AIM-47 Falcon
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The Hughes GAR-9/AIM-47 was a long-range development of the AIM-4 Falcon air-to-air missile. It was developed in 1958, matched with the new Hughes AN/ASG-18 radar fire-control system intended to arm the XF-108 Rapier interceptor aircraft. The missile was originally designated GAR-9.
The GAR-9 was powered by a liquid-fuel rocket engine. A nuclear warhead was considered, but a large high-explosive warhead was chosen instead. Initially launch was semi-active radar homing (SARH), with the missile flying to the target area by autopilot, receiving (if necessary) mid-course updates provided by the launch aircraft. A choice of active radar or infrared homing was developed for the terminal guidance phase. It was intended to fly at Mach 6, with a range of some 130 mi (210 km).
The XF-108 was cancelled, but development of the radar and missile (which was redesignated AIM-47 in the fall of 1962) continued. The AN/ASG-18 and AIM-47 were the intended weapon system of the F-12 interceptor, which would have carried a projected AIM-47B version with folding wings. Twelve of thirteen test firings of the AIM-47 from YF-12A prototype aircraft hit their targets[1] The last AIM-47 launched from a YF-12 flying at Mach 3.2 and an altitude of 74,400 feet (22,677 m) at a QB-47 target drone 500 feet (152 m) off the ground. The F-12 program, too, was cancelled by 1966. Hughes had built some 80 pre-production missiles, however, and the technology was used in the development of the AIM-54 Phoenix for the U.S. Navy.
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[edit] References
- ^ B. Rich, Skunk Works (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co., 1994), p.236.
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