Flight vehicle

摘要

A flight vehicle such as a guided weapon has a radiation emitter or receiver 3 carried behind a radiation transparent window 4 formed within an open recess 5 in a surface 2 of the weapon nose which diverges rearwardly from the vehicle axis, the recess being such that at supersonic speeds it forms shock waves which trap air within the recess to provide a measure of kinetic heat insulation for the window and also a minimum of supersonic drag. An elongate nose region 13 is provided ahead of the recess to house a further radiation emitter or receiver as an external wrapping 14 or an internal device 15.