"Missile Launcher Mystery" Topic

While doing some scifi vehicle design today, I attempted to have a proper look at missile launchers (e.g. SAMs etc), specifically the bit at the end (cap? cover?) that protects the missile in its tube before firing. And how exactly it gets removed before (or during) launch. As, of course, the better one understands how real armour works, the better one can model things (both real and scifi).

"Attempted" being the key word.

Not only do I not know (nor was able to find out) exactly what the device/thing/doofer is properly called, ir was near-impossible to find any pictures or videos of how they work.

The best I managed was a very short clip of a patriot which looked like it blows the cap off as it fires, and one older Russian SAM that appears to have a round cap that opened. From the fragments of debris seen from the S300/S400 videos I saw (because *of course* Russian SAMs are entirely unhelpfully are all vertical launch), I deduce they also blast off a dispoable cap when they fire.

If anyone can explain/ illustrate/ find images/ videos on this subject, I would greatly appreciate it.

Heck, just knowing what the thing is called might help, as I might actually be able to google some information on it!

I've never been that close to a stinger missile, but I can tell you that the Javelin and TOW missiles and AT-4 rockets all have 'endcaps' that are blown off or 'pierced' when the missile is fired. I would assume that most SAMs are the same. I do know that some U.S. Navy systems have hatches that open before they are fired (but I think those are the older systems.

Stingers have end caps that are manually removed before preparing to fire. Otherwise the seeker head could not acquire the target.

There is a clear plastic cover beneath the end cap that the missile blows right through when the launch motor pushes the missile out of the tube.

The end caps make really groovy ashtrays….

I have one around here somewhere.

link

I see four options here, as witnessed on TV/Video:

- caps removed prior to firing (or no caps in place);
- caps flip/slide open when firing;
- caps blow off when firing;
- and, covers are thin, and the missiles fire through them when launched.

Some rely on over pressure inside the tube by the primary ignition stage…..others are as said manually removed or even with tiny charges to boost them away from the tube.

It's been a really long time, I think the technical term is "enclosure".

And almost all of them are pierce-through, because that lets the storage tube be filled with nitrogen or argon which helps extend missile storage life.

@Lion in the Stars

Aaaaaah.That's very useful to know and makes sense!

@Everyone

Thanks – that help my understanding, at least!

I tried a google for both "missile end cap" and "missile enclosure;" the former generated a couple of pictures at least (similar to ScoutJopck's link), but the latter gave me mostly cross-word puzzle sites! Apparently, this is very much an issue that is not evident on the web – no wonder I coudn't find anything. Wikipedia, for once, doesn't even have anything.

Thanks, though – it at least helps to have the right name and I have learned something!

For vertical launch systems (firing up out of the deck), navies tend to like doors that open and close. Keeps the saltwater out. SA-N-6 (?) has a big rotary magazine under the deck with a single door that opens and closes with each shot. There are also blow-out panels over each position to vent explosions. Got to examine one back in the 90s.

YouTube link

at 1:20 you can see cap opened before the launch.

YouTube link

at 2:50 it seems that the missile is piercing the cap.

So I guess it depends on the design

@Barin1 Cool! Thanks. While I do actually have Russian search results enabled for when I'm looking for vehicles, it stretches as far as copy-pasting the numbers for tank desingations, so I never have it a thought to try. (Not that, even if I did, I would have known what to l#search for, it was bafflingly hard enough in English…!)

Watching those vertical launch missiles (both today and when I was searching the other day), I was struck how fracking awesome it is that they launch out and then the engine ignites, and I thought: Why does Hollywood (and comouter games and stuff) not do that? Because that looks ridiculously awesome!"