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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0553.PDF
11 May 1956 FIREFLASH CLOSE-UPS New Pictures of Britain's First Air-to-air Guided Weapon "LTAILED as the first guided missile to go into production for•" the R.A.F., the air-to-air weapon known as Fireflash is the product of the Fairey Aviation Company's Weapon Division atHeston, Middlesex. We are now permitted to reproduce these pictures, which are taken from a cine film. The fearsome Fireflash is seen to consist of a finely-shaped"dart" carrying a warhead, guidance system and cruciform wings and control surfaces, the latter being mounted at 45 deg to thewings. To the front is attached the propulsion machinery, in the form of two rocket motors of impressive size. These evidentlyaccelerate the missile to high-supersonic speed in a matter of perhaps three or four seconds, thereafter blowing clear and leav-ing the dart to "coast"—if that is a suitable term for supersonic free-flight—to its target. Details of the guidance system arenaturally withheld, but Fireflash has been described abroad as a beam-rider, i.e., a missile which flies along a beam emanatingfrom the launching aircraft. The Meteor N.F.I 1 has presumably been used for firing trials. The neat wing-tip rack is clearly seen, and there is a large camera (?) on the starboard wing—from which, one con- cludes, a Fireflash has already been fired. Principal members of the team (I. to r.):— front row: H. Surtees, M.Sc, B.Sc.(Eng.), (chief designer), L. R. E. Appleton, M.A., F.R.Ae.S. (head of guided weapon design and development), C. H. Chichester Smith, D.S.C., A.F.R.Ae.S. (execu- tive director, weapon division), J. A. C. Manson, B.Sc.(Eng.), F.R.Ae.S. (general manager, guided weapons), J. 0. Mathews, D.S.O., D.F.C. and Bar (chief test pilot, weapon division). Middle row: A. Bennet (shop superintendent), H. Hurley, Grad.l.M.E. (head of assembly and test), A. J. T. Healey (manager, servicing), P. J. Duncton, B.Sc, A.R.C.S., D.I.C., F.lnst.P., A.F.R.Ae.S. (chief technician), G. E. Thomas, B.Sc. (head of control department), C. Clayton, A.M.P.E. (works man- ager), B. W. Patrick, A.M.I.E.E. (head of guidance and control). Rear row; R. C. Floud, A.M.I.Mech.E. (deputy head of trials dept.), D. A. Warne (chief production engineer), W. du C. Bowron, B.Sc. (electrical engineering, guidance dept.), W. A. Chapman (deputy head of airframe and propulsion dept.), F. Martin (head of airframe and propulsion dept.), L. W. Reeve (head of trials dept.), T. F. R. George, B.Sc.(Eng.), A.F.R.Ae.S. (deputy chief technician), G. R. Mansfield, B.Sc.(Eng.), A.C.G.I., D.I.C. (guidance department).
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