Jettisonable Armor Actuation for Aircraft Weight Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing armor systems for vehicles, particularly aircraft, do not provide a practical means to rapidly and safely release protective armor in response to changing threat conditions or emergency situations, such as ground fire or ballistic projectiles.
Innovation Solution
A jettisonable armor system comprising actuators and a control mechanism that allows the armor to be releasably attached and detached from the vehicle, enabling quick release and retraction from the aircraft body, with the actuators driven by mechanisms like hydraulic, pneumatic, or pyrotechnic devices, and controlled by a pilot-activated system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fixed armor is installed on the aircraft to provide continuous protection, then the level of protection is improved, but the weight of the aircraft increases and operational flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The armor plates are made dynamically attachable and detachable through actuator mechanisms, allowing the aircraft to transition between protected and unprotected states. This dynamic configuration enables the armor to be deployed only when threat conditions require protection, rather than being permanently fixed, thereby reducing overall weight while maintaining protection capability when needed.
2Reliability
If fixed armor is installed on the aircraft to provide continuous protection, then the level of protection is improved, but the operational flexibility and speed deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The armor system incorporates actuators that can rapidly deploy or retract armor plates in response to changing threat conditions. This dynamic capability allows the aircraft to maintain high speed during low-threat periods while providing immediate protection when threats are detected, resolving the contradiction between protection level and operational speed.
3Adaptability or versatility
If armor is made releasable and detachable with actuators, then the operational flexibility and rapid response capability are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The armor system is divided into multiple independent plates, each capable of being individually controlled by its own actuator. This segmentation allows for simplified control architecture where each actuator-plate pair operates independently, reducing the overall system complexity compared to a monolithic armor system while maintaining high operational flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft has an armor releasably attached to the body of an aircraft, an actuator connecting the armor to the body of the aircraft, and a control that, upon operation, actuates the actuator to release the armor from the body.