Abstract: According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a cradle assembly for cradling a boat, the cradle assembly comprising: a support, comprising one or more support fenders; one or more enclosure fenders extending along opposite lengths of the support; an arrestor located at one end of the support; an open-ended enclosure for a boat being formed between the support, the one or more enclosure fenders and the arrestor, the one or more support fenders facing into the enclosure, and the open end of the open-ended enclosure being opposite the arrestor.

Abstract: Apparatus and method are disclosed for co-aligning a number of laterally displaced radiation beams from respective radiation source outputs, each beam having a respective waveband. The apparatus comprises a collimating element for receiving each of said radiation beams with respective lateral displacements and a combining element for receiving each of said radiation beams passed by said collimating element. The apparatus further comprises a radiation source mount for positioning the radiation source outputs relative to the collimating element. The method comprises longitudinally positioning the radiation source outputs upon the mount, relative to the collimating element, in dependence upon the waveband of each beam, to cause the radiation beams passed by the combining element to be co-aligned.

Abstract: A differential transmission transition interface is disclosed which can include first and a second buried conducting tracks providing respectively first and second differential couplings between a differential RF transmission output and a waveguide; the first buried conducting track extending over an opening of the waveguide to provide a first RF coupling element; and the second buried conducting track extending over the opening to provide a second RF coupling element. At least a portion of the first RF coupling element extends over the waveguide opening in a first angular direction; and at least a portion of the second RF coupling element extends over the waveguide opening in a second angular direction that is opposed to the first angular direction.

Abstract: A particle sampling device is disclosed for separating and collecting particles of at least first and second mass/size ranges from an ambient fluid (e.g. gaseous) medium in which they are present, particles of the first range being of generally larger size/mass than particles of the second range. The separator is especially designed for use in an air sampling device which is designed for rapid detection of micro-organisms such as bacteria, viruses, pathogens and the like, and is designed to be portable so that it can be readily and rapidly deployed in both civilian and military environments and can be used indoors and outdoors; it can also be designed for personal use.

Abstract: Described herein is an improved reference surface (10) which can be used for calibrating cooled infra red detectors. The reference surface (10) comprises a plurality of corner cube units (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22) which reflect radiation directly incident on them. The surface of each corner cube unit (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22) is partially reflective and partially emissive so that, when imaged by a cryogenically cooled detector, the reference surface (10) appears as a black body source at a lower temperature than the actual temperature thereof.

Abstract: A system for launching, refuelling and recovering in flight an aircraft (10) such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from a larger carrier aircraft (16) comprising a holder (22) on the carrier aircraft (16) to which the UAV (10) is detachably connectable and an extendable and retractable refuelling device (23, 24) on the carrier aircraft (16) detachably connectable to the UAV (10) whereby to launch the UAV it is disconnected from the holder (22), the refuelling device (23, 24) is extended with the UAV connected thereto to cause the UAV to trail behind the carrier aircraft and the UAV is then disconnected from the refuelling device.