christ@sci.ccny.cuny.edu (Chris Thompson) (01/12/90)
From: christ@sci.ccny.cuny.edu (Chris Thompson) >platforms. They were all designed, according to what I have read, as > >interceptors against large bomber formations. With that in mind, I know >the F-101 and probably the others carried the Genie nuclear air-to-air Is there a real difference between a 'rocket' and a missile? It was my impression that a rocket was unguided, while a missile had some sort of guidance system. Granted, the word 'missile' can mean anything flying thru the air, and can be misleading, but when speaking specifically about AAM's, it seems like the distinction should be kept. Wasn't the Genie an >unguided< nuclear air-to-air rocket? (GAWD! The thought of a free-flight nuclear air-to-air weapon chills me right through!). Chris
military@cbnews.ATT.COM (William B. Thacker) (01/14/90)
From: att!utzoo!henry >From: christ@sci.ccny.cuny.edu (Chris Thompson) >Is there a real difference between a 'rocket' and a missile? It was my >impression that a rocket was unguided, while a missile had some sort >of guidance system... That's the usual usage. Unguided rockets actually work tolerably well, *if* you don't insist on direct hits on small targets. They're still in fairly extensive use for ground attack. >... Wasn't the >Genie an >unguided< nuclear air-to-air rocket? (GAWD! The thought of >a free-flight nuclear air-to-air weapon chills me right through!). That's right, Genie was unguided. This wasn't quite as creepy as it sounds, because the range was relatively short and warhead detonation was by command from the launch aircraft rather than by proximity fuze. Command detonation was considered mandatory (as for nuclear torpedos) because of the positive- control policies for nuclear weapons. The short range didn't make pilots very happy, and there was much holding of breath when Genie was tested with a live warhead for the first time, although in fact it worked fine and the launch aircraft had no problems. (The original nuclear torpedo was similarly unpopular, with the submariners crediting it with a kill rate of 200% -- target plus attacker.) Genie was the definitive response to bomber-formation tactics, since a Genie burst in the middle of a bomber box could be expected to wipe out the entire formation. Its operational deployment therefore was the definitive end of such tactics. Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu
VIRGO: :GUNTER@FENNEL.CC.UWA.OZ.AU (Gunter Ahrendt) (04/20/91)
From: "VIRGO::GUNTER"@FENNEL.CC.UWA.OZ.AU (Gunter Ahrendt) >1) Does anyone have any statistics for the Genie missle. > (Actually, it's not guided so it's not really a missle.) MD AIR-2 Genie (ex Douglas MB-1,ex Ding-Dong,ex High Card,ex Bird Dog) Unguided Air to Air Nuclear Rocket 9.7ft L 1.535ft Diameter 3.35ft Span 820lbs Mach 3 6 Mile Range Thiokol SR49-TC-1 solid fuel 36,500lb rocket engine 1.5 kT Fission Warhead 1,000 + produced (ended 1962),none operational after 1987 Launched from Scorpions,Delta Daggers,Delta Darts,Voodoos,Phantoms 1 live test shot 07:00 19-JUL-1957 Nevada Nuclear Testing Range Operation Plumbomb Test Shot John missile detonated after 2.6miles/4.5seconds Canadian's used Genies as well >2) Does anyone know of any other nuclear missles or rockets > used by any nation. Hughes AIM-26A Falcon radar homing air to air missile
craigb@sdd.hp.com (Craig Bosworth) (04/20/91)
From: craigb@sdd.hp.com (Craig Bosworth) VIRGO::GUNTER@FENNEL.CC.UWA.OZ.AU (Gunter Ahrendt) writes: (About the Genie rocket) >6 Mile Range >1.5 kT Fission Warhead Erm, which brings up the question, what happens to an aircraft (say the one that launched the rocket) when a warhead of that size goes off at that distance? -- Craig Bosworth (619) 592-8609 Hewlett-Packard, San Diego Division craigb@sdd.hp.com
henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) (04/23/91)
From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) >From: craigb@sdd.hp.com (Craig Bosworth) >>6 Mile Range >>1.5 kT Fission Warhead >Erm, which brings up the question, what happens to an aircraft (say the one >that launched the rocket) when a warhead of that size goes off at that >distance? Nothing much; several miles is reasonably ample clearance for a warhead that small. It was tested, successfully. (One of the very few live-warhead tests of nuclear missiles, in fact.) -- And the bean-counter replied, | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology "beans are more important". | henry@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry