Mar 3, 2026

US12566054 - Maneuvering aeromechanically stable sabot system

An aeromechanically stable sabot system that includes a center of gravity that is placed forward of an aerodynamic center of the aeromechanically stable sabot system when in steady-state flight. By placing the center of gravity forwards of the aerodynamic center, the sabot system exhibits positive longitudinal and directional stability. To illustrate, the sabot system and/or portions thereof will return to stable flight after being disturbed in pitch (vertically or about a transverse horizontal axis) or yaw (side to side or about a vertical axis) when traveling horizontally.

Assignee: The University of Kansas
Inventors: Ronald Martin Barrett, Lauren Nicole Schumacher
Filing date: 2023-12-26

sabotammunitionfirearm

The patent describes an aeromechanically stable sabot system designed to maintain positive longitudinal and directional stability during flight by positioning its center of gravity forward of its aerodynamic center. This configuration allows the sabot to separate from the projectile and continue in stable flight, minimizing the risk of tumbling and ensuring safe maneuverability.

Claim 1

1 . An aeromechanically stable sabot comprising: a sabot assembly which is lower in mass than a projectile that the sabot assembly is configured to accelerate and release; means of transferring launch pressures and loads when inside a gun barrel during a firing event to the projectile as the projectile is accelerated down a length of the gun barrel; means of accommodating projectiles that are smaller in caliber than a bore of the gun barrel; and wherein the sabot assembly is configured to separate from the projectile such that the sabot assembly and the projectile will fly in steady-state, stable free flight upon separation and after exiting the gun barrel; wherein, after exiting the gun barrel and projectile release, the sabot assembly has a center of gravity location that is displaced forward of longitudinal and directional aerodynamic centers such that that the sabot assembly will not tumble about the sabot center of gravity pitch and yaw axes; wherein the sabot assembly has a center of gravity position, prior to launch and during launch from the gun barrel, which is behind the longitudinal and directional aerodynamic centers of the sabot during the launch event, but following sabot launch and separation from the projectile, will fly in a stable configuration such that the sabot assembly center of gravity will be ahead of the sabot assembly longitudinal and directional aerodynamic centers; wherein the sabot assembly has a lower density aft section and higher density forward section such that the center of gravity of the sabot assembly is shifted farther forward than the free-flight longitudinal and directional aerodynamic centers such that the pitching moment coefficient about the center of gravity with respect to angle of attack is less than zero (C mcgα <0) and the yawing moment coefficient about the center of gravity with respect to sideslip angle is greater than zero (C ncgβ >0); and a geometric feature, a functional feature, mass asymmetry or any combination thereof, configured to establish a trimmed angle of attack (α) and/or slideslip angle (β) of the sabot assembly to execute a maneuver such that a collision between the sabot assembly and the launching aircraft and/or associated friendly aircraft is avoided. a sabot assembly which is lower in mass than a projectile that the sabot assembly is configured to accelerate and release; means of transferring launch pressures and loads when inside a gun barrel during a firing event to the projectile as the projectile is accelerated down a length of the gun barrel; means of accommodating projectiles that are smaller in caliber than a bore of the gun barrel; and wherein the sabot assembly is configured to separate from the projectile such that the sabot assembly and the projectile will fly in steady-state, stable free flight upon separation and after exiting the gun barrel; wherein, after exiting the gun barrel and projectile release, the sabot assembly has a center of gravity location that is displaced forward of longitudinal and directional aerodynamic centers such that that the sabot assembly will not tumble about the sabot center of gravity pitch and yaw axes; wherein the sabot assembly has a center of gravity position, prior to launch and during launch from the gun barrel, which is behind the longitudinal and directional aerodynamic centers of the sabot during the launch event, but following sabot launch and separation from the projectile, will fly in a stable configuration such that the sabot assembly center of gravity will be ahead of the sabot assembly longitudinal and directional aerodynamic centers; wherein the sabot assembly has a lower density aft section and higher density forward section such that the center of gravity of the sabot assembly is shifted farther forward than the free-flight longitudinal and directional aerodynamic centers such that the pitching moment coefficient about the center of gravity with respect to angle of attack is less than zero (C mcgα <0) and the yawing moment coefficient about the center of gravity with respect to sideslip angle is greater than zero (C ncgβ >0); and a geometric feature, a functional feature, mass asymmetry or any combination thereof, configured to establish a trimmed angle of attack (α) and/or slideslip angle (β) of the sabot assembly to execute a maneuver such that a collision between the sabot assembly and the launching aircraft and/or associated friendly aircraft is avoided.

Google Patents

https://patents.google.com/patent/US12566054

USPTO PDF

https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/12566054