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Aviation History
1960
1960 - 1057.PDF
FLIGHT, 15 July I960 Missiles and Spaceflight A standard NATO ground-attack weapon system: the Flat G.91R and two Nord AS.20s The Nord Missile Family With Special Reference to the Supersonic Members NOWHERE in the West has the development and productionof guided weapons been planned and executed with greatersureness and success than by Nord-Aviation SNCA, of Chatillon-sous-Bagneux, France. Nord have now evolved a familyof weapons embracing four entirely different types of mission; yet each has led logically to the next, and all make use of commonprinciples and techniques. The family began with the SS.10 (SS = sol-sol, surface-to-surface). Having its inception in the German X-4 and other 1943-5 projects, its design was prepared shortly after the Warunder the direction of the late General Vernisse of the Arsenal de l'Aeronautique. The Arsenal later became SFECMAS, and finallymerged with the SNCA du Nord. The SS.10 was built in quantity as the Nord 5202 (training) and 5203, and has been delivered inlarger quantities than any other missile (over 30,000). It was fully described in our issue of February 7, 1958. Like the pioneer X-4, SS.10 is steered by command signalstransmitted from the launching point along fine wires unreeled from the missile as it flies. Control is exercised by means ofvibrating spoilers at the root of the trailing edge of each of the four wings. The latter are mounted at a slight angle to the body axis sothat the missile rolh throughout its flight. By this means a single reference gyro can be employed to index the pitch and yaw signalsto alternate pairs of spoilers as they pass through the appropriate plane of demand. All four spoilers vibrate continuously and eachcontrol impulse causes a dwell, not an actuation, so that low- strength signals may be employed with little amplification. Pro-pulsion is provided by a two-stage solid motor, the first charge giving high thrust for the boost phase. While the SS.10 was in the final stages of development the samedesign team started work on a much heavier and faster missile designated SS.ll, and with the company type-number Nord 5210(described in our issue of November 14, 1958). The higher speed (see data table) necessitated the use of a new control system. Evenif spoilers could have been fitted into the highly swept trailing edges, they would have had to operate in very disturbed air andcould not have been made effective over the entire speed range of the weapon. Much research went into the perfection of an effectivesystem, which forms the basis of the steering mechanism of all later Nord weapons. The command signals are passed to a quartet ofjet spoilers which deflect the jet from the sustainer rocket motor to give a very powerful control. Some seven years ago, in parallel with the SS.ll programme,attention was turned to the problem of developing a supersonic air-to-air missile with the same basic control concept. TheSFECMAS /Nord group were awarded a government contract for it as the AA.20 (AA—cdr-air), and the basic missile was designatedNord 5103. Nord were entrusted with the entire weapon system, and its development quickly became the largest missile projectwithin the company. It is significant that those responsible for establishing the basicdesign parameters took care not to set their sights too high. Although the AA.20 was from the outset intended to be a fullyeffective operational missile, it was generally regarded as an -nterim missile pending development of the ultimate Matra 530series, and so was never intended to be an "all-can-do" weapon. On the contrary, by setting fairly modest design targets, and inparticular by adopting command guidance, the problems of development were minimized, operational delivery hastened andthe versatility and flexibility of the final weapon system increased. As a result the AA.20 cannot be used at night or in bad weather,although developments overcome this limitation. On the other hand, as long as the target can be seen the missile can be launchedagainst it, so that attacks can be made from any quarter and not only from astern or on a collision course. (It is instructive tocompare the missile with our own Firefiash, which—as Blue Sky —was likewise conceived as an "easy" stop-gap while moreadvanced missiles came along behind.) Notwithstanding its entirely different function, the AA.20weapon system was based on that of the earlier anti-tank missiles, and the maximum use was made of the great fund of practicaldesign experience which had already been obtained. Essentially the air-to-air missile is an enlarged SS.ll redesigned for super-sonic flight. Naturally enough, wire guidance had to be replaced by radio command signals, but the pilot's controller is identicalwith that used by the operator of an SS.ll. All portions of the weapon system carried in the parent aircraft are quite compact,and have an aggregate weight below 1201b. To describe the overall weapon system it is proposed to outline its method of operation. Most AA.20s have been manufactured at Chatillon. After finalacceptance tests, the two major portions (warhead and missile body) are packed one above the other in a rigid shockproofsupporting frame, which is then inserted into a metal container and hermetically sealed. The warhead, occupying the upper partof the container, can be inserted and removed independently, and another compartment contains the airborne battery package so thatthe latter can be serviced separately. When a missile is required for use it is withdrawn from store, Progenitor of the family, the SS.10 is in the rear; centre is the SS.ll and in the foreground is a mock-up SS12 and its launcher V.
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