MADEFAST Gimbal Assembly Design Information

Current Gimbal Assembly Design

The gimbal assembly provides two degrees of freedom (elevation and azimuth). The cutaway image above provides a good view of the following gimbal assembly components:

• Gimbal ring
  • Status: Design complete 10/1/94, manufacture complete 10/24/94
  • Image (created October 10, 1994)
  • 4.600 inch diagonal diameter
  • 0.120 inch thickness
  • 2.000 inch maximum height
• Bearing assembly
  • Status: Design complete 10/1/94, manufacture complete 11/2/94
  • Image (created October 12, 1994)
  • Holds bearings and motors in place
  • Bearing cap - 2.0 inch diameter
  • Bearing axle
  • Bearing tube
    • Hold bearings in place from inside of gimbal ring
    • Image (created October 12, 1994)
• Encoder assembly
  • Status: Design complete 10/1/94, manufacture complete 11/8/94
  • Image (created October 12, 1994)
  • Holds bearings and encoders
  • Body
  • Shaft
  • Cap - 1.25 inch diameter
  • Bearing tube
    • Hold bearings in place from inside of gimbal ring
    • Same image as above in bearing assembly section
  • Image of encoder and bearing assemblies together
• Missle body shell
  • Status: Design complete 10/1/94, manufacture complete 11/8/94
  • Image (created October 4, 1994)
  • Cutaway image (created October 4, 1994)
  • 5.00 inch outer diameter
• Seeker base
  • Status: Design and manufacture complete mid-December, 1995
  • Image (created January 23, 1995) of the base. The cylindrical part of the seeker base is the composite body fabricated by MSU. Everything else is either clear- or black-anodized, machined aluminum, designed and machined at Utah.
  • Image (created January 23, 1995) of machined-in text: ARPA MADEFAST March - August 1994.

Previous Gimbal Assembly Design

The gimbal assembly provides two degrees of freedom (elevation and azimuth).

There are a number of sub-parts to the assembly:

• Bearing Caps
• Gimbal Ring
• Payload Ring (obsolete)