AAM-A-1 Firebird

Last updated
AAM-A-1 Firebird
AAM-A-1 Firebird on DB-26B Invader August 1949.png
Type Air-to-air missile
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In serviceNever entered service.
Production history
Designed1946-1947
Manufacturer Ryan Aeronautical Company
Specifications
Mass260 pounds (120 kg)
Length7 feet 6 inches (2.29 m)
 lengthBooster, 1 foot 10 inches (0.56 m)
Diameter8 inches (200 mm)
Wingspan2 ft 8 in (0.81 m)
Warhead High explosive
Warhead weight90 pounds (41 kg)
EngineLiquid-fuel rocket, 620 lbf (2.8 kN)
Booster, solid-fuel rocket, 2,800 lbf (12 kN)
Operational
range
8 miles (13 km)
Maximum speed Mach 0.85
Guidance
system
Midcourse: Radio command
Terminal: Active radar homing
Launch
platform
 DB-26 Invader
DF-82 Twin Mustang

The AAM-A-1 Firebird was an early American air-to-air missile, developed by the Ryan Aeronautical Company. The first air-to-air missile program developed for the United States Air Force, the Firebird was extensively tested in the late 1940s; although it proved successful in testing, it was soon obsolete due to the rapid advances in aircraft and missile technology at the time and did not enter production.

Contents

Design and development

The AAM-A-1 project began in 1946 with the awarding of a study contract, under the designation MX-799, to the Ryan Aeronautical Company for the development of a subsonic air-to-air missile, which would be used by interceptor aircraft for the destruction of enemy bombers. [1] A contract for the development of the missile, designated AAM-A-1 Firebird, was awarded in 1947. [1]

The AAM-A-1 Firebird was a two-stage weapon, fitted with cruciform wings and tailfins. Control was by differential motion of the wings; the tailfins were fixed. [1] The missile's fuselage was constructed from aluminum alloy, while the nosecone and control fins were molded from plastic. [2] Firebird was fitted with a solid-fuel booster rocket providing initial thrust, before a liquid-fuel sustainer [N 1] rocket ignited for a 15-second powered flight time. [1]

Guidance was provided during midcourse flight by radio command, with an operator in the launching aircraft transmitting corrections to the missile. Terminal guidance used active radar homing, with a small radar set fitted in the nose of the missile, [3] [4] [N 2] with the missile's warhead being detonated by a proximity fuze, a backup impact fuze also being fitted. [1]

Operational history

Flight testing of the XAAM-A-1 prototype missiles began in October 1947, [1] launched from DB-26 Invader bomber and DF-82 Twin Mustang aircraft, [1] the latter of which could carry up to four missiles. [3] [5] The first air-to-air missile to reach the flight-test stage outside of World War II Nazi Germany, [6] the Firebird proved to be reasonably successful in testing, with production being projected for the early 1950s; [7] however its command-guidance system limited it to clear-weather, daytime use only. [1]

Although radar beam riding guidance was planned to solve this, [6] the subsonic speed of the weapon was also considered to be insufficient to avoid obsolescence; accordingly, the AAM-A-1's production program was terminated late in 1949, [1] the Hughes Falcon being selected for development as the Air Force's standard intercept missile instead. [8] The test program was considered to be successful, despite the rejection by the USAF, as a considerable amount of knowledge was gained that benefited later programs. [9]

A Firebird missile is preserved at the Air Force Space & Missile Museum at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AIM-7 Sparrow</span> Medium-range, semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile

The AIM-7 Sparrow is an American medium-range semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile operated by the United States Air Force, United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and various other air forces and navies. Sparrow and its derivatives were the West's principal beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missile from the late 1950s until the 1990s. It remains in service, although it is being phased out in aviation applications in favor of the more advanced AIM-120 AMRAAM.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Missile</span> Self-propelled guided weapon system

A missile is an airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight aided usually by a propellant, jet engine or rocket motor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air-to-air missile</span> Missile fired from the air at airborne targets

An air-to-air missile (AAM) is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft. AAMs are typically powered by one or more rocket motors, usually solid fueled but sometimes liquid fueled. Ramjet engines, as used on the Meteor, are emerging as propulsion that will enable future medium- to long-range missiles to maintain higher average speed across their engagement envelope.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AIM-4 Falcon</span> American air-to-air missile

The Hughes AIM-4 Falcon was the first operational guided air-to-air missile of the United States Air Force. Development began in 1946; the weapon was first tested in 1949. The missile entered service with the USAF in 1956.

The AGM-80 Viper was an air-to-surface missile developed by the Chrysler Corporation Missile Division in the 1960s for use by the United States Air Force. Based on the AGM-12 Bullpup, the program was cancelled early in trials. Viper was designed as a "self-guided standoff munition" for use in the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses role. The Viper, based on the AGM-12C/E Bullpup missile, was fitted with an inertial guidance system, and had a radar altimeter-based fuse to ensure an airburst of the weapon's bomblet payload. It was developed in competition with the AGM-79 Blue Eye missile, but was cancelled in the early 1970s, shortly after the start of flight tests of the prototype missiles, designated XAGM-80A.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">XSM-73 Goose</span> Cruise Missile

The Fairchild SM-73 was a planned sub-sonic, jet-powered, long-range, ground-launched decoy cruise missile. XSM-73 was the designation for the development version. Development began in 1952 with conceptual studies and ended when the program was canceled in 1958 after 15 test flights but before any operational deployment. The operational concept was to base squadrons of XM-73s at various locations in the United States and if necessary launch the aircraft as part of a strategic bomber attack. The aircraft would fly autonomously under inertial guidance towards the target area, using radar reflectors and electronic countermeasures to imitate American bombers and thus confuse and saturate enemy air defenses. The program was cancelled because the missile was not able to simulate a B-52 bomber on radar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Project Gorgon</span> Ground-to-ground missile

The Gorgon missile family was a series of experimental air-to-air, air-to-surface, and surface-to-surface missiles developed by the United States Navy's Naval Aircraft Modification Unit between 1943 and 1953. The immaturity of the technology involved meant that none of the Gorgon missiles achieved operational service, however they were extensively used in the development of guided missile controls and guidance technologies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AAM-2</span> Short-range, infrared homing air-to-air missile

The Mitsubishi AAM-2 was a Japanese prototype for a limited all aspect infrared homing air-to-air missile developed based on the American AIM-4D Falcon missile. It never reached production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Project Kingfisher</span> Anti-ship missiles

Project Kingfisher was a weapons-development program initiated by the United States Navy during the latter part of World War II. Intended to provide aircraft and surface ships with the ability to deliver torpedoes to targets from outside the range of defensive armament, six different missile concepts were developed; four were selected for full development programs, but only one reached operational service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ASALM</span> High supersonic Air-launched cruise missile

The Advanced Strategic Air-Launched Missile (ASALM) was a medium-range strategic missile program, developed in the late 1970s for the United States Air Force. Intended for use in both the air-to-surface and anti-AWACS roles, the missile's development reached the stage of propulsion-system tests before being cancelled in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JB-4</span> American air-to-surface missile prototype

The JB-4, also known as MX-607, was an early American air-to-surface missile developed by the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Using television/radio-command guidance, the JB-4 reached the flight-testing stage before being cancelled at the end of the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nord AA.20</span> Air-to-air missile

The AA.20 was a French air-to-air missile, developed by Nord Aviation, and was one of the first of such missiles adopted into service in Western Europe. Production began at Chatillon, France in 1956. Approximately 6,000 missiles of the type were produced, remaining in service until 1960.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SAM-N-2 Lark</span> Surface-to-air missile

The SAM-N-2 Lark project was a solid-fuel boosted, liquid-fueled surface-to-air missile developed by the United States Navy to meet the kamikaze threat. It was developed as a crash program to introduce a medium-range defensive layer that would attack targets between the long-range combat air patrols and short-range anti-aircraft artillery. This produced a design with roughly 30 miles (48 km) maximum range and subsonic performance, suitable for attacks against Japanese aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AAM-N-4 Oriole</span> Air-to-air missile

The AAM-N-4 Oriole was an early American air-to-air missile, developed by the Glenn L. Martin Company for the United States Navy. Designed for launch from carrier-based aircraft, the missile programme was cancelled before flight testing began, and the missiles produced were utilized as test vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AAM-N-5 Meteor</span> Air-to-air missile

The AAM-N-5 Meteor was an early American air-to-air missile, developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Bell Aircraft for the United States Navy. Initially, both air-launched and ship-launched versions were considered. Versions designed for launch from carrier-based aircraft proceeded to the flight testing stage before the project was cancelled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PTV-N-2 Gorgon IV</span> Propulsion test vehicle

The PTV-N-2 Gorgon IV was a subsonic ramjet-powered missile developed by the Glenn L. Martin Company for the United States Navy. Originally intended as an air-to-surface weapon, it materialized as a propulsion test vehicle, and between 1947 and 1950 was used for test purposes and, as the KDM Plover, as a target drone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CTV-N-2 Gorgon IIC</span> Propulsion test vehicle

The CTV-N-2 Gorgon IIC – also designated KGN, KUN, and CTV-2 – was an experimental drone, originally intended as a surface-to-surface missile, developed by the United States Navy near the end of World War II. It was used to test control and homing systems for guided missiles, and was also produced in small numbers as a target drone under the designations TD3N and KD2N.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KA3N Gorgon III</span> Air-to-air missile

The Gorgon III – given the military designations KA3N, KU3N, CTV-N-6 and RTV-N-4 – was a rocket-powered air-to-air missile developed by the United States Navy near the end of World War II. With the end of the war, the program was changed to that of a research vehicle for missile control systems; both single and twin-rocket-powered versions were built and tested.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JB-3 Tiamat</span> Air-to-air missile

The JB-3 Tiamat was subsonic air-to-air missile program that began in January 1944 for the U.S. Army Air Force under project MX-570. The prime contractor was Hughes Aircraft Company Electronics Division which developed the Tiamat with the assistance of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AAM-N-10 Eagle</span> Canceled US air-to-air missile

The AAM-N-10 Eagle was a long-range air-to-air missile developed by the Bendix Corporation for use by the United States Navy. Intended for carriage by the Douglas F6D Missileer fleet defense fighter, the Eagle program was cancelled before testing could begin, but the lessons learned were used in the development of the AIM-54 Phoenix missile.

References

Notes
  1. ↑ Some sources state the sustainer was also solid-fueled. [3]
  2. ↑ Some sources state the terminal guidance was semi-active radar homing. [1]
Citations
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Parsch 2004
  2. ↑ Popular Science, January 1950, p.144.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Space & Missile Museum 2011
  4. ↑ Popular Science, March 1952, p.155.
  5. ↑ Ross 1951, p.128.
  6. 1 2 Gunston 1979, p.222.
  7. ↑ Bowman 1957, p.113.
  8. ↑ Francillon 1990, p.24.
  9. ↑ Cooke 1951, p.147.
Bibliography
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.