Early Maneuverable Reentry Vehicle studies

[sferrin]

DSMAC or GPS most likely.

Most DSMAC is IIR-based. How well would that work whilst going through the atmosphere at Mach 20? GPS is fine for fixed targets as long as it hasn't been jammed.

Pershing II used a radar DSMAC. Several Chinese ballistic missiles do the same. Indian as well.

 

[Forest Green]

DSMAC or GPS most likely.

Most DSMAC is IIR-based. How well would that work whilst going through the atmosphere at Mach 20? GPS is fine for fixed targets as long as it hasn't been jammed.

Pershing II used a radar DSMAC. Several Chinese ballistic missiles do the same. Indian as well.

Oh right, I was counting RADAC and DSMAC as two separate things. Radar should work if not jammed.

 

[marauder2048]

Are there any ideas on how they intended to guide these things? I remember it being said back around 1991 that CEP increased with manoeuvrable RVs unless they had terminal guidance. \

Curious where you heard this. AMaRV's accuracy was as good as contemporary ballistic RVs when evading and better if just course correcting.
All done inertially.

 

[Forest Green]

Curious where you heard this. AMaRV's accuracy was as good as contemporary ballistic RVs when evading and better if just course correcting.
All done inertially.

I read it in the IN COMBAT series back in 1991. Accuracy was lost because the inertial system is backed up by astro-referencing pre-release, but inside the atmosphere astro-referencing is lost and you're just left with inertial. Actually, no I didn't read it in IN COMBAT... I'm not sure??

 

[Forest Green]

Okay, it was actually the Mk500 Evader MaRV (page 69) that had reduced accuracy because there was no onboard guidance at all. The AMaRV (page 70) did.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7249/j.ctt5vjxdn.12?seq=21#metadata_info_tab_contents

 

[Forest Green]

PGRV successor of AMaRV.



Also found this on the testing of ABRES (Advanced Ballistic Re-Entry System).

ABRES

ABRES

www.astronautix.com

 

[sferrin]

Are there any ideas on how they intended to guide these things? I remember it being said back around 1991 that CEP increased with manoeuvrable RVs unless they had terminal guidance. \

Curious where you heard this. AMaRV's accuracy was as good as contemporary ballistic RVs when evading and better if just course correcting.
All done inertially.

Speaking of AMarV (From https://twitter.com/divert_thruster)









"A new approach was needed. In Fiscal Year 1977, he Air Force began testing "strapdown" (solid-state) inertial guidance for its second-generation maneuvering reentry vehicles. Pictured: the RV in question, AMaRV (Advanced Maneuvering Reentry vehicle) "

 

[RanulfC]

Picture 5, (Arrgh, you're using the torque wrench wrong! And unsafe, and with an extension... for a dial torque wrench? Aggghhh) Got to be an engineer

Randy

 

[sferrin]

Picture 5, (Arrgh, you're using the torque wrench wrong! And unsafe, and with an extension... for a dial torque wrench? Aggghhh) Got to be an engineer

Randy

Cheater bars are used enough with torque wrenches that there are simple equations for technicians to use. That said, when's the last time you saw a wooden ladder?

 

[RanulfC]

Picture 5, (Arrgh, you're using the torque wrench wrong! And unsafe, and with an extension... for a dial torque wrench? Aggghhh) Got to be an engineer

Randy

Cheater bars are used enough with torque wrenches that there are simple equations for technicians to use. That said, when's the last time you saw a wooden ladder?

Not so much the 'use' of the cheater bar but the inability to actually and accuratly SEE the dial on the torque wrench all added together

As to wooden ladders, about two years ago, to address a "safety" write up we bought 4 wooden ladders to use in our Wash Bay as our QA was 'concerned' (hence the write up ) that metal and/or fiberglass ladders would become too slick during washing operations....

The electrical shop we swapped them out with, (for fiberglass ladders) is still using them today and they get a lot of "wow, wooden ladders" comments from inspectors

Randy

 

[sferrin]

Picture 5, (Arrgh, you're using the torque wrench wrong! And unsafe, and with an extension... for a dial torque wrench? Aggghhh) Got to be an engineer

Randy

Cheater bars are used enough with torque wrenches that there are simple equations for technicians to use. That said, when's the last time you saw a wooden ladder?

Not so much the 'use' of the cheater bar but the inability to actually and accuratly SEE the dial on the torque wrench all added together

When you can't see the dial you go by the, "tighten 'til you hear the *crack* then back off a quarter turn" method.

 

[RanulfC]

Picture 5, (Arrgh, you're using the torque wrench wrong! And unsafe, and with an extension... for a dial torque wrench? Aggghhh) Got to be an engineer

Randy

Cheater bars are used enough with torque wrenches that there are simple equations for technicians to use. That said, when's the last time you saw a wooden ladder?

Not so much the 'use' of the cheater bar but the inability to actually and accuratly SEE the dial on the torque wrench all added together

When you can't see the dial you go by the, "tighten 'til you hear the *crack* then back off a quarter turn" method.

And people like YOU sir are the reason people like ME, (and a majority of PMEL technicians I might add) have too much white hair and drinking problems

Randy

 

[Forest Green]

That said, when's the last time you saw a wooden ladder?

Last time I was in my garage.

 

[edwest4]

Picture 5, (Arrgh, you're using the torque wrench wrong! And unsafe, and with an extension... for a dial torque wrench? Aggghhh) Got to be an engineer

Randy

Cheater bars are used enough with torque wrenches that there are simple equations for technicians to use. That said, when's the last time you saw a wooden ladder?

View attachment 617995

View attachment 617994

I have a wooden ladder. Wouldn't trade it for anything.

 

[bobbymike]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1182694851336384512

 

[Byeman]

View attachment 618000

The last one is a blue nose wrench

 

[Grey Havoc]

McDonnell Alpha Draco Missile–30th Year Reunion

A decent xerox of the Alpha Draco Missile – 30th Year Reunion Notes. Lots of info on this little known project. Credit: L.M. “Roy” Reitter ...

aviationarchives.blogspot.com

 

[hesham]

What was those Reentry concepts of 1959 ?,

a generic designs only ?.

New Scientist

New Scientist magazine was launched in 1956 "for all those men and women who are interested in scientific discovery, and in its industrial, commercial and social consequences". The brand's mission is no different today - for its consumers, New Scientist reports, explores and interprets the...

books.google.com.eg

 

[Dew]

A sintered, porous nose tip is fed with high-pressure water (2,000 to 3,000 psi) from a reservoir holding purified, de-mineralized water.

...Wait, I'm confused. Just what was the purpose of this? Was the water ejected during reentry as a form of ablation?

...Like this:

 

[Dew]

BGRV- BOOST GLIDE REENTRY VEHICLE
Cb-752 Columbium Alloy - LB-2 Aluminide Coating:


Coated Columbium - internal view


Mating of EB Welded Cb-752 Structural Cone

 

[Dew]

Large 1960's USAF McDonnell Re-Entry Prototype​

$3,850.00

Quite rare prototype model as there isn’t much on this particular model but from my research looks to be similar to manned re-entry rockets USAF and McDonnell were developing during the this period (late 50-60’s) . You can see by the unique shape in the end it corresponds to the early maneuverable re-entry rockets. The mount is from the period and placard says I22 M Aero Ballistic Re-Entry Vehicle McDonnell. The model is made of aluminum and is 19” long—has age old wear on the aluminum body and original graphics on the piece.
During this period of R&D lots of designs were kept secret / destroyed/ and kept by engineers . It is nice to see some of these hard to find models surface one in a while.

 

[Dew]

 

[Paul Lloyd]

Armstrong-Whitworth Pyramid?

 

[edwest4]

I've read about decoys being deployed along with reentry vehicles. I am at a loss to find a reference. Any help? The earlier the better.

 

[Mark Nankivil]

Large 1960's USAF McDonnell Re-Entry Prototype​

$3,850.00

Quite rare prototype model as there isn’t much on this particular model but from my research looks to be similar to manned re-entry rockets USAF and McDonnell were developing during the this period (late 50-60’s) . You can see by the unique shape in the end it corresponds to the early maneuverable re-entry rockets. The mount is from the period and placard says I22 M Aero Ballistic Re-Entry Vehicle McDonnell. The model is made of aluminum and is 19” long—has age old wear on the aluminum body and original graphics on the piece.
During this period of R&D lots of designs were kept secret / destroyed/ and kept by engineers . It is nice to see some of these hard to find models surface one in a while.

View attachment 672760

Simliar to our Museum's Alpha Draco model save for the absence of flaps at the aft end for directional control.

Thanks for posting! Mark

 

[martinbayer]

Armstrong-Whitworth Pyramid?View attachment 675013

It is - see also https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/armstrong-whitworth-pyramid-and-new-launch-vehicle.2946/ and https://falsesteps.wordpress.com/2012/09/29/the-armstrong-whitworth-pyramid-for-an-empire-on-the-up/.

 

[Forest Green]

This weird russian MaRV, a Maneuverable Reentry Vehicle, capable of autonomously tracking ground targets.​

Aerodynamic Coefficients Models of Hypersonic Vehicle Based on Aero Database | Semantic Scholar

The aerodynamic coefficients models are built by the nonlinear least square method based on the CAV aero database and fit the aero characteristic well and can be used in practical design and simulation as a reference. The aerodynamic Coefficients models play an essential part in the simulation...

www.semanticscholar.org

 

[Forest Green]

"A typical BGRV flight trajectory and footprint is illustrated in Figure 12. In profile, the Atlas missile would fly to an altitude of about 130,000 feet, turn to horizontal flight to gain speed, and then would separate BGRV on a glide-path at over Mach 15 toward 110,000 foot altitude. The vehicle would spin up, establish a lifting angle of attack to offset gravity, and glide with little change in attitude, managing its energy to reach the desired destination. In the target area, programmed steering equations would take over and turn the vehicle into a terminal dive and maneuver to the intended aimpoint.

Because of its enormous kinetic energy and high L/D, BGRV could glide downrange nearly 5,000 miles or turn out of plane cross range about 2,000 miles. At altitudes near 100,000 feet, there was so little atmosphere; turns took long distances to accomplish and resulted in higher loss of energy than forward fight. The entire flight to maximum range was almost 45 minutes, about twice as long as ballistic missile transit."

 

[Forest Green]

 

[bobbymike]

Amazing to think this was 50-60 years ago.

What the he** have we been doing this whole time?

 

[Byeman]

Amazing to think this was 50-60 years ago.

What the he** have we been doing this whole time?

most testing like HTV

 

[Forest Green]

Anyone recognise this?

 

[bobbymike]

Speculation - Top picture Boeing AMaRV?

 

[quellish]

Boeing Boost Glide Weapon, 1958, from USAF FOIA library

 

[quellish]

Minuteman Solid Resin Nuclear warhead MIRV Reentry Vehicle Factory Desk Model | #1888173066

Impossibly hard to find solid resin model of the AMaRV MIRV. Started in the late 50s, the program included fins on the base to allow aerodynamic maneuverability.Solid resin, about 6 inches in length,

www.worthpoint.com

 

[Dew]

Minuteman Solid Resin Nuclear warhead MIRV Reentry Vehicle Factory Desk Model | #1888173066

Impossibly hard to find solid resin model of the AMaRV MIRV. Started in the late 50s, the program included fins on the base to allow aerodynamic maneuverability.Solid resin, about 6 inches in length,

www.worthpoint.com

Same listing mentioned by orionblamblam Nov '17

Maneuverable RV model – Aerospace Projects Review Blog

 

[Dew]

Anyone recognise this?

Probably same article in AEDC tunnel tour pdf

 

[Forest Green]

February 15, 1983, Section C, Page 1

https://www.nytimes.com/1983/02/15/science/new-generation-of-warheads-just-around-the-bend.html

 

[publiusr]

Rakish looking thing

 

[Dew]

McDonnell Model 122B (Air Force WS-199D) Alpha Draco

There is a short video of a launch on the Boeing Images website:

McDonnell Hypersonic Missile​

​In 1954 McDonnell Aircraft began development of test missiles based on the concept of aeroballistic or 'lifting body' flight.

Three McDonnell Hypersonic Missiles were launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida in 1959. Level flight was achieved at Mach 5 within the Earth's atmosphere. McDonnell's design proved to be a breakthrough in the development of aerospace vehicles capable of atmospheric maneuvering at hypersonic speeds.