The present invention relates to a fin-stabilized artillery shell (1)
comprising a body part (8, 26, 36) which can be axially displaced rearwards,
in the direction of flight of the shell, once the latter has left the barrel from
which it has been fired, and which in the original position is fully retracted
in the shell (1), and in which a number of deployable fins (18, 24, 29-30,
42-47) are in turn secured, and from which the fins are automatically deployed
as soon as the body part has reached its rear position in which it is locked relative
to the rest of the shell. One of the advantages of the invention is that in the
flight position it gives the shell a greater length than is permitted by the charging
position of the artillery piece launching the shell. This gives the shell considerably
better stability in its trajectory towards the target. The invention also includes
different embodiments of the body part (8, 26, 36) which can be tubular
(8) or cylinder-shaped (26) and accommodate different types of fins
(18-24, 29-30, 42-47) and also in certain configurations a built-in base-bleed
unit (3). The body part can also be divided into two parts (27, 34 and
37, 38) which rotate freely relative to each other and which allow the fins
(18-24, 29-30, 42-47) to spin freely relative to the rest of the shell (1)
which has been shown to make the latter more easily manoeuvred without impairing
its directional stability.
