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A control actuation system for an air-breathing rocket motor propelled guided missile positions the drive motors and input gears in an inlet fairing extending aft of the air inlet towards the tail of the missile. The output gears are positioned coincident with and mechanically coupled to their respe

A control actuation system for an air-breathing rocket motor propelled guided missile positions the drive motors and input gears in an inlet fairing extending aft of the air inlet towards the tail of the missile. The output gears are positioned coincident with and mechanically coupled to their respective tail fins spaced around the circumference of the missile. At least one of the tail fins is offset in a circumferential direction of the missile from its corresponding input gear and the inlet fairing. At least one ring gear is positioned around the exhaust tube to rotate in the circumferential direction of the missile. The ring gear comprises input and output teeth that engage the input and output gears, respectively, to actuate the tail fin.

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1. A control actuation system (CAS) for actuating tail fins on an air-breathing missile, said missile comprising a first air inlet to draw air to a rocket motor that expels gases through an exhaust tube to propel the missile and a first streamlined inlet fairing extending aft of the first air inlet

1. A control actuation system (CAS) for actuating tail fins on an air-breathing missile, said missile comprising a first air inlet to draw air to a rocket motor that expels gases through an exhaust tube to propel the missile and a first streamlined inlet fairing extending aft of the first air inlet towards the tail of the missile, said CAS comprising: a first remote actuation assembly, comprising: a first motor positioned external to said exhaust tube within the first inlet fairing, said first motor rotating a drive shaft;a first input gear positioned external to said exhaust tube within the first inlet fairing, said first input gear mechanically coupled to the drive shaft to rotate the first input gear about an input axis;a first output gear positioned coincident with and mechanically coupled to a first tail fin to rotate the fin, said first output gear and first tail fin offset in a circumferential direction of the missile from said first input gear and the inlet fairing; anda first ring gear positioned around the exhaust tube to rotate in the circumferential direction of the missile, said first ring gear comprising input teeth that engage the first input gear and output teeth that engage the first output gear to rotate the output gear and remotely actuate said first tail fin. 2. The CAS of claim 1, wherein the rocket motor comprises a ramjet. 3. The CAS of claim 1, wherein the first ring gear is part of a ring gear subassembly that further comprises: at least one bearing to support the ring gear against lateral, axial, and moment loads. 4. The CAS of claim 1, wherein the remote actuation assembly delivers a constant gear ratio to actuate the fin over a range of motion. 5. The CAS of claim 1, wherein said ring gear's input and output teeth are different to mate with the different input and output gears. 6. The CAS of claim 1, wherein the input gear's input axis and the output gear's axis of rotation are oriented radially with respect to the first ring gear. 7. The CAS of claim 1, further comprising an input gear train comprising at least one compound gear that mechanically couples the motor's drive shaft to the input gear. 8. The CAS of claim 1, further comprising a second remote actuation assembly configured substantially as said first remote actuation assembly to actuate a second tail fin offset in the circumferential direction of the missile from said first tail fin and the inlet fairing. 9. The CAS of claim 8, wherein said missile comprises only said first air inlet and said first streamlined inlet fairing, wherein the motor and input gear for said first and second remote actuation assemblies are both positioned within said first air inlet. 10. The CAS of claim 9, further comprising first and second direct actuation assemblies for actuating third and fourth tail fins offset in the circumferential direction from each other and coincident with the said first inlet fairing, each direct actuation assembly comprising: a first motor positioned external to said exhaust tube within the first inlet fairing, said first motor rotating a drive shaft;a first input gear positioned external to said exhaust tube within the first inlet fairing, said first input gear mechanically coupled to the drive shaft to rotate the first input gear about an input axis; anda first output gear positioned external to said exhaust tube within and extending through the first inlet fairing to rotate the fin, said first output gear engaging said first input gear to actuate the fin. 11. The CAS of claim 8, wherein said missile comprises a second air inlet and second streamlined inlet fairing offset in a circumferential direction of the missile from the first air inlet and first streamlined inlet fairing, wherein the motor and input gear for said first and second remote actuation assemblies are positioned within said first and second inlet fairings, respectively. 12. The CAS of claim 11, further comprising first and second direct actuation assemblies for actuating third and fourth tail fins offset in the circumferential direction from each other and coincident with the said first and second inlet fairings, respectively, each direct actuation assembly comprising: a first motor positioned external to said exhaust tube within its inlet fairing, said first motor rotating a drive shaft;a first input gear positioned external to said exhaust tube within its inlet fairing, said first input gear mechanically coupled to the drive shaft to rotate the first input gear about an input axis; anda first output gear positioned external to said exhaust tube within and extending through its inlet fairing to rotate the fin, said first output gear engaging said first input gear to actuate the fin. 13. An air-breathing guided missile, comprising: a missile airframe;an air-breathing rocket motor within the airframea first air inlet external to the missile airframe to draw air into the rocket motor to combust with rocket fuel and produce exhaust gases;an exhaust tube extending aft of the rocket motor to expel exhaust gases to propel the missile;a first streamlined inlet fairing extending aft of the first air inlet towards the tail of the missile;a first tail fin offset in a circumferential direction of the missile from the air inlet; anda control actuation system (CAS) comprising a first remote assembly to actuate the first tail fin, said first remote assembly comprising, a first motor positioned external to said exhaust tube within the first inlet fairing, said first motor rotating a drive shaft;a first input gear positioned external to said exhaust tube within the first inlet fairing, said first input gear mechanically coupled to the drive shaft to rotate the first input gear about an input axis;a first output gear positioned coincident with and mechanically coupled to the first tail fin to rotate the fin, said first output gear and first tail fin offset in a circumferential direction of the missile from said first input gear and the inlet fairing; anda first ring gear positioned around the exhaust tube to rotate in the circumferential direction of the missile, said first ring gear comprising input teeth that engage the first input gear and output teeth that engage the first output gear to rotate the output gear and remotely actuate said first tail fin. 14. The guided missile of claim 13, further comprising a second remote actuation assembly configured substantially as said first remote actuation assembly to actuate a second tail fin offset in the circumferential direction of the missile from said first tail fin and the first inlet fairing, wherein the motor and input gear for said first and second remote actuation assemblies are both positioned within said first air inlet. 15. The guided missile of claim 13, further comprising a first direct actuation assemblies for actuating a second tail fin coincident with the said first inlet fairing, said first direct actuation assembly comprising: a first motor positioned external to said exhaust tube within the first inlet fairing, said first motor rotating a drive shaft;a first input gear positioned external to said exhaust tube within the first inlet fairing, said first input gear mechanically coupled to the drive shaft to rotate the first input gear about an input axis; anda first output gear positioned external to said exhaust tube within and extending through the first inlet fairing to rotate the second tail fin, said first output gear engaging said first input gear to actuate the fin. 16. The guided missile of claim 13, wherein said missile comprises a second air inlet and second streamlined inlet fairing offset in a circumferential direction of the missile from the first air inlet and first streamlined inlet fairing, said CAS further comprising a second remote actuation assembly configured substantially as said first remote actuation assembly to actuate a second tail fin offset in the circumferential direction of the missile from said first tail fin and the second inlet fairing, wherein the motor and input gear for said second remote actuation assembly are both positioned within said second inlet fairing. 17. An air-breathing guided missile, comprising: a missile airframe;an air-breathing rocket motor within the airframea first air inlet external to the missile airframe to draw air into the rocket motor to combust with rocket fuel and produce exhaust gases;an exhaust tube extending aft of the rocket motor to expel exhaust gases to propel the missile;a first streamlined inlet fairing extending aft of the first air inlet towards the tail of the missile;first, second, third and fourth tail fins spaced circumferentially about the missile, said first and second tail fins offset in a circumferential direction of the missile from the inlet fairing, said third and fourth tail fins coincident with the inlet fairing; anda control actuation system (CAS) comprising, first, second, third and fourth motors positioned external to said exhaust tube within the first inlet fairing, each said motor rotating a drive shaft;first, second, third and fourth input gears positioned external to said exhaust tube within the first inlet fairing, said input gears mechanically coupled to the respective drive shaft to rotate the input gears about respective input axes;first, second, third and fourth output gears positioned coincident with and mechanically coupled to the first, second, third and fourth tail fin to rotate the fins, said third and fourth output gears mechanically coupled to said third and fourth input gears for direct actuation of said third and fourth fins; andfirst and second ring gears positioned around the exhaust tube to rotate in the circumferential direction of the missile, said first and second ring gear comprising input teeth that engage the first and second input gears, respectively and output teeth that engage the first and second output gears, respectively, to rotate the first and second output gear sand remotely actuate said first and second tail fins. 18. The guided missile of claim 17, wherein the rocket motor comprises a ramjet. 19. The guided missile of claim 17, wherein the first ring gear is part of a ring gear subassembly that further comprises: at least one bearingto support the ring gear against lateral, axial, and moment loads. 20. The guided missile of claim 17, wherein the CAS delivers a constant gear ratio to actuate the fins over a range of motion.