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Aviation History
1964
1964 - 1754.PDF
969FLIGHT j Inter- l j B/ue Streak's powerp/ont: t/ie win I37,000ll50,000lb-thrust Rolls-Royce RZ.2 engines. The assembly shown here—at Hawker Siddeley Dynamics' Stevenage works—is the one used in F.2, the second fight vehicle, now on its way to Woomera EUROPA I ELDO's Three-stage Launch Vehicle Described As recorded on page 952, the first Blue Streak to be launched—Vehicle F.I, described in our May 28 issue— lifted from the rocket range at Woomera, South Australia, at OO44hr BST (0914 Australian time) on June 5. In these pages we present a series of articles on the initial satellite-launching programme of the European Launcher Development Organization, in which Blue Streak plays a major part. 1: BLUE STREAK By C. T. WILKINS, Director Space Projects, Hawker Siddeley Dynamics Ltd THE Government proposal to build an LRBM was announcedin 1957, and since that time Blue Streak has weathered manyvicissitudes. Initial design and development progressed with notable technical success, and static firings of a missile first occurred in 1960. The magnitude and complexity of the weapon system had presented considerable problems, which generated unique solutions, particularly in the case of the underground launcher; but the Government's defence policy was, through chang- ing circumstances, gradually found to be untenable, and in ApriJ I960 the project was cancelled. By this time the impact of space activity in America and Russia had made itself felt, and the potential of Blue Streak in this connec- tion was not lost. Plans were formulated for adapting the vehicle to the role of the first stage of a satellite launcher, and joint Anglo/ French proposals were presented to a conference attended by European states at Strasburg in January 1961. As a result ELDO was formed, and a new role for Blue Streak was established. Since then, work has proceeded on the development and proving pf vehicle structure, systems and equipment, in order to obtain improved performance and reliability. The equipment associated with the military aspect has disappeared and new items of equip- ment have been introduced, but the basic concept of the original vehicle has been retained. Thus, culminating in the first launch °f Blue Streak, the vehicle and its associated ground equipment have been demonstrated as fulfilling the major objectives and, although this milestone is accepted as being only the beginning of an extensive flight-trials phase, it is also to many people an event which justifies the faith and effort that has been put into the project. The detailed engineering aspects of the vehicle are illustrated in the cut-away drawing which appears on these pages. Additional comment is made in the following paragraphs on the design aspects of the structure and systems, which have helped to inject into Europe the new technologies of the Space Age. Structure Very simply, the basic functions of a rocket structure are to store the propellant, accept the thrust force from the engines, and carry the payload into space, by surviving the flight environment. In achieving these ends, a thin-walled tank structure was found to give the best solution, depending like a balloon on internal pressure to maintain its shape. The thickness of the greater part of the skin is only 0.019in. The tank structure is about five storeys high (46ft), and 10ft diameter, weighs only 3,3001b empty but can carry 190,0001b of kerosine (K) and liquid oxygen (lox) propellants at take-off. The total weight of the empty vehicle, fully equipped, is 13,5001b. Blue Streak will lift upper stages and satellite weighing 36,OOOlb to a height of 32 nautical miles and a speed of 6,650 m.p.h. in 150sec. The propulsion bay is the only part of the structure manufactured in aluminium alloy, and it follows conventional aircraft practice of a thin skin with frames and stringers. It is interesting to note that in the complex design analysis which established the optimum structure, the overall diameter of the propulsion bay was restricted
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