FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1962
1962 - 0716.PDF
714 FLIGHT International, 3 May 1962 Missiles and Spaceflight HOT SKYBOLT FIRED The first air firing of a "hot" XGAM-87 Skybolt took place suc cessfully on April 19. The test missile, bearing the USAF serial number 20025, differed externally from previous ballistic air dropped models in having external fairings to lead instrumentation and systems past the two solid-propellant rocket motors. It was carried on the No 4 (starboard outer) pylon position beneath a B-52G operating from Eglin AFB, Florida, where Douglas main tain their field location A55 for this work. For this particular firing, the missile was equipped with a relatively simple pre-programmed guidance and control system for a flight of approximately the design range of 1,000 n.m. down the Atlantic Missile Range. With the B-52 flying at some 350kt at 40,000ft, the complete launch sequence took place successfully, the missile separating within the desired "box" of sky. After falling for some 400ft, the first stage ignited and burnt correctly, the arching trail from the Skybolt being clearly seen by observers at Cape Canaveral. But the second stage malfunctioned, a USAF spokesman saying "If it ignited, it was only briefly." Nevertheless, Douglas and their subcontractors—to say nothing of RAF Bomber Command, whose whole future depends on this weapon—may feel encouraged that so many design objectives were accomplished. NORD MISSILES FOR RAF AND RN Official announcements from Paris have confirmed substantial purchases by both the RAF and Royal Navy of air-to-surface guided missiles developed by Nord-Aviation. The Navy's choice is the SS.ll, quantities of which were purchased for evaluation by the Ministry of Aviation in 1959-60. Capable of carrying a variety of warheads, this 641b weapon can be employed against a variety of targets, and is also used by the French to train pilots in command-guidance techniques which they will later employ with more advanced weapons (and it is, of course, widely used in surface-to-surface roles). According to Nord, the Admiralty is negotiating to buy "a significant quantity," for use from Wessex helicopters. The type of Wessex involved is probably the sand- coloured assault version of the Mk 1, now being delivered from After a stupendous engineering effort protracted by labour troubles and incessant modifications, the first Titan I complex was ceremonially turned over to USAF Strategic Air Command on April 18. The squadron has nine missiles, two of which are here seen elevated to the surface, and is located at Lowry AFB, near Denver, Colorado Launch of the first "hot" Skybolt AL&M, as described on the left Yeovil for service aboard the two Commando carriers (and on the future Wessex 5, which will replace these aircraft). There is no indication at present how many missiles will be carried, nor in what manner. On April 20 the French Ministry of the Armed Forces announced that the Royal Air Force had ordered 1,000 Nord AS.30 missiles, costing approximately £5m (in fact, the order would have been signed by the Ministry of Aviation, on behalf of the RAF). The AS.30 weighs approximately 1,1251b, and can be guided by radio command; SS.ll, on the other hand, has wire guidance and so can be operated only from slow-flying aircraft. AS.30 will become a standard weapon on all RAF ground-attack Canberras, and is also to be fitted to the TSR.2. Its first public firing demonstration took place in April in the Sahara, when 20 military attaches from Paris witnessed a launch from a Mirage IIIC. The adoption of AS.30 by the RAF and of the Martin Bullpup by the Royal Navy is almost certainly political; either missile could meet the require ments of both services. Production Minuteman The first production SM-80 Minuteman ICBM was completed at Hill AFB, near Ogden, Utah, on April 12. Selection of this location for the Minuteman assembly and recycling facility was announced in November 1959; the plant was built for the purpose, and is managed by Boeing. Live Polaris Shot? As we go to press there is no official comment on the report that a Polaris with a live warhead will be fired from beneath the Pacific during the current series of US atmospheric nuclear tests. The Polaris warhead was one of the first miniature thermonuclear devices, and has a yield of about 0.6MT. 40,000 Douglas Missiles A Thor booster rolled out by the Missile & Space Systems Division of Douglas Aircraft at Santa Monica on April 12 was hailed as the 40,000th missile built by the company. Missiles and spacecraft produced by Douglas include Roc 1, Nike Ajax, Nike Hercules, Nike Zeus, Honest John, Genie, Thor, Skybolt, Delta and the Saturn S-4 and S-4B upper stages. Nord-Aviation have made twice as many missiles, but most of the French company's products have been smaller and simpler.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
