Research/Patents/US 5457471
US 5457471

ADAPTIVELY ABLATABLE RADOME

Assignee

GENERAL DYNAMICS CORPORATION A CORP. OF DE

Filed

Sep 10, 1984

Granted

Oct 10, 1995

Location

CLAREMONT CA US

Abstract

A radome useful with high-speed guided missiles has an inner conical shell made of a strong, high temperature resistant material transparent to radiant energy in the operative frequency range of a sensor mounted inside the shell. An outer ablative layer covers the exterior surface of the shell. This layer is made of a material which is also transparent to radiant energy in the sensor frequency range and which melts or sublimes and displaces from the shell at a predetermined elevated temperature and/or velocity during high-speed flight. The thickness of the ablative layer is selected so that it compensates for increased thickness and/or refraction resulting from thermal expansion of the shell, thereby minimizing guidance errors.

Source: Google Patents

35 USC §181 Secrecy Order

Imposed

Jun 28, 1985

Rescinded

Nov 9, 1993

Duration

8 years, 4 months

Inventor

  • 1EDWIN H. EPPERSON

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Back to patent indexSource: USPTO 35 USC §181 secrecy order records