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Aviation History
1960
1960 - 0329.PDF
PLIGHT, 11 March 1960 Missiles and Space flight 329 OUT artist Frank Munger prepared this drawing of the Blue Streak launcher for one of our associate journals. Fabricated by Morfax Ltd., the prin- cipal units comprise: A, main box beams; B, bogie unit; C, release gear (both sides of missile); 0, vertical guide rods; E, lifting-jack handle socket BLUE STREAK LAUNCHER The drawing reproduced on this page was prepared for ourassociate journal Welding and Metal Fabrication. In this publica- tion's March issue* appears an 11-page article on the manufactureof the launcher for Blue Streak. Few of our readers need to be told that this missile is Britain's LRBM, or that its developmentis being managed by de Havilland Propellers, with major sub- contracts let to de Havilland Aircraft, Rolls-Royce and Sperry.Nothing, however, has previously been published on the launcher. This unit can be accurately rotated in azimuth, and it may be arequirement for the inertial guidance system to start off on the correct bearing. This is also the case with the US Army Redstoneand Jupiter, but none of the USAF strategic missiles have to be rotated before launch. The launcher also appears to make noprovision for weighing, thrust-measuring, an umbilical mast or propellant-loading systems. In fact, it may be that the launcherdescribed here is an interim development model. As our drawing shows, the body of the launcher is built up froma pair of box beams A, each some 26ft X 5ft X 7ft high. All- welded in lin Conlo 1 notch-ductile steel, these beams areconnected by pin-jointed cross-braces from 3in plate, and are fabricated to very dose tolerance, largely by optical methods. Ateach end of each beam is a bogie unit B, set at 32.5°. These bogie units employ 20in cast-iron wheels manually driven througha reduction ratio of 357:1 in order that the complete launcher and missile may be rotated in azimuth about a circular track. On topof the launcher are four release-gear arms C, which hold the missile securely in all wind conditions during the fuelling andpre-launch countdown. The four arms are pulled away to release the missile by an electro-hydraulic system which ensures thatrelease occurs at all four points at the same instant. Each bogie unit is attached to the launcher beams via a yokebracket and a pair of 6in-diameter vertical guide rods D and central lifting jack. The latter, manually operated by inserting a leverinto the socket E, can lift the complete launcher platform clear of the ground. Once lifted it may be rotated in azimuth to thedesired angular position. The jacks are then again lowered until the launcher is resting on the ground, jacking continuing untilthe bogie wheels are all clear of the track. Design and construction of the launcher has been entrusted toMorfax Ltd, of Mitcham, Surrey. It is unfortunate that security prevents publication of the actual method to be employed in anoperational emplacement. From the outset Blue Streak has been designed for hard (underground) deployment, yet it is mostunlikely that the missile is intended to be launched from the bottom of its silo. It seems most likely that the procedure will befor fuelling and as much of the pre-launch work as possible to be completed within the silo and for the fuelled missile and launcherthen to be raised to ground level shortly before completion of the countdown. Launch weight of a Blue Streak is unlikely to be lessthan 75 tons, and the launcher itself weighs 70 tons, so the problems involved will be appreciable. from Dorset House, London SE1, at a price of 3s, and alsoa feature on the manufacture of the North American B-70 BLUE STEEL IN ACTION During 1956 the Weapons Research Division of A. V. Roe & Co Ltdwere entrusted with the entire development of a major weapon system under the code name of Blue Steel. Although generallyknown in Britain as a "stand-off bomb," Blue Steel is a miniature supersonic aeroplane capable of being launched at high altitudeand high subsonic speed from a V-bomber and thereafter trans- porting a megaton-yield warhead several hundred miles to a pre-selected target. As we described in our September 11 issue, the missile has self-contained inertial guidance by Elliott Bros(London) Ltd, which during captive flight is monitored by other airborne equipment and assists in the navigation of the parentaircraft (a Vulcan B.2 or Victor B.2). Upon release final position- Full-scale Blue Steel test vehicles have been launched from Valiants and Vulcans; this example is mounted beneath a Vulcan B.I
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