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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0046.PDF
44 FLIGHT, 13 January 1961 First illustration of the Skybolt air-launched ballistic missile, this photograph shows the engineering mock-up of the port installation of two missiles on the B-52H. It is discussed in the news-item above Missiles and Space flight . . . Below, new photographs of US Army missiles. Recent Pershings (left) have an extended nosecone, while Nike-Zeus is depicted in firing position on its research and development launcher at White Sands SKYBOLT SHAPE REVEALED Reproduced at left is a photograph taken in Boeing's plant atWichita, Kansas, showing the mock-up Skybolt installation beneath the port wing of the B-52H. Four dummy missiles werefitted beneath the first B-52H when it was rolled-out from the same factory on January 5 (photograph, page 41). Altogether,the twin installation represents a considerable aerodynamic and structural achievement. Vulcans will have single pylons. Although Skybolt's general appearance was predictable, itsdetailed configuration has previously been closely guarded. In our special Missiles issue of November 4 last we published aprovisional drawing, which can now be seen to have been a very near miss. The weapon does have aerodynamic tail fins, four ofwhich are identical with the surfaces we predicted; but it also has four delta fins at the same body station. This is a most unusualaerodynamic configuration, and it is possible that four of these fins are fixed and the remainder movable control surfaces. It canalso be seen that both stages of propulsion have the same diameter (like Polaris and Pershing), the re-entry vehicle being moreslender. No jettisonable tail fairing can be seen on the mock-up. First-stage propulsion is not ignited until the missile has droppedwell clear of the aircraft. DAVY CROCKETT UNMASKED Photographs have been released showing the complete DavyCrockett tactical nuclear weapon of the US Army. As described in our May 20, 1960 issue, it is essentially a mortar firing aspin-stabilized rocket carrying a nuclear warhead; construction is largely of titanium, and both infantry and vehicle-borne versionsare available. The photographs show the warhead to be of tear- drop form, about 9in diameter at its widest point, 30in long andequipped with four tail fins. The warhead is reported to be the same model as that used in the GAR-11 Falcon of the USAF,with a yield of about ikT. Range is unofficially put at approxi- mately three miles, yet it is said that no blast or fall-out can harmthe troops using the weapon. Davy Crockett is likely to be the first nuclear device for forward troops of both the American andBritish Armies; and it is possible that the British examples will be manufactured entirely in the United Kingdom. EUROPEAN SPACE DISCUSSIONS: TWO-WAY EXCHANGE Technical delegates from eight European countries and fromCanada visited the United Kingdom this week to obtain infor- mation on Britain's proposals to develop a launch vehicle forscientific and commercial satellites together with European and Commonwealth countries. This is a preliminary to the forthcomingLondon conference at which government representatives will discuss these proposals. On Monday and Tuesday, January 9 and 10, the overall planwas outlined and discussed at Church House, Westminster; on Wednesday the visitors were to go to de Havilland at Hatfieldand Stevenage; and on Thursday a tour of the engine and test facilities at Spadeadam was planned. The European countriesrepresented were Belgium, Denmark, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. Another visit this week was that of the Minister of Aviation,Mr Peter Thorneycroft, to Bonn, where he was to discuss with West German Ministers during January 10-12 the UK satellite-launcher proposals. Before returning to the United Kingdom Mr Thorneycroft was to visit Denmark, Norway and Sweden forfurther talks on the same subject. A test range for the transmission of messages by means of reflector-type satellites is to be established by Page Communications Engineers, a Northrop subsidiary. Test messages by voice and teletype will betransmitted between northern New York State and Trinidad. Mr Overton Brooks, chairman of the US House of RepresentativesSpace Committee, is urging President-elect Kennedy to "order imme- diate production" of Nike-Zeus. In the 1960 Fiscal Year, Congressappropriated $137m (£48m) to fund initial production, but the President withheld the money pending further demonstrations of feasibility. On December 28 it was announced by the US Embassy in Romethat major units of a Terrier ship-to-air missile system had been delivered to the Italian naval yard at La Spezia. Supplied under the USmilitary aid programme, the weapon system is being installed in the cruiser Garibaldi. A contract to build three experimental satellite payloads which willsupply supporting data for "future military space programs" has been awarded by the US Advanced Research Projects Agency to Convair-Astronautics. Under the project name Arents (ARPA Experimental Test Satellites), the contract is for $1.9m. Launchings will begin "earhin 1962" in test flights of the Centaur vehicle. A successful firing took place on January 7 from Cape Canaveral of athree-stage Blue Scout 1 carrying a 3921b scientific payload. Main tesr objective of the firing, carried out by the US Air Force, was to test therocket itself, but the payload included scientific instruments to measur radiation in the lower edge of the Van Allen belt, count micrometeoritipunctures and detect electrical signals above and below the ionosphere The rocket's trajectory included an altitude of 1.000 miles and a downrange distance of 1,400 miles. Recovery of a 901b instrumented capsule was attempted unsuccessfully.
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