Equations for estimating the motion, forces, and couples applicable to the design of clamshell systems utilizing a new roll-out ejection concept are presented. Both the deployment and the free flight phases of the clamshell ejection are considered. No attempt is made to answer the thermal, vibratory, and structural detail problems of these clamsheils.

The equations for the motion, forces, and couples generated by clamshells released from spinning sounding rockets in accordance with a roll-out ejection concept are presented. The application of these equations to a study of a system for the Javelin (i.e., Honest John-Nike-Nike-X248) rocket vehicle is discussed. The roll-out ejection concept advocated requires that each deploying clamshell be pivoted about an axis at its trailing edge located in the system sectioning plane. Clamshell despinning is a consequence of this deployment since the pivotal, i.e., roll-out, rate is in opposition to the rocket vehicle spin. The energy required by the deployment is derived largely from the rotational energy of the clamshell. Thus, the rocket vehicle will not be significantly despun by this kind of clamshell deployment. This ejection concept also permits a system design which makes it possible to limit clamshell angular motion to rotation about that one of its centroidal principal axes which is brought into parallelism with the rocket vehicle longitudinal axis. Also, by equalizing the moments of inertia about the other centroidal principal axes, the rollout motion can be decoupled from any extraneous angular motion about these axes.