Towed target launching and retrieval apparatus

Claim 1

IN A TOWING DEVICE FOR LAUNCHING AND RETRIEVING A STREAMLINE ELONGATED TOW TARGET FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF AIRCRAFT, A BASE FRAME SECURED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT, A CRADLE MOUNTED OUTWARDLY ON SAID BASE FRAME AND ADAPTED TO MOVE RELATIVE TO THE BASE FRAME IN A DIRECTION TOWARD THE AIRCRAFT, A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED GRIPPING MEMBERS POSITIONED OUTWARDLY OF THE CRADLE AND MOVABLE SIMULTANEAUOSLY TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER TO RETAIN AND RELEASE A TARGET POSITIONED THEREBETWEEN, SAID CRADLE BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID GRIPPING MEMBERS TO ACTUATE THE SIMULTANEOUS MOVEMENT OF THE GRIPPING MEMBERS TO ACTUTE THE SIMULTANEOUS FROM EACH OTHER, AND MEANS TO UNREEL THE TOWED TARGET FROM BETWEEN THE GRIPPING MEMBERS FOR LAUNCHING THEREOF AND TO REEL THE TARGET TO A POSITION BETWEEN THE GRIPPING MEMBERS FOR RETRIEVAL THEREOF, SAID CRADLE BEING ENGAGED BY THE TARGET UPON RETRIEVAL THEREOF AND BEING MOVED TOWARD SAID BASE FRAME TO ACUTATE SAID GRIPPING MEMBERS FOR MOVING TOWARD EACH OTHER AND FRIPPING THE TARGET THEREBETWEEN.