PYLONS & ROTATORS
KNEELING PYLON
Occasionally it is useful to have a pylon “kneel” by tilting on its leading edge to bring the positioner to near ground level, or even go underground. Uses cases have included:
- Getting a mobile 20’ pylon through a standard sized door
- Storing a pylon below floor level so RCS testing on a foam column can be performed without digging a pit as deep as is required for a retracting pylon
- Bringing the positioner near ground level to simplify mounting targets
There are significant mechanical considerations about potential target stresses induced by a kneeling pylon if it will kneel with a target mounted. Adding a kneeling axis to a pylon can be very beneficial in certain cases.