Does anyone have any details on this British project from the early 60’s. The project eventually led to Rapier.
However this requirement called for a system that was more sophisticated, and was cancelled because it was felt to be beyond the technology of the time.
The only details I have every found a very basic references to an all weather missile system contained within a single vehicle.
Regards
By: aniki - 3rd October 2007 at 09:33
http://www.skomer.u-net.com/projects/rapier.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapier_missile
went to the first site u provided and it says:
‘…The name “Mongoose” was suggested for Rapier, but was rejected because no one knows what the plural of Mongoose was.’
😮 😀 😀
By: Vega ECM - 2nd October 2007 at 23:27
A very detailed account of the early development of PT426 is contained in “TSR2 Precision attack to Tornado” by J Forbat ISBN0-7524-3919-7….indeed the whole of chapter 16. One drawing reproduced here, dated Nov 1957, shows a 9.5 foot long, 6 inch diameter missile planform which is clearly what was to become rapier. This book may have a bit of a misleading title, as about a 1/4 of the entire book covers Brit missile projects of the late 50’s and early 60’s from Vickers.
A good but a technically quite demanding read.
By: sealordlawrence - 28th September 2007 at 21:05
IIRC BSP also mentions that other versions were planned including one towed behind a Land Rover and a tracked version.
By: PMN1 - 28th September 2007 at 18:26
There is a page on it with diagram in British Secret Projects:Hypersonics, Ramjets and Missiles.
Everything mounted on a Bedford 4-ton truck – it would normally be offloaded from the truck but could be operated truck mounted if necessary.
9 missiles in a 3 x 3 format (similar to the US Mauler system) each side of the radar.
BSP doesn’t give any projected performance figures though.
By: Wanshan - 9th October 2006 at 19:23
http://www.skomer.u-net.com/projects/rapier.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapier_missile
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October 7, 2006 at 10:42 pm