Abstract: A fin stabilized projectile in which measures are taken for increasing the thermal resistance of its guide fins against the uncontrollable danger of burning or melting due to overheating of the material as a result of air friction during the flight of the projectile. Each guide fin is composed, at least in the region of its leading edge of a heat resistant fiber material or a heat resistant composite fiber material. The fins may be composed entirely of the heat resistant material or the leading edges of the fins, the leading and outer edges of the fins, or the entire front fin portion may be configured as a strip of the fiber material in front of and fastened to a metal body member comprising the remainder of the respective guide fin. Moreover, the connecting region between any such strip and the metal body member is preferably configured with a sloped, and thus as a contact area which has a larger surface area. The strip is glued, riveted and/or screwed to the body member in the connection region.

Abstract: A segmented, discardable sabot for a slender sub-caliber kinetic energy projectile. At least two sabot segments are provided having adjacent plane parallel segment separating faces and presenting at least one caliber-sized gas sealing pressure flange member and a non-caliber sized partial region along the longitudinal extent of the sabot. The overall cross section of the sabot, at least in the partial region, has an essentially polygonal cross-sectional shape, and a tangent placed at any point of the periphery of the sabot does not pass through the cross-sectional area of the sabot, thereby providing increased bending stiffness in the non-caliber-sized region of the sabot.

Abstract: A sabot-projectile arrangement adapted for being ejected from a gun barrel for the purpose of combatting actively and passively reacting armor. The arrangement comprises first and second projectiles, each having a different coefficient of air resistance (c.sub.w). A discarding sabot is comprised of segments which define a receptacle for accommodating the first and second projectiles with their longitudinal axes flush behind one another in order to follow one another in a spaced relationship on a common trajectory when the sabot-projectile arrangement is fired from a gun. Form locking means defines a form locking connection between the receptacle and each of the projectiles. The form locking connection existing between the leading first projectile disposed in the receptacle and the segments of the sabot are released earlier than when the segments are separated from the second projectile after the sabot-projectile arrangement leaves the gun barrel.

Abstract: The invention relates to a propelling cage sabot for a subcaliber, armor piercing kinetic energy projectile having a high length to diameter ratio which will be placed in a tube of a weapon and lauched by propelling charge gases. The sabot has a support member and fixing means. The sabot further having a gas pressure receiving surface to be charged with the propelling charge gases, a longitudinal axis and an air pocket for positively utilizing air flowing in the pocket once the projectile leaves the tube of the weapon. The sabot is segmented for separation from the projectile and includes a joint form-locking zone for attachment with the projectile; and a fiber component connected by the fixing means with the support member for absorbing tensile stresses. The fiber component is made up of more than one oriented individual member. Each individual member is oriented such that the individual member extends along the longitudinal axis between a frontal fixing region and a rear fixing region.

Abstract: A loading system for containers holding ammunition in an armored vehicle having a tubular weapon composed of a gun cradle and a barrel having a bore axis, the weapon being mounted in a top gun mount which is rotatable about an azimuth axis, which system includes a first transporting device for transporting a container from a magazine holding a plurality of containers and disposed in a rear section of the armored vehicle into a loading position behind the top gun mount. The system further includes a plurality of such containers, each composed of at least two cells, each cell accommodating a respective cartridge, and connecting elements for connecting the cells in a form and force locking manner for transport to the loading position.

Abstract: An arrangement for horizontally orienting a rotatable weapon support platform. The arrangement has a base surface (generally the roof or fuselage of an armored vehicle) and a pair of cylindrical members rotatably mounted thereon, on the top one of which the weapon support platform is rotatably mounted. The bottom cylindrical member is rotatably mounted on the base surface. The latter surface is generally sloped and canted and the arrangement serves to compensate for the slope and cant and horizontally orients the weapon support platform.The top and bottom members each have one end surface which is normal to the longitudinal axis thereof and one end surface which is skewed with respect to the longitudinal axis. The respective skewed end surfaces mutually confront each other and are parallel to each other.