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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 1614.PDF
718 FLIGHT. 2 November 1961 TABLE 7: ANTI-TANK MISSILES Bantam Cobra Entac Malkara MosquitoNord SS.IO Nord SS 1 1 'ython Vigilant Launch wt (Ib) 13.2 20.9 26.5 206 26.5 33 64 80 31 Warhead (Ib) 3.1 5.5 — 60 7.3 11 I7.S 30 12 Length (in) 33 42 32.6 76 44.1 33.9 45.9 60 42 Body diam (in) 4.3 3.9 5.5 8 4.7 6.5 6.5 6 4.5 Span (in) 15.8 19 15 31 23.6 29.5 19.7 24 II Range limits (ft) 1,000-6,500 1,640-5,250 -5,800 1.000-6.000- 1,200-6,600 990-5,250 1,650-1 1,500 500-4.500 Speed (m.p.h.) 191 190 190 400 21 1 180 425 340 MISSILES 1 96 1 the German Army. 250 (evaluation) are on order for Holland, evaluations have been made by the US Marine Corps and 7th Army, and Daystrom Inc hold a production licence. ENTAC Medium infantry missile FRENCH ARMY, US ARMY. BELGIAN ARMY EIGHT months ago this missile achieved the order sought by five others—bulk inventory purchase by the US Army. Entac (Engin Tactique Anti-Chars) was developed by the Direction des Etudes et Fabrications d'Arme- ment, in competition with the industry- developed Nord SS.IO. Taking more than twice as long as Nord, the government per- sonnel delayed finalization in order to achieve a better weapon. Entac is lighter than SS.IO. flies faster, has greater range, and—above all —has a partly velocity-type control system, instead of the difficult acceleration control. Originally Entac needed a crew of two, de- signated command-post supervisor and tracker, but DEFA have striven to make Entac a one-man missile. Many such improvements are being made, and we recently quoted a German rival as saying that the final, pro- mised Entac "exists only on paper." Produc- tion has been farmed out to Nord. The US Fiscal 1961 purchase could be for some 17,000 rounds, at about SI,200 each, trig- gered off by the sudden crises in Indo China, Berlin and elsewhere. MALKARA Heavy missile for use from vehicles BRITISH ARMY IN anti-tank warfare anybody who fails to kill with his first shot rarely gets a chance for a second. While aware of the profusion of infantry missiles, the British War Office have long believed their lethality to be inadequate; and in August 1959 the sledgehammer Mal- kara was bought for use by the Royal Ar- moured Corps. Details of the missile, and its development by the Australian Government Aircraft Factories with assistance by the RAE. were given in the 1959 review. Fairey Engineering are UK foster-parent, and hold the sales-agency for all countries except the USA. British deployment will primarily be from an ad hoc air-droppable armoured vehicle with a crew of three, carrying two rounds on launchers and two stowed. Using a 601b head containing 351b h.e.. Malkara is effective against any point target, such as a fort or bridge. Trials at Puckapunyal by the Australian Army and Department of Supply- have demonstrated the accuracy and lethality of the missile; it can be made consistently to enter the slit of a bunker at ranges greater than a mile. MOSQUITO Light infantry missile SWISS ARMY, "OTHER CUSTOMERS"" THE renowned armaments firms of Contraves and Oerlikon have now completed develop- ment of this missile, in which plastics and transistorization contribute to a low weight for its size. A rigid back-pack contains two Mosquitoes, wings undipped, while the con- trol unit is slung round the neck. The missile is launched directly from the ground, the forebody being supported by an adjustable rod. Arming is effected in flight either by a clockwork timer or a command signal from the operator. Contraves are in full production at Zurich, and have developed not only a simulator but a parachute recovery system for practice missiles. NORD_5203 (SS.IO) Medium missile for infantry, vehicles or aircraft FRENCH ARMY, and forces of 13 other nations (Surface/Surface Missile 10) SS.IO was ready for service in 1953; more than 50,000 have now been delivered, out of Nord's present total of rather over 70,000 missiles of all types. Fully described in Flight Two Continental anti-tank weapons: left, the definitive version of the German Cobra, which requires no launcher; right, the Swiss Mosquito, which (like Cobra) is made largely of plastics for February 7, 1958, it costs about £340 and is widely used from Jeeps, slow aircraft and helicopters. NORD 5210 (SS.ll) Heavy missile for infantry, vehicles or aircraft FRENCH ARMY, NAVY AND AIR FORCE, large evaluation orders by USA. Britain and" Federal German Republic, and used by at least four other nations (Surface/Surface Missile lly SS.l 1 weighs too much to be a popular infan- try weapon, although Nord have evolved a scheme whereby four men can handle three missiles and equipment. The marine version can be used after the guidance wires have touched the sea, and various types of warhead may be fitted according to the target character. A full description appeared on November 14. 1958. PYTHON Heavy missile for infantry or vehicles PRIVATE VENTURE STARTING with a careful electronic analysis- of guidance systems, Pye Ltd, of Cambridge, have progressively evolved an optimum system which is now being test-flown. The War Office is keeping a close watch on pro- gress, but has not injected money. Flight development continues to show promise, and a unique feature currently being perfected is that, to minimize power required for roll- stabilization, only the rear end of the missile, containing the motor nozzles, is prevented from rotating. VIGILANT Medium missile for infantry PRIVATE VENTURE DESCRIPTIONS of this weapon system were published by Flight on May 22. 1959, and July 27. 1961. Since they were not working for a customer, Vickers-Armstrongs (Air- craft) were able to develop this weapon with speed and economy, and it has shown itself to be the most effective infantry anti-tank device in the world. Key to the ease with which an operator can learn, and retain, certain-kill accuracy is the fact that it has an airborne autopilot, making for smooth flight and instant response to operator demand. Other advantages stem from the absence of either smoke or flash at launch, the high flight speed, the small-span wings with trailing- edge controls, and the extremely effective warhead which weighs 36 per cent of missile weight. Large-scale evaluation has been successfully completed by British Army infantry, and Royal Armoured Corps trials are in hand with Vigilants fired from Ferret scout cars. Following 5hr simulator training, operators are consistently achieving turret- strikes with their first round; and moving tanks have been hit well off to one side at only 200yd range. Production has been assigned by British Aircraft Corporation to English Electric Aviation at Stevenage; it is the task of BAC to prove that Vigilant is "the most economical and certain tank-killing weapon ever devised for infantry." despite its high first cost.
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