May 5, 2026

US12618644 - Aircraft weapons pod including rail launcher

An aircraft comprising a weapons pod including an enclosure mounted to an outer mold line of the aircraft, and at least one missile rail launcher mounted entirely within and fixed to the enclosure.

Assignee: The Boeing Company
Inventors: Ryan Glen Binkholder, John Kevin Foster
Filing date: 2015-02-12

aircraftweaponsmissilelauncher

The patent describes an aircraft equipped with a weapons pod that features a clamshell door configuration and independent drive mechanisms for opening and closing. It also includes a missile rail launcher that is entirely contained within the pod’s enclosure.

Claim 1

1 . An aircraft comprising: a weapons pod including an enclosure mounted to an outer mold line of the aircraft, wherein the enclosure includes forward and aft doors having a clamshell configuration and are opened and closed by independent drive mechanisms; and at least one missile rail launcher mounted entirely within and fixed to the enclosure. a weapons pod including an enclosure mounted to an outer mold line of the aircraft, wherein the enclosure includes forward and aft doors having a clamshell configuration and are opened and closed by independent drive mechanisms; and at least one missile rail launcher mounted entirely within and fixed to the enclosure.

Google Patents

https://patents.google.com/patent/US12618644

USPTO PDF

https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/12618644