Patent ID: 6347567
Filing Date: 2002-02-19
Classification: B64D,F41F,F42B

Abstract:
A system for launching munitions from an aircraft comprising:at least one munition container for encapsulating one or more of the munitions, said munition container comprising: a surrounding wall structure including side walls and opposite end walls; packing means sized and configured for receipt within said surrounding wall structure for protectively surrounding and stabilizing the one or more munitions contained within said munition container; and securing means for holding said wall structure and said packing means in an assembled package in surrounding, encapsulating relation to said one or more missiles contained therein; rack means positionable within the aircraft for holding said at least one munition container in a storage position therein; launch means for selectively ejecting said at least one munition container from the aircraft; container movement means for selectively moving said at least one munition container within said rack means to different storage positions and to said launch means, said container movement means including: vertical movement means for raising and lowering said at least one munition container within said rack means; longitudinal movement means for selectively moving said at least one munition container longitudinally within said rack means; and lateral movement means for selectively moving said at least one munition container laterally within said rack means; means for releasing said securing means to cause said munition container, including said wall structure and said packing means, to be stripped from said one or more munitions encapsulated therein, after ejection of said munition container from the aircraft, thereby enabling the one or more munitions to assume an aerodynamic flight path.