Radome nose for a missile, and method of making same

Claim 1

A METHOD OF MAKING A CERAMIC CAPPED NOSE CONE SHELL FOR A MISSLE IN A MATCHED DIE SET FOR HIGH PRESSURE MOLDING OF A UNITARY MISSILE NOSE SHELL, SAID DIE SET CONSISTING OF MANDREL DIE ELEMENT HAVING APPROXIMATELY THE SHAPE OF THE MISSILE NOSE AND FEMALE DIE ELEMENT HAVING A CONFORMAL CAVITY, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) SPRAYING FINE PARTICLES OF A CERAMIC MATERIAL WHICH ARE HEATED TO THEIR PLASTIC STATE, ONTO THE CAVITY SURFACE OF THE FEMALE DIE ELEMENT OF THE MATCHED DIE SET TO FORM A CONTINUOUS DEPOSIT OF THE DESIRED SHAPE AND DIMENSIONS FOR THE CERAMIC CAP, SAID CAVITY SURFACE BEING COATED WITH A SEPARATION AGENT PRIOR TO SPRAYING, (B) FORMING AND SHAPING A NOSE CONE SHELL PREFORM OF A LAMINATED CLOTH MATERIAL IMPREGNATED WITH A THERMOSETTABLE PLASTIC IMPREGNATION AND BONDING AGENT, IN WHICH SAID IMPREGNATION AND BONDING AGENT IS INCOMPLETELY THERMOSET, AND PLACING THE PREFORM OVER THE MANDREL DIE ELEMENT OF THE MATCHED DIE SET, SAID IMPREGNATION AND BONDING AGENT BEING OF A TYPE PROVIDING A LATENT ADHESIVE SURFACE ALONG THE EXTERIOR OF THE NOSE CONE SHELL PREFORM, SAID LATENT ADHESIVE SURFACE BECOMING ACTIVE IN RESPONSE TO HEAT, (C) COMPRESSING THE MATCHED DIE SET UNDER APPLIED COMPRESSIVE FORCE OF ORDER OF 500 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH WITH SAID LATENT ADHESIVE SURFACE OF THE NOSE CONE SHELL PREFORM IN CONTACT WITH THE EXPOSED SURFACE OF THE DEPOSIT OF CERAMIC MATERIAL, AND HEATING SAME TO A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE FOR A PREDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME TO BOND AND CURE THE PREFORM AND THE DEPOSITED CERAMIC, AND (D) WITHDRAWING THE MANDREL DIE ELEMENT FROM THE CAVITY OF THE FEMALE DIE ELEMENT TO SEPARATE THE OUTWARDLY FACING SURFACE OF THE CERAMIC CAP AND THE SURFACE OF THE CAVITY.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF MAKING A CERAMIC CAPPED NOSE CONE SHELL FOR A MISSLE IN A MATCHED DIE SET FOR HIGH PRESSURE MOLDING OF A UNITARY MISSILE NOSE SHELL, SAID DIE SET CONSISTING OF MANDREL DIE ELEMENT HAVING APPROXIMATELY THE SHAPE OF THE MISSILE NOSE AND FEMALE DIE ELEMENT HAVING A CONFORMAL CAVITY, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) SPRAYING FINE PARTICLES OF A CERAMIC MATERIAL WHICH ARE HEATED TO THEIR PLASTIC STATE, ONTO THE CAVITY SURFACE OF THE FEMALE DIE ELEMENT OF THE MATCHED DIE SET TO FORM A CONTINUOUS DEPOSIT OF THE DESIRED SHAPE AND DIMENSIONS FOR THE CERAMIC CAP, SAID CAVITY SURFACE BEING COATED WITH A SEPARATION AGENT PRIOR TO SPRAYING, (B) FORMING AND SHAPING A NOSE CONE SHELL PREFORM OF A LAMINATED CLOTH MATERIAL IMPREGNATED WITH A THERMOSETTABLE PLASTIC IMPREGNATION AND BONDING AGENT, IN WHICH SAID IMPREGNATION AND BONDING AGENT IS INCOMPLETELY THERMOSET, AND PLACING THE PREFORM OVER THE MANDREL DIE ELEMENT OF THE MATCHED DIE SET, SAID IMPREGNATION AND BONDING AGENT BEING OF A TYPE PROVIDING A LATENT ADHESIVE SURFACE ALONG THE EXTERIOR OF THE NOSE CONE SHELL PREFORM, SAID LATENT ADHESIVE SURFACE BECOMING ACTIVE IN RESPONSE TO HEAT, (C) COMPRESSING THE MATCHED DIE SET UNDER APPLIED COMPRESSIVE FORCE OF ORDER OF 500 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH WITH SAID LATENT ADHESIVE SURFACE OF THE NOSE CONE SHELL PREFORM IN CONTACT WITH THE EXPOSED SURFACE OF THE DEPOSIT OF CERAMIC MATERIAL, AND HEATING SAME TO A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE FOR A PREDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME TO BOND AND CURE THE PREFORM AND THE DEPOSITED CERAMIC, AND (D) WITHDRAWING THE MANDREL DIE ELEMENT FROM THE CAVITY OF THE FEMALE DIE ELEMENT TO SEPARATE THE OUTWARDLY FACING SURFACE OF THE CERAMIC CAP AND THE SURFACE OF THE CAVITY.