v.A.C., 2-phase at 400 c.p.s. The rate gyro is intended for pitch and yaw rate of 10 amp. max. (non inductive). Both have one pair turn indications and contains two wire-wound pick- normally open contacts, one pair normally closed off potentiometers, one for telemetry and one for contacts. Power consumption is 10 watts approx. for output signal. The rotor and gymbal systems are the general purpose model, 13 watts approx. for the basically similar to those in the free gyro, but are Heavy Industrial model. resiliently restrained and damped to provide rate of turn information. Miniature Potentiometer Attention has been paid to size and weight; each The Plessey Co. Ltd., Ilford, Essex, has introduced gyro weighs only 200 grammes (7 ozs.). the Type L potentiometer, the smallest of the spindle- operated type in production. Housed in an aluminium Midget Camera for Guided Missiles case, it is 0·5 in. in diameter. The L series, robustly A midget camera is being mounted in guided missiles constructed on the Plessey principle of moulded at Woomera to record details of target interceptions. carbon tracks, incorporates a brush assembly of It weighs 8 oz., is 1½ in. in diameter and 1¼ in. long, unique design. Two tracks are included in the mould­ is made of steel and is virtually indestructible. An ing: a carbon, resistive outer and a silver-loaded, con­ ultra wide angle lens gives a field of view of 186 deg. ductive inner. They are bridged by a single, tension- so that two cameras mounted back to back will located brush housed in an insulated carrier. By provide coverage through 360 deg. Each camera takes reducing the number of pressure contacts, greater one photograph only, the shutter being operated by reliability is achieved. the firing of an electric fuse. The camera, known as a W.R.E.C.I.S.S. (Weapons Research Establishment Camera Interception Single Shot), has been designed and developed by the The spring unit with its pick-off armature attached Weapons Research Establishment at Woomera and is takes the place of the normal gimbal, as the rotor manufactured by the Fairey Aviation Company of assembly is completely supported by it. The spring is Australasia Pty. Ltd., Salisbury, South Australia, a extremely stiff in all planes, so that acceleration forces subsidiary of The Fairey Company Ltd. on the rotor assembly produce negligible errors in It is intended primarily for the measurement of the output. The pick-off is a variable reluctance bridge attitude of a missile relative to its target and vector with four poles and is normally energized with 2·4 miss distance, the W.R.E.C.I.S.S. photographs may kilocycles, 80 volts (mean). also show the horizon or ground features and thus The gyro has an undamped natural frequency of give a clear indication of the missile's attitude rela­ 140 c.p.s. Damping is provided by silicone fluid which tive to the ground. fills the gyro apart from the sealed motor compartment. The gyro is normally operated in ambient temperatures between 20 deg. C. and 100 deg. C. which gives a The L potentiometer operates within the tempera­ damping factor variation of between 0·8 and 0·13. ture range minus 55 deg. C. to plus 85 deg. C. and has a The gyro, however, will operate down to a temperature voltage limitation of 350 volts. of minus 70 deg. C. with greatly increased damping as the only penalty. The damping fluid semi-floats the Pneumatic Engine Starter rotor assembly which greatly reduces forces on the A portable pneumatic starting device called the Air assembly due to acceleration. Partner, has recently been introduced by Atlas Copco, Hemel Hempstead, Herts. Industrial Proximity Switch The Air Partner delivers through the nose connexion Thomas Industrial Automation Limited Altrin- of the aircraft a continuous flow of warm, oil-free air cham, Cheshire, have announced a new capacitance which drives small, high-speed turbines geared to the operated industrial controller, the Leveltron. It is jet engines of the aircraft. The air, which is heated by designed to cover applications in industry for free the compression, is hot enough to provide good start­ flowing solids and liquids, as well as many other ap­ ing, although it never reaches a temperature which plications such as its use for monitoring sight glass could endanger the interior ducting of the aircraft, or manometer levels. and the available output ensures short starting times. The differential range of 1·60 p.f. is achieved by The Air Partner unit is capable of turning over the adjustment of two simple controls. The first sets the engine continuously, thereby allowing oil pressure control point of the relay. The second then varies the checks to be made, tail pipe fires to be blown out and Miss distance can be measured to an accuracy of reset point without affecting the setting of the control mis-starts through lack of air supply eliminated and 5 per cent and missile-to-target attitude, derived in point, and so fixes the differential as required. This is truck mounted so that it is completely portable. conjunction with a wing-tip camera system, to an allows: (a) adjustment to obtain best conditions for The compressor consists of two screw rotors which accuracy of approximately ± 1 deg. In terms of each application; (b) subsequent adjustment to intermesh but never come into contact with each other. ground axes, attitude may be measured to an accuracy changing plant requirements; (c) use of one such in­ Normal overhaul period for screw compressors of this of + 1 deg. in pitch and roll, and, by reference to the strument where two of the fixed differential type would type is 10,000 hours. Maintenance can be carried out sun, to ± 3 deg. in heading. Accuracy of heading in many cases be necessary. by airline personnel anywhere in the world. measurement may be improved by the use of ground Improved circuit design and careful layout result The Air Partner can also serve as a ground air- features. in rigid stability and high sensitivity. The relay current conditioning unit. It can, in less than one hour, warm is triggered to provide a snap action of the relay and All-Metal Anti-Vibration Nut up both the passenger cabin and the cockpit from be­ eliminate chatter or creep. Reliability is also improved Simmonds Acrocessories Ltd., Treforest, Glamor­ low freezing point to the desired temperature for com­ by the conservative rating of all components, and the fortable travelling, or it can cool down the aircraft's gan, a member of the Firth Cleveland Group, have design of circuits, as far as possible, from fail to safe. interior to a suitable temperature after ground ex­ announced a new all-metal Potentiometer anti- Long and short term stability are given as follows: posure to tropical sun. vibration nut. Control Point Drift is less than 1 p.f. over period of 3 By attaching a special ejector pipe mouthpiece to This new all-metal nut is made of Aluminium alloy months, given steady supply voltage and temperature; the air delivery hose the wings and fuselage of the B.S.S. 1476 H.E. 10, with internal threads ⅜ in. × 32 less than ± 1 p.f. for +10 per cent to 15 per cent varia­ aircraft can be 'air-sprayed' by hand for de-icing. The t.p.i. and external threads ⅝ in. × 28 t.p.i. It has a tions in supply voltage; and less 1 p.f. for ambient removal of ice and sleet from the windscreens, main spring steel, cadmium plated locking insert which gives temperature changes from 0 deg. C. to 40 deg. C. plane leading edges and air-intake lips is effected by a highly consistent performance over much wider Differential Drift is less than ±0· 5 p.f. over a period operating through the usual nose connexion and using spindle tolerances than the existing Nyloc version, of 3 months given steady supply voltage and tempera­ the ordinary de-icing outlets. which it is intended to supersede. April 1960

Journal

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace TechnologyEmerald Publishing

Published: Apr 1, 1960

There are no references for this article.