
SSM-N-8 Regulus | |
|---|---|
| Pays | Usa |
| Rôle | Missile de croisière |
| En service | 1955-64 |
| Fabricant | Chance Vought |
Lla Régulus SSM-N-8A ou le Régulus I était un missile de croisière de deuxième génération de deuxième génération lancé par la Marine américaine, déployé de 1955 à 1964. Son développement a été une excroissance des essais de l’US Navy effectués avec le missile allemand V-1 à la base aérienne navale de Point Mugu en Californie. Son fuselage en forme de canon ressemblait à celui de nombreux avions de chasse de l’époque, mais sans cockpit. Les articles d’essai du Regulus étaient équipés d’un train d’atterrissage et pouvaient décoller et atterrir comme un avion. Lorsque les missiles ont été déployés, ils ont été lancés à partir d’un lanceur ferroviaire et équipés d’une paire de bouteilles Aerojet JATO à l’arrière du fuselage.
Source: SSM-N-8 Regulus sur Wikipedia
| Vought RGM-6 Regulus I Cruise Missile Walk Around | |
|---|---|
| Photographes | Vladimir Yakubov |
| Localisation | Inconnu |
| Photos | 36 |
Voir aussi :
The Guided Missile Pioneer
Lla Vought RGM-6 Regulus était la Marine des États-Unis’s first operational surface-to-surface nuclear missile. Looking remarkably like a cockpit-less F-84 fighter jet, the Regulus was essentially a pilotless aircraft powered by a turbojet engine. It provided the Navy with its first credible strategic nuclear deterrent before the arrival of the Polaris ballistic missile. It was launched from the decks of aircraft carriers, cruisers, and most notably, the decks of surfaced submarines.
| Attribute | Technical Specification (Regulus I) |
|---|---|
| Rôle | Surface-to-Surface Cruise Missile |
| First Flight | May 1950 |
| Groupe motopropulseur | 1 × Allison J33-A-14 turbojet |
| Launch Assist | 2 × Aerojet General solid-fuel rocket boosters |
| Vitesse maximale | Mach 0.91 (approx. 600 mph) |
| Maximum Range | 500 miles (800 km) |
| Warhead | W5 or W27 Nuclear Warhead (up to 2 Megatons) |
| Guidance | Radio Command (Trounce) / Inertial |
Aerospace Engineering as a Missile
- Lla « Recoverable » Missile: During testing, the Regulus was equipped with landing gear and a remote-control system, allowing it to be flown and landed like a drone for reuse. This saved millions of dollars in the development phase.
- Folding Wings for Stowage: To fit inside the cramped hangars of submarines like the USS Grayback or the deck canisters of cruisers, the wings folded upward, a design inherited from Vought’s experience with carrier-based fighters.
- JATO Launch System: Since the Allison turbojet didn’t provide enough thrust to take off from a short rail, two massive solid-rocket boosters (JATO) kicked the missile to flight speed in seconds before dropping away.
- Nose-Intake Design: The Regulus used a classic « pitot » intake at the very front of the missile, similar to the F-86 Sabre, to feed air to the jet engine located in the rear.
Operational History & Legacy
- Submarine Deterrent: Regulus was the primary weapon of the Navy’s first « deterrent patrols. » Submarines had to surface and remain exposed for several minutes to launch the missile, a dangerous requirement that led to the development of the underwater-launched Polaris.
- « Mail Delivery » Mission: In 1959, in a famous publicity stunt, a Regulus missile launched from the USS Barbero delivered 3,000 letters to the naval air station at Mayport, Florida. The Postmaster General declared it « Guided Missile Mail. »
- The Regulus II: A supersonic successor, the Regulus II (Mach 2+), was developed but canceled just as it entered production because the Polaris ballistic missile program was deemed superior.
- Survivors: Several Regulus missiles are on display today, including a notable example on the deck of the USS Intrepid in New York and the USS Growler (the only intact Regulus submarine open to the public).
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