Abstract: A ceramic element, e.g., a sapphire dome, is joined to a metallic element, e.g., a vehicle body comprising a titanium alloy, by an attachment structure, e.g., comprising niobium. The attachment structure comprises: (1) a form-factored, compliant metallic transition element having a “C” shape; (2) a first joint material connecting an upper portion of the transition element to the ceramic element; and (3) a second joint material connecting a lower portion of the transition element to the metallic element. A method is provided for attaching the ceramic element to the metallic element, using a single brazing operation. The presence of the attachment structure further minimizes the stresses related to the different coefficients of thermal expansion in the ceramic/attachment/titanium connection.

Abstract: A dome assembly (50) adapted for use with a missile (32) having a longitudinal axis (42) parallel to a thrust vector thereof. The inventive dome (50) includes a crystal (30, 50) having a crystallographic structure that includes a plurality of planes (12, 14, 16), one of said planes (14) being more susceptible to failure than one or more of the other planes (12, 16). A surface around a missile sensor provides a place for mounting the crystal (30, 50) so that said plane susceptible to failure (14) faces approximately opposite to that of a positive velocity vector (34) of said missile (32). In a more specific embodiment, the crystal (30, 50) is a sapphire crystal (30, 50) having a crystallographic structure that includes positive n-planes (12), positive r-planes (14), and a c-plane (16). By design at nominal conditions, an r-plane (14) is approximately bisected by a plane formed by the normal of the c-plane (16) and a wind flow vector (36) parallel to a thrust vector of said missile (32).