US 6,981,672 B2
Fixed canard 2-D guidance of artillery projectiles
John A. Clancy, Eden Prairie, Minn. (US); Thomas D. Bybee, Ramsey, Minn. (US); and William A. Friedrich, Minnetonka, Minn. (US)
Assigned to Aleiant Techsystems Inc., Edina, Minn. (US)
Filed on Sep. 17, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/664,223.
Prior Publication US 2005/0056723 A1, Mar. 17, 2005
Int. Cl. F42B 10/02 (2006.01); F41G 7/00 (2006.01); F41G 9/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 244—3.24 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A projectile guidance system comprising:
a body portion;
a nose portion connected to the body portion by a spin control coupling;
said spin control coupling being constructed and arranged so that when the body portion is spinning in a first rotational direction, the nose portion will spin in a second rotational direction;
the nose portion including first and second aerodynamic surfaces fixedly attached to the nose portion and configured and arranged to cause the nose portion to spin in the second rotational direction during projectile flight;
the nose portion including third and fourth aerodynamic surfaces fixedly attached to the nose portion and being configured and arranged such that when nose portion is spinning the third and fourth aerodynamic surfaces have no net effect on projectile flight, but when the nose portion is despun using the spin control coupling, the third and fourth aerodynamic surfaces induce both a moment and a lateral force to the nose, causing the projectile flight path to change.