Abstract: A carriage is moved along a track by a motor connected in a first control loop to a carriage position sensor. The carriage carries a chassis which is coupled to it by a flexible linkage. The chassis carries an accelerometer connected by a second control loop independent of the first control loop to a linear actuator acting on the chassis and bearing on the carriage. The chassis carries a primary mirror fastened to it and a secondary mirror coupled to it by a piezo-electric actuator controlled via a third control loop by an optical path difference OPD error signal generated in the recombination station that includes the interferometer. The third control loop is desaturated by the first or second control loop, preferably by the second control loop. The preferably stellar interferometer may be on board a spacecraft.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a plasma torch of the type including:two tubular and axially spaced coaxial electrodes (5 and 6), each electrode being arranged in a support (3 and 4) in which a cooling circuit (8 and 9) of the corresponding electrode is fitted; anda passageway for injecting a plasmagene gas between said electrodes, said passageway including a revolution piece (17) coaxial with said electrodes and defining with the latter and their supports a chamber (18) into which the plasmagene gas is injected via transverse orifices (17B) provided in the piece.According to the invention, the revolution piece (17) is not provided with internal cooling means.

Abstract: A system for improving the flutter behavior of an aircraft provided with a rudder, said system comprising an accelerometer disposed in the rear portion of said aircraft, filter means, and means for adding a correction signal to the piloting signal. According to the invention said filter means comprise a bandpass filter, a phase matching filter, a variable gain amplifier and a switch transmitting the amplified signal to said adder means whenever the air speed of the aircraft is greater than a first speed threshold, said phase matching filter being such that after passing through the control means for the rudder said signal as amplified by said amplifier is retarded by 90.degree. relative to said signal generated by said accelerometer.

Abstract: A high speed laser ranging device composed of a transmitter/receiver unit and a target including a retroreflector adapted to receive a laser pulse (Ii) transmitted by the unit and to return it parallel to itself. This transmitter/receiver unit travels, with respect to the target, along a relative path with an overall relative velocity V, and normal to an instantaneous line joining it to the target, with a transverse relative velocity v.sub.t which, on average, is of the order of at least 1 km/sec. The retroreflector has a cube corner shape with three reflecting plane faces, two of which are normal to the third one, and forming between each other a dihedral angle (7.sub.1) referred to as the "corrected dihedral angle", differing from 90.degree. by a deviation value .epsilon. at least equal to one arcsecond.

Abstract: A thermal protection device for protecting walls of structures exposed to ablative flow at high temperatures in the presence of vibrations comprises, embedded in a thermally insulative matrix, a refractory armature formed by a fringed mat comprising a meshed part exposed to the ablative flow and fringes intended to be directed towards the wall of the structure to be protected. The device further comprises an open-weave refractory woven material parallel to the meshed part of the armature and through which the fringes pass.

Abstract: A rope or cord system on a helicopter comprises a beam (18) fixed to the helicopter floor or roof in the vicinity of an opening (12). Ropes or cords (16) for the lowering to the ground of intervention personnel are attached to bolts (20) by rings (22). The operation of a handle (24) makes it possible to simultaneously and instantaneously release or jettison all the ropes (16) by pivoting a clasp (32) into each of the bolts in opposition to a spring (36). For this purpose the handle (24) simultaneously operates the pivoting latches (42), which cooperate with the clasps by complimentary cam surfaces (40, 46).

Abstract: The invention relates to a heat protection device between a first and a second zone. The second zone can be subjected to relatively sudden and large variations of temperature and pressure. The device includes a screen disposed between the two zones. According to the invention, the screen is thermally insulating. At least a part of the screen is constructed of a material which is pressure-permeable and flexible.

Abstract: In order to form shaped convex non-extractable pieces made of a composite material, a partially polymerized (stage B) preform strip (10) is placed in a forming tool (16) along a cylindrical surface having one rectilinear generator and one convex directrix curve whose shape coincides with the shape of the piece to be embodied. The particular section of the piece is obtained with the aid of an inflatable bladder (22) pressing the preform strip against a forming die (24). In this way, the area contractions are kept to a minimum, which avoids may undulations of the fibers and any falling off of the mechanical characteristics of the pieces which may accordingly arise.

Abstract: In a system for assembling two bodies of revolution, the first body of revolution comprises radially projecting members and the second body of revolution comprises housings adapted to receive these radial members. The system comprises, for immobilizing the two parts radially and axially, respective cooperating wedging devices on the radial members and the receiving housings and elastically deformable devices associated with one of the parts.The wedging devices center the parts coaxially with respect to each other and hold them radially in position. The elastically deformable devices compress the wedging devices axially by wedging the radial members against the wedging devices on the receiving housings.

Abstract: A supersonic guided missile has a fuselage terminating at the front in a nose and at the rear in a base and is provided externally with fixed rear planes. At a longitudinal distance from the center of gravity is at least one spoiler mobile transversely between a configuration retracted inside the fuselage and an active configuration in which the spoiler projects laterally from the fuselage.

Abstract: A satellite comprising a deployable solar generator that can be oriented relative to the satellite body is kept facing the sun at all times. It includes an attitude stabilization device comprising a superconductive material closed loop carried by a support coupled to the solar generator and disposed on a side of the support facing substantailly away from the sun. A secondary loop parallel to the closed loop is substantially the same shape and size as the closed loop, and is carried by the support near the loop. A resistive circuit is carried by the support near at least part of the closed loop. A selective electrical power supply circuit is connected electrically to the secondary loop and to the resistive circuit.

Abstract: A reservoir for aircraft, such as a helicopter, containing a fluid and having at least orifices in its side wall close to its bottom and to which a fluid feed and return ducts can be connected. The reservoir has to allow the aircraft to effect temporary flight phases under negative load factor, a plate having a passage, for retarding the movement of the fluid contained in the reservoir, so that the fluid, moving from the bottom to the top of the reservoir during the temporary flight phases and passing through the passage of the retarding means, remains in communication with the orifice for the duration of the flight phases, while avoiding the entry of air into the duct.

Abstract: The invention relates to a drag elastic-return and damping device (28) for a blade, and a rotor head including it.The device (28) comprises a connecting rod (30) connected to the blade and transmitting its drag movements to a rotary member (29) for elastic return with incorporated damping whose outer armature (32) it causes to rotate about a coaxial inner armature (31) in order to shear at least one thin collar (33) of a viscoelastic elastomer about its axis (B). The connecting rod (30) is coupled by way of rotational joints (43, 44) to a sleeve (15) for attaching the blade to the hub (1), and to a lever (34) of the outer armature (32). The member (29) is supported at the periphery of the hub (1), between two adjacent blades, or in the sleeve for attaching an adjacent blade such that the corresponding connecting rod is mounted as an inter-blade tie. On the rotor head, each blade is articulated with the hub (1) by a spherical laminated thrust block (5).

Abstract: So as to determine the coefficient of hydric expansion .beta. of the elements of a composite structure, a sample of this structure is placed in a rigid cradle (10) so that one extremity of the sample is rigidly maintained and that the length variations of the sample are measured by a displacement transducer (12) borne by the cradle. The transducer (12) is preferably a linear differential transformer contact transducer and it is kept under constant humidity by injecting dry air through a flexible tube (60, 64) connected to its rear section. By placing the cradle (10) bearing the sample in a climatic chamber (40), whose humidity is made to vary at a constant temperature, and by at the same time measuring the weight of the sample, it is possible to determine the coefficient .beta..

Abstract: An attitude control device for a satellite stabilized on three axes including a pitch axis comprises two solar generator wings extending in opposite directions away from a satellite body on respective longitudinal axes at least approximately parallel to the pitch axis. Two drive motors drive these wings independently of each other in rotation about rotation axes at least approximately parallel to the pitch axis to keep the wings facing the Sun with a depointing angle at most equal to a predetermined maximum depointing value. Sensors measure attitude angles and a computation system commands the drive motors according to the attitude angles. On each wing an additional surface in the form at least one vane extends longitudinally beyond the end of the wing parallel to its longitudinal axis. These additional surfaces have substantially the same surface area and are inclined about this axis relative to the wings in opposite directions by at least approximately the same angle which is less than the 90.degree.

Abstract: According to the invention each of the pitch and thrust commands is a linear combination, inter alia, of the trim setting and of the speed setting, and the control provided by the aircraft joystick is pitch rate control. Protection may be provided with respect to trim, angle of incidence, and vertical load factor.

Abstract: A device of retractable stops for the blades of articulated rotors for giroplanes, which includes a stationary stop 20 with a finger 22 radially converging towards the exterior and externally radially protruding on the external spar 9 of the articulation means 7 of each blade on the hub 3, as well as a movable stop 21 with a receptacle 36 resiliently returned by a return device 45 in a position fit around the finger, but disengaged from the finger by centrifugal force when the rotation speed of the blades is higher than a set value. The invention therefore provides absolute stops in flapping and drag in the "ground" position and sharp stops in the flight position. One advantageous application is for helicopter rotors.

Abstract: To make it possible to carry out different types of surface treatment by laser, with powder supply or addition, such as surface depositiotn, alloying or incrustation, a nozzle (12) is proposed, whose body (16) can occupy an axially regulatable position with respect to the support (10) in which is located the focussing lens for the laser beam (F). In addition, the body (16) supports a protective skirt (56), whose axial position is also regulatable and which can be brought into contact with the surface of the substrate (S).

Abstract: Two robot arms (16, 17) controlled by a preprogrammed system support each in turn a thread dispensing cassette (18), one of the arms 16 equipped with the cassette travelling over one part of a winding path 19 around a mandrel 2, at the end of which the cassettee is transferred to the other arm 17, which travels over the other part of the said path up to the point of departure of the first arm, in such a way that the thread is wound around the entire periphery of the mandrel in a movement that is analogous to the placing of a bandage around a limb when the rolled up bandage is passed from one hand to the other while unrolling the said bandage. Application to filament winding of complex shapes, particularly of toroidal articles, is disclosed.

Abstract: A joint is provided for connecting an end of a tube of composite material which is subject to relatively large axial stress to an annular metallic ferrule, and includes a composite tube composed of high strength fibers agglomerated by a polymerized synthetic resin having a wall and an annular metallic ferrule formed as a band. The ferrule has in cross-section the shape of a segment of a circle including a curved portion and a flat portion, the curved portion of the ferrule facing the composite tube. The ferrule is embedded in a receiving surface of the wall of the tube, and the flat portion of the ferrule is flush with adjacent regions of the receiving surface of the tube. An end member is included having an extending portion which engages the ferrule, and a complementary connecting device is disposed between the flat portion of the ferrule and the extending portion of the end member, for connecting the tube to the end member.