Patent ID: 8119959
Filing Date: 2012-02-21
Classification: F42B

Abstract:
1. A missile comprising flight control means including a control portion rotatably mounted on a main body portion of the missile for rotation about the longitudinal axis of the missile and thrust producing means for controlling rotation of the control portion to bring, it to a demanded roll attitude and to apply a demanded lateral steering force on the control portion in the demanded roll attitude, the thrust producing means including a propellant carried by the missile for generating thrust producing propellant gas, a plurality of discharge ducts which have discharge openings in the surface of the control portion to provide for the discharge therefrom of propellant gas tangentially or partially tangentially with respect to the control portion and which are arranged to be supplied with propellant gas through supply ports arranged in predetermined spaced relation along the length of the control portion, valve means responsive to relative axial displacement of the control portion and the valve means selectively to control the flow of propellant gas to the supply ports and actuator means responsive to guidance control signals to cause relative axial displacement of the control portion and the valve means between a first relative disposition in which propellant gas is supplied to the discharge ducts and discharged from the discharge openings in such distribution and amount that it applies to the control portion a predetermined roll torque to bring the control portion to or assist it in being brought to a demanded roll attitude and a second relative disposition in which the propellant gas is supplied to the discharge ducts and discharged from the discharge openings in such distribution and amount that it applies to the control portion in the demanded roll attitude a predetermined lateral steering force on the missile.