Bloodhound missile survivors

I saw a few launches from Aberporth when working at Western radar, I was fascinated by all the twitching movements made by the missile on the launcher prior to blast off,these were Swiss owned missiles being launched against Jindivik towed targets.
We could not see the Royal Navy launch site which was below the cliffs and I was very cheesed off to miss the time they shot down the Meteor drone just offshore as part of a sales push to sell ship based missiles to other navies. The Meteor cartwheeled into the sea in a ball of flames.

Just caught up with this thread and attached my be of interest. Taken at Alborg Sweden June 2012 outside unprotected, how long would it last in UK!Alborg missile museum by warferry, on Flickr

Excellent. We can only hope that the restoration goes well and that one day it will prove possible to connect the LCP and the missile.

Very unlikely as the thing is also stuffed full of interlocks that will not let the Computer run up in ‘operational’ mode which requires power on all the racks in the cabin and all of those racks to be working. To do that the air conditioning plant and a quite powerful 400hz generator is required and we have neither. 3 phase 415 v supply would also be required.

Excellent. We can only hope that the restoration goes well and that one day it will prove possible to connect the LCP and the missile.

HP111

There is indeed a working Argus 700 computer in a Bloodhound Mk 2 Launch Control Post currently which is under restoration, though there a few problems that need solving as regards making the thing work with a more modern hard disc drive than the original one fitted which is very much on its last legs. The role of the computer in the LCP was to basically work out the intercept geometry, the launcher bearing, direction that the dish in the missile had to point, the doppler shift of the target that the missile needed to track and the required trajectory mode it had to fly to intercept the target and the time to launch / time to impact / time to start terminal homing calculations and act as an interface between the system and the operators. It also allowed the system to interface with air defence center systems so that the bosses that were directing the Air battle could mark a target on his scope and that information was instantly show on the missile operator’s display. It also had a simulator function that included the sound effects of missile launch. Will it eventually go on display, yes, but is only likely to be run on special occasions. Will it steer a launcher, unlikely, though the only working Bloodhound Launcher in the world will be in the same place, there are no cables to connect the two and there are a number of other items in the LCP that need to be powered with special voltage supplies that are not available. What does it look like? basically this….

[ATTACH=CONFIG]235068[/ATTACH]

while the Launcher does this

Will put the willies up them Rooskie pilots flying their Bears along the Channel!!!

Not concerning the missiles themselves, but I read somewhere that a Ferranti Argus computer control system for a Bloodhound is being restored. Can anyone clarify precisely what this is? Is it the system that sits in the control cabin and maybe points the missile in the right direction before launch? If so, does that hold out the prospect of demonstrations of a missile positioning as if ready for launch?

Indeed, Guardian take on it here (full of errors), though they are total correct in that had any of the flew from operational sites in the UK it would have very probably been ‘Game Over’ within the next few minutes to days. http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/feb/02/nuclear-missile-launcher-history-now-hayward-gallery-london The important thing here is the missile and launcher have had some very required restoration work done to it, there is now a Mk 2 in the original finish it came out of the Factory in the UK (and its the only one of 2 Mk’s in the world to be in that finish with the correct markings, the other one is in the Swiss BL-64 Museum) and the missile will be going back home after all this.

Now its a piece of art.

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/photos_fancy_that_norfolk_s_bloodhound_cold_war_missile_is_lowered_on_top_of_london_s_hayward_gallery_1_3940819

Heli1

The Missiles were all brought by the same person according to the seller. From what I’ve heard on grapevine, I suspect that the new owner is looking at building a good missile out of bits of the four. Locking Moor Road would be a good place for one seeing most of the guys that worked on it did their trade training literally just up the road (including myself).

Thanks
Big Vern but looking at the pix,still enough to create a bit of interest among the tourists!

Unfortunately the Banwell bits of it and the bits required to mount them are very much like Rocking Horse poo. BMPG’s boss man has contacted the Seller to see what exactly is happening with them, only two of them were good enough to do anything with if you wanted to display them the other two have had the ramjets removed and the stub wings that support them totally trashed.

Neatishead Missile Video is on the Look East Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=811622152251999&set=vb.122103087870579&type=2&theater

So would I …..they had a strong local connection with Bristol Aerojet .Been after one for ages!

I was after the Firing Lines and Missile Services Cable that were on two of them to complete two Missiles/Launcher combinations in Museums (one of them being the Neatishead’s missile). The price for that lot is less than the scrap value. BMPG’s boss man would have got one had we known about it.

The listing had the lot for £3000, it looks like they wanted rid, I reckon a deal was to be had there

Did the Aberporth gate guard Bloodhound survive? I recall it sat under many layers of paint.

Knew of the existence of the missiles and have seen them. They are the ex Space cadet rounds. Was offered them at £2000 each. I wonder where the have gone.

Speaking of Bloodhounds, did anyone notice these for sale last week

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bloodhound-Missiles-case-/261741940792?pt=UK_CPV_Aviation_SM&hash=item3cf1091038&nma=true&si=q6fh45ZTpThExTl5Lg9%252Fk2qlvws%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Look EAst story here – starts at 22min point…

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04y8x2h

ONLY AVAILABLE UNTIL 7PM TONIGHT!!!!

The Stenciling is almost spot on as I did the graphics for them. Its based on the above photo, some stuff I got from the Swiss Bloodhound Museum and a Lot of photos and measurements that I took of a White missile in Switzerland in 2013 and in June this year.