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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 1730.PDF
894 FLIGHT, 7 December 1956 Guided Missiles 1956 . . . Great Britain—continued) lavish missile industry in the U.S.A. It would, however, be un-generous not to acknowledge the debt owed to American high- speed tunnels by our early missile programme. It is fair to say that before 1950 no company in Britain couldhave embarked on the design of a really advanced guided-missile system with any hope of success. Since that year actual weaponprogrammes have been undertaken by many firms, and all are today in full sail, with as much hope of success as their counter-parts in the aircraft industry. By far the greater proportion of our guided-weapon effort is dispersed among private firms—a mosthealthy sign and a good augury for the future. Even the basic research effort is now shared between government departmentsand industry. Chief guided-weapon centre remains the R.A.E., with its out-stations at Westcott and Aberporth (simple firings are also carried out at Larkhill). Also contributing are the Radar ResearchEstablishment, Malvern; National Gas Turbine Establishment, Pyestock; Signals Research and Development Establishment,Christchurch; Armament R.D.E., Fort Halstead; Admiralty S.R.D.E., Portsdown; Explosives R.D.E. Waltham Abbey; and,of course, the great Weapons Research Establishment and long- range weapons ranges at Salisbury and at Woomera. Few detailsof Woomera have been made public since it was first described in our issue of April 13,1951. It is nevertheless clear that the facilitiesavailable in Australia are vital. Since the autumn of 1953 the cost of experiments at Woomera and in Salisbury has been sharedbetween Britain and Australia, and co-operation has since been excellent. Early in 1953 the then Minister of Supply announced "Initiallyour efforts were concentrated on the problem of defence against enemy air attack. For this purpose a series of missiles has beenevolved—some to be launched from the ground, some from ships and some from fighter planes. While these anti-aircraft missiles will be the first guided rockets to be brought into service, they will be followed by other types for use invarious artillery and bombardment roles." In April,of that year it was announced by the then Minister of Defence "after full con-sideration the Government has decided that the manning and operation of ground-to-air guided weapons will become the res-ponsibility of the Royal Air Force." This decision arose prin- cipally from the need for unified command of the air space to beoccupied by missiles and defending fighters. In May 1954 discussions were held between the Ministry ofSupply and the U.S. Defense Department, and other agencies. The primary aim was announced as the prevention of duplica-tion of effort in the missile field and the establishment of machinery for joint consultation and mutual sharing of problems. Nevertheless it was announced earlier this year that our effortswere "approximately three years behind those of America in the overall field"—a rather sweeping contention that could be chal-lenged. In spite of a statement in January 1954 that the "killing potential" of R.A.F. fighters would be quadrupled by air-to-airmissiles about to be introduced, it was revealed this year that such weapons would not become part of the armoury of theR.A.F. until "new types" had been developed. It was also stated that work had begun on an ICBM (inter-continentalballistic missile); that an 8,000-acre site at Spadeadam Waste, in die Border country, had been considered as suitable for staticfirings of large (ICBM) motors; and that a Service-training missile range would be established at South Uist, Hebrides. The following are extracts from the Statement on Defence,1956:— "The cost of new weapons is increasing, and will go onincreasing. "Good progress is being made with the [Naval] guided missileprogramme and it is intended that these weapons shall be installed in both the new cruisers and the new destroyers. "We [the Army] shall be receiving in 1956 initial supplies ofthe American .... Corporal. Training in handling and develop- ment will start this year. "For some time to come the manned fighter must continue toprovide the backbone of our Air Defence system. The fire power and lethality of fighter aircraft will be markedly increased byequipping them with air-to-air guided missiles. The first genera- tion of missiles will become available from production in thecourse of 1956-7. They will be brought into service with a special mark of Swift, and will be used to gain experience of this type ofweapon. "Although manned fighter aircraft and their weapons willimprove, the surface-to-air guided weapon may well in time play a predominant part in Air Defence. A production order has beenplaced for these weapons for trials with the Air Defence system. Our aim is a guided weapons system which can break up enemyattacks before they penetrate over the coastline, and which can be integrated with our fighter defences. "Particular emphasis is being placed on the ballistic rocket as adeterrent to aggression. "Progress continues to be made in the development of guidedmissiles for each of the Services. . . . Some encouraging successes have been achieved in trial firings of both air-to-air and surface-to-air weapons. Service personnel are participating in trials on an increasing scale. "The guided weapons trial ship [H.M.S. Girdleness] shouldbegin work in 1956, and the plans for the first operational ship to use^ guided weapons as its main armament are going well."Close co-operation with the U.S-A. has continued with mutual benefit, particularly on guided weapons . . . the U.K. hasoffered to assist her allies in the development of guided missiles." AIR-TO-AIR de Havilland. Since 1951 the de Havilland Propeller Co. have beena major contractor to the Ministry of Supply in the development of guided weapons. The work is centred at Lostock, Farnworth andLakefield in the North and Hatfield and Stcvenage in the South. No details of the compan/s work may yet be made public. It is, however,of interest to list certain of the reports which have appeared in foreign journals.In December 1954 it was stated in the U.S.A. that "Future British intercepted will be armed with the de Havilland air-to-air missile de Havilland. This test vehicle was exhibited in the autumn of 195-4. It may bepresumed to be geometrically similar to the air-to-air missile which the company are reported to be developing. Length, about 7ft: span, about 1ft 6ins. using an infra-red target-seeking device. Delta-wing Gloster Javelinmay be the first R.A.F. intercepter to carry the de Havilland missile." Early in 1955 a British writer reiterated that "de Havillands areworking on air-to-air missiles suitable for mounting on such aircraft as the Javelin."Last summer it was reported that the weapon would have a "liquid rocket" and would be "projected standard equipment for the R.A.F.with infra-red homing head." Another report states that the weapon "has high performance and good range characteristics, plus a highlysensitive infra-red heat-seeking system." Firefiash. The Fairey Aviation Co., whose Weapon Division isbased at Heston, Middlesex, were one of the first British companies to enter the missile field. For four years a strong team has been based atSalisbury, S. Australia, where, with Fairey Australia, a great deal of effort was expended in the development of early test vehicles. Firefiash—originally it was known by a code name—is the firstBritish guided weapon to have been publicly revealed. Although not then identified, it was pictured in a photograph of a firing from aMeteor night fighter which we published as early as August 2$, 1953. Firaflosh. AAM with paired boost motors; no sustainer motor. Basic missilelength, 7ft 6in: overall length with boost motors, 9ft 7in; wing span, 2ft 4in. Plessey and Ekco were two of the chief collaborators in the developmentof this weapon. The missile itself is an unpowered "dart," boosted to high super-sonic speed by paired motors mounted above and below. At the burn- out point an explosive bolt shears the link joining the motors at thefront end and each flicks away to leave a very clean missile capable of coasting for several miles. The missile is a beam rider, with aerialsat the rear; there is, of course, no rocket-flame ionization to produce inaccuracies. Steering is effected with small cruciform controls mountedbehind, and indexed at 45 deg to, the wings. The booster cases are wrapped and riveted, and the motor nozzles are canted outwards sothat the thrust-lines pass through the overall e.g. At the end of 1953 a development round, with an explosive warheadand proximity fuse, destroyed a Firefly drone. The latter was the first target shot down by a British air-to-air guided weapon. Both theSwift F.7 and a variant of the Hunter have been publicly shown with a Fireflash mounted under each wing (the Swift can, in fact, mount twounder each wing). The Fireflash/Hunter combination is available for export. The missile itself, together with its trolley and "yes-no"ground-test gear, is in service-test production for the R.A.F. as a training and indoctrination weapon. Vickers-Armstrongs. Nothing has been officially released regardingVickers' guided-weapon programme. The following, however, was published by a British newspaper last month. "Another guided missilehas been scrapped by the Government ... it was being developed for the R-AJ\ to replace guns in fighters. The new rocket, scheduled for
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