John YatesLos Angeles, CA

4205848, Jun 3, 1980

Apr 10, 1978

5/894924

David H. Smith - Fountain Valley CA
John S. Yates - Fountain Valley CA
Paul C. Kochendorfer - Laguna Niguel CA

Prototype Development Associates, Inc. - Santa Ana CA

B64D 302

273361

The following specification discloses an aerial gunnery target that is adapted to be towed by an aircraft at high speeds for gunnery training and aircraft weapons qualifications. The assembly comprises a multiplicity of strands or cords such as twisted and plyed polypropylene lines. Each of said strands is secured at the forward end on a towing frame having various configurations which include circles, bars, radial extensions, and other configurations, including hexagons and triangles. The towing frame is pulled by means of a conventional towing cable and may have arms that extend outwardly upon deployment by aerodynamic forces, or may be rigidly constructed in the desired shape. The elongated multiplicity of cords extend backwardly from the frame to a terminal point, such as an analogous frame or a confluence point, such as a ring, where they are attached in coupled relationship, or any other terminal means for securing the ends of the elongated cord elements. The elongated cord elements avoid the coupling of vibratory motion from one cord element to another which results in the oscillatory flapping of targets constructed of conventional fabric. The cords are provided in an array such that they do not create aerodynamic lift and fluttering when being towed.

4770368, Sep 13, 1988

Mar 12, 1985

6/710905

John S. Yates - Fountain Valley CA
Roger D. Brum - Irvine CA

Southwest Aerospace Corporation - Santa Ana CA

B64D 302

244 1TD

A turbine/air vent reeling machine for use in aerial towed target applications and the like disclosed characterized by use of a novel turbine head/air vent design which extracts ram air energy from the wind stream impinging upon a moving aircraft for the purpose of driving and braking the reeling machine for pay-in and pay-out of a towed target. Control of the turbine rotational speed is achieved through plural variable opening vents located aft of the turbine head which are driven through an open and closed orientation by a servo-motor to throttle the air mass flow through the turbine head. Turbine speed is sensed by a tachometer which is coupled to a shaft driven by the turbine. The tachometer output voltage is introduced into a closed loop control circuit including processing electronics which compares the tachometer voltage to a pre-selected set point voltage corresponding to the desired rotational speed of the turbine. The difference between the desired and actual tachometer voltage and its derivative and integral values with respect to time are mixed and amplified to drive the servo-motor to adjust the vent opening in a direction that will cause the turbine to accelerate or decelerate to a desired operational speed. The servo-motor rotation is converted to vent door movement via an actuation mechanism which ensures the vent doors will remain in a closed position in the event that power is removed from the servo-motor.