Hawker Siddeley Red Top
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|
|||
| Type | air-to-air | ||
| Nationality | United Kingdom | ||
| Era | Cold War | ||
| Launch platform | aircraft | ||
| Target | aircraft | ||
| History | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Builder | Hawker Siddeley Dynamics | ||
| Date of design | |||
| Production period | |||
| Service duration | 1964 - 1988 | ||
| Operators | United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait | ||
| Variants | |||
| Number built | |||
| Specifications | |||
| Type | homing missile | ||
| Diameter | 0.23 m | ||
| Wing span | 0.91 m | ||
| Length | 3.32 m | ||
| Weight | 154 kg | ||
| Propulsion | Linnet solid fuel motor | ||
| Steering | control surfaces | ||
| Guidance | infrared, limited all-aspect | ||
| Speed | Mach 3.2 | ||
| Range | 7.5 miles (12 km) | ||
| Ceiling | |||
| Payload | |||
| Warhead | 31 kg (68.3 lb) annular blast fragmentation | ||
| Trigger | Green Garland infrared proximity | ||
The Hawker Siddeley (later British Aerospace) Red Top was the third indigenous British air-to-air missile to enter service (counting the limited service Fireflash).
Contents |
[edit] Development
Red Top was originally a rationalized, upgraded version of the earlier Firestreak air-to-air missile carried out by de Havilland Propellors and was known as Blue Jay Mark 4 (its development codename) and Firestreak Mk. IV. Such were the changes that it was effectively a new missile. It arranged its components in more logical fashion than the Firestreak (which had its warhead in the tail), with an improved "Violet Banner" seeker, "Green Garland" IR fuse, and a more powerful "Linnet" booster rocket. It also had a larger warhead, at 31 kg (68.3 lb) against 22.7 kg (50 lb).
The Red Top had greater range and maneuvrability than the Firestreak, and its more sensitive infrared seeker enabled a wider range of engagement angles. Beeing more sensitive it could home in on a target that had been warmed by air friction heating [1] although it was still not a true all-aspect missile like the later AIM-9L/M Sidewinder.
The Red Top entered service in 1964, arming the English Electric Lightning and de Havilland Sea Vixen. It remained in limited service until the final retirement of the Lightning in 1988.
A variant called Blue Dolphin or Blue Jay Mk. V, was proposed, using semi-active radar homing for capability similar to the AIM-7 Sparrow, but it was not adopted.
[edit] Operators
[edit] See also
[edit] References
ASRAAM | Fireflash | Firestreak | Red Top | Skyflash ALARM | Brimstone | Martel (UK/France) | Sea Eagle | Sea Skua | Storm Shadow (UK/France) Bloodhound | Blowpipe | Javelin | Rapier | Sea Cat | Sea Dart | Sea Slug | Sea Wolf | Starburst | Starstreak | Tigercat | Thunderbird Swingfire | Malkara (UK/Australia) | Vigilant |
Timeline of aviation
Aircraft · Aircraft manufacturers · Aircraft engines · Aircraft engine manufacturers · Airports · Airlines
Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft
Notable military accidents and incidents · Notable airline accidents and incidents · Famous aviation-related deaths
Flight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft
