Dual-mode, reaction-jet, thrust-vector controls for small missiles

Abstract

This paper presents a systematic design of an all-fluidic inertial bang-bang system that operates a dual-mode, reaction-jet, thrust-vector controller for small tactical missiles. By rolling the airframe, a single-axis rate sensor, mounted along the missile axis and coplanar with a two-dimensional bang-bang controller, can provide sufficient authority to maintain line-of-sight trajectories up to 2 km with accuracies of about 1 mil (± 1 m at 1 km). One of the principal applications envisioned for such a missile would be a light, man-portable, shoulder-fired antitank weapon where range estimation for stationary targets would not be required.