good@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Craig Good) (03/25/91)
From: pixar!good@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Craig Good)
In article <1991Mar20.032310.29056@cbnews.att.com> ab3o+@andrew.cmu.edu (Allan Bourdius) writes:
:
:The C-5A/B has a rear cargo door but the aircraft is not equipped for
:any type of parachute drop, including LAPES.
A friend of mine saw footage of a C-5 experiment dating back to the mid-70's
or so. I guess you could call it a HAPES, since it happened at high altitude.
A 'chute was kicked out the back door during cruise, and out came a missile.
If I recall correctly it was a Minuteman, but the point is that it was a big
ICBM which is normally land-based. The rocket engine ignited during free-
fall, and away it went. The launch was evidently a success, but the AF
decided for a number of no-doubt very good reasons not to try for a fleet
of flying submarines.
I don't know for sure what would be required to turn this into a LAPES
capability, but I suspect that having to handle wild CG shifts at low
airspeeds could be a significant problem.
--Craig
--
...{ucbvax,sun}!pixar!good
No legitimate government fears an armed citizenry.rmack@desire.wright.edu (03/27/91)
From: rmack@desire.wright.edu [ 14 lines of posting that we've read already --CDR ] In a 1974 demonstration, the C-5A did, indeed, air launch a live 40-ton Minuteman missile. This was the first time such a launch was successfully attempted and Lockheed is rightfully proud of its aircraft's (C-5 is a Lockheed plane) accomplishment as it came at a time when the C-5A was a huge financial failure for Lockheed and any and all attempts were being made to demonstrate its usefullness. The USAF apparently never felt that air-launching missiles was useful though and the idea went no further, but Lockheed did help to enhance the C-5's reputation with this little trick. Maybe Northrop should try to fire a live Trident from the B-2. Anyway, I believe the extraction system used for the missile was similar to PLADS (Parachute Low Altitude Delivery System) and high altitude extraction methods have never proven to be particularly useful for any aircraft. Bob Mack, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio
stan@gatech.edu (Stan Brown) (03/27/91)
From: emory!Dixie.Com!stan@gatech.edu (Stan Brown) [ 19 lines of quote deleted! --CDR] Well, I don't know about from a C-5 (althought it is certainly possible) I have documetation on a solid fuel ICBM being launched and fired from a C-130 in flight. It flew down the Pacific test range -- Stan Brown P. c. Design 404-363-2303 Ataanta Ga. (emory|gatech|uunet) rsiatl!sdba!stan "vi forever" "Operating Systems, Like Editors Are Religions" -- Armando Stettner