First, the designation MX-774А, intended for testing of the power plant. It immediately called Teetotaler (eng. — teetotaler), as it was not used alcohol as fuel.
The second is called the MX-774B, and the nickname Old Fashioned (with eng. — old-fashioned) for their resemblance to V-2 was designed for high speed testing of avionics and engines.
And finally, the third — MX-774С, called Manhattan, was a prototype of a future missile with a nuclear warhead.
Bossart however, the plans went awry. When the military learned that the first full flying sample HiRoc will appear in about six years, they broke the contract, but still allowing the group Bosart to conduct flight tests of already built rockets. The remaining funds are barely enough for three “old-fashioned” MX-774В.
Externally, the rocket looked like a smaller and more streamlined than the V-2. Its welded thin-walled tanks were made of aluminium alloy 51S. The oxidizer (liquid oxygen) has been replaced by its own pressure, and the fuel tank with kerosene was kaduwela neutral nitrogen. In the detachable head part was telemetry equipment.
Length MX-774В was 9.63 m, the diameter was 0.76 m. In the rear was mounted trapezoidal stabilizers with a span of 2.08 m. the empty Weight of the rocket was 544,8 kg, equipped (fully fueled and prepared for launch) — 1860 kg.
The power plant consisted of four Reaction Motors rocket engine XLR35-RM-1, the total thrust 3630 kgs. The engine was a modification of the rocket engine, which was equipped with an experimental plane X-1. According to the aerodynamicists, the missile could accelerate to a speed of 3200 km/h.
November 14, conducted a test firing of the engine on the stand firm Convair. Then began static testing. After graduation in may 1948, the rocket was transported to the landfill White Sands in new Mexico.
To start decided to use the launch of the German V-2. July 13, 1948, the first MX-774В rose into the air, but after one minute of flight problems in the engine caused the explosion.
The second launch took place on 27 September. This time the rocket exploded at an altitude of 64 km. the start is considered successful, as the equipment managed to pass on the earth the main parameters of the flight.
Last start third MX-774В took place on 2 December. At high altitude occurred spontaneously off of the engine and flight mission was not fulfilled.
Although flight tests of the MX-774В have been unsuccessful, and the program was closed, the results of operations of the group Bossarte can be called historic. Nothing like the MX-774В neither the United States nor the Soviet Union at that time was not. While other countries have developed the ideas of major of the 4th cavalry squadron of the 6th regiment of the SS Werner von Braun, Bossarte managed to create an ultra-light hull design-tank missiles.
In the rocket V-2 housing and Bucky were two different components or — if you want different units. Body made according to the technology adopted in aviation. It consisted of stringers, frames and metal plating. The tanks were collected separately and fixed inside the housing by bolts.
Bossart decided to combine the housing and the tank together. Thin wall lining the MX-774В took on the role of tanks for fuel and oxidizer. The internal pressure created in the tank, maintained its shape and resisted external forces during flight. The gain in mass of the structure was truly great. On the Atlas rocket, the mass of the tool body of the tank does not exceed 2 percent of the mass of fuel and oxidizer!
Another innovative solution applied on the MX-774В became Vernier engine company Reaction Motors. The designers have set the combustion chamber on a gimbal that allowed the engine to change the thrust vector without any loss.
The main result of the program the MX-774 was the proof of the viability of the thin-walled fuel tanks that are outside of LRE combustion chambers and separating the nose cone.
When the program the MX-774 was closed, on the table Bossart lay plans for a new two-stage rocket. The first stage consisted of five rocket engine with a thrust of 9,000 kgf, and the second one LRE thrust of 9000 kgf. The rocket was intended for research of atmospheric entry at a speed corresponding to the number M=18. But the war office showed no interest in this project. The main priority for the air force program was the development of the strategic cruise missile Navaho North American firms.
Financing the firm Convair allocated only for the development of the most complex parts radionically guidance system for a promising Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). According to experts Convair, this part was the tracking system for a missile, outstanding original data to compute the adjustments to the path in RC flight. The development of a tracking system with the designation AZUSA began in 1948 and ended in 1951.
Intercontinental ballistic missile ATLAS:
1 — nose cone; 2 — performance hatch fuel tank; 3 — relief valve vapor liquid oxygen; 4 — the pipeline pressurization of the tank with liquid oxygen; 5 — tank of liquid oxygen; 6 — main pipeline for liquid oxygen and supplying it to the engine; 7 — bellow; 8 — fairing avionics Bay; 9 — throttle fuel valve; 10 — stiffener (stringer), 11 — fairing skirts boosters; 12 — starting engines; 13 — sustainer rocket engine; 14 — exhaust pipe; 15 — the mouth of the filling and draining of fuel; 16 — hinged Vernier engine; 17 — cone; 18 — fuel tank 19 — radomes; 20 — fairing separation systems nose cone; 21 — engine brake; 22 — electric unit; 23 — welded flanges; 24 — panel connectors; 25 — fitting filling and draining of liquid oxygen.
During this period, Bossart was engaged in purely theoretical research in the field of missiles at the expense of the company. In 1949 his group has developed the project of the so-called polutoraspalnoy missiles. She had thrust engine and some rocket engines, performing the role of boosters. Such a solution allows to refuse from complicated and unreliable startup of the engines of the second stage in flight.
Interest in the United States to ballistic missile re-emerged in the autumn of 1949. The impetus for this was the test of a nuclear bomb the Soviet Union Began a nuclear arms race. January 31, 1950 President Harry Truman announced publicly that the US develop the hydrogen bomb. According to leading scientists from Los Alamos, the weight of this ammunition is not allowed to deliver it to the target on Board the bomber, so the only means of thermonuclear attack was a rocket.
In January 1951, the U.S. air force gave Convair the firm technical specification for the development of the media. The program was designated MX-1593. Its purpose was the study of all systems and development of technologies leading to the creation of ICBMs. And within eight months had been completed and the project launch Model 7-1. Preliminary design of the imagination. Missile length — 27 m, diameter — 3,6 m. to Lift such a machine had five engines with a total thrust of about 270,5 T.
The design of the case-tank rockets is aluminum alloy decided to use stainless steel. Steel although it increased a lot, but at the same time increased the strength of the hull on the parts of the trajectory where the aluminum alloy has a reduced performance at high temperatures.
Large problems arose in the design of the head part (MS). The speed of entry of the warhead into the atmosphere was hypersonic and the estimated heat flow reached 50 million kcal per m2 area per hour. Simulation of the entrance WARHEAD in the atmosphere, carried out in the laboratory, lowered this value to 43 — 48 million kcal, so the problem was considered difficult but soluble. As a result, scientists have designed the nose cone with the apex angle 25 degrees, the focus with the development of an evaporative cooling system and protect the warheads burn materials.
Cruise engine:
1 — the fairing compartment with equipment; 2 — brake motor; 3 — Vernier engine fairing; 4 — fuel tank; 5 — section stainless steel; 6 — main pipeline liquid oxygen; 7 — core socket; 8 — pipeline gaseous helium for tank pressurization fuel; 9 — terminal stretching; 10 — asbestos insulation; 11 — sustainer rocket engine; 12 — drain pipe; 13 — pipe; 14 — the pipeline supplying fuel to the propulsion motor; 15 — throttle fuel valve; 16 — throttle valve liquid oxygen; 17 — hinged Vernier engine.
Starter motors:
1 — skirt starting engines with ribs; 2, 18, 22 — couplings; 3 —pipeline refueling oxidizer; 4 — node fixing the rocket on the launch pad; 5 — cone; 6 — flexible hose; 7 — the bottom slot of the mounting levers; 8 — cone of the launch engines; 9 — combustion chamber starting of the engine; 10,15 — nozzles; 11 — first starting the engine; 12 — cylinders with liquid helium; 13 — exhaust pipe; 14 — drain hole; 16 — exchanger; 17 the neck of the filling and draining of fuel; 19 — bellows exhaust pipe; 20 — node mounting of the turbopump; 21 — forked pipe.
October 31, 1952, in 19 hours 14 minutes Greenwich Elugelab on the island (Elugelab) there was a tremendous explosion, whose power was 8 megatons. Mass thermonuclear device MX-5 was 82 tons, and so everyone knew that the explosion of this monster has no military value. Physics desperately searching for a way to reduce the mass of the hydrogen bomb. Well rocketeers, constantly pushing the military, got a little time-out.
During this period, the group Bossarte to decide the question of the number of stages and the location of the engines, in order to avoid the inclusion of second stage on top. A promising solution was ring-shaped configuration with upper stage engines on a circle and sustainer engine in the center. However, this option had to be dropped because of problems of separation and heat transfer.
In July 1952 for the development of the Atlas rocket provided additional funds, and after the explosion in 1953, the first Soviet thermonuclear bomb “dry” type program the MX-1593 was awarded the title of “national Priority program No. 1” and a new name — Weapons System-107A (eng. — Weapon system-107A).
The second important event of 1953 was the establishment of a Committee to evaluate strategic missiles of the U.S. air force. The Committee has called for acceleration of work on the Atlas rocket and endorsed all decisions of the company Convair.
In 1953, Convair firm finally received a positive signal from Los Alamos. Nuclear physicists have made a “dry” bomb weighing about 10 tons, which Atlas could really take on Board.
Bossart immediately changed the scheme of the rocket instead of five LRE, case with a diameter of 3.6 m and a starting weight of over 180 tons was adopted polutoraspalnoy scheme with three rocket engines and a diameter of 3 m. the Estimated launch mass has decreased significantly.
April 5, 1954, the new U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower went on national radio report On “the role of the hydrogen bomb, to be protected from the Communist threat”. This performance was preceded by a new series of nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll, codenamed Castle (eng. — castle). The first explosion with a capacity of 15 MT was produced on 28 February 1954.
The warhead was ready, and the firm Convair started construction of a rocket. The sustainer engine with a thrust of 27.2 TC did firm Rocketdyne. Upper stage engines thrust 68 TS were supplied by North American. Guidance systems and nose cone are made by General Electric, and Solar was built carrying the fuel tank.
The body of the rocket monocoque construction was divided into two tank compartments: the upper volume is about 71 m3 — liquid oxygen and the lower volume of about 44 m3 for kerosene. Rigidity is ensured by the boost. For the housings used a specially designed cold-rolled steel AISI-301. To the thickness of the hire was shown to have extremely high standards. Error metallurgists to 1/1000 of an inch could cost military 160 km range.
Firm Convair received a steel coil with a width of 0.9 m. For manufacturing of hull sections of the strip was curtailed into the cylinder and butt welded. Finished sections were mounted in a special fixture and starting with the bow until 23-th section, inclusive, were welded overlap.
Top the bottom of the fuel tank was made of welded butt “petals” without the reinforcing elements, and the bottom the bottom was reinforced by the stamped profiles in order to withstand the loads from the operating propulsion engine. After testing inside the tanks was constantly maintained overpressure of at least 0.4 kg/cm2 .
The upper transition section of the Atlas rocket was used for the installation of detachable head part (MS). The latter is a blunt cone with an apex angle of 105 degrees and a diameter at the base of 1,615 m. this form of MS were rapidly slowed down when entering the atmosphere over the target flying at subsonic speed. Heat-absorbing coating of the cone with a mass of 500 kg were made from wrought copper.
Discharged in the flight compartment of the upper stage engines had a semi-monocoque construction with stringers and corrugated sheathing.
Avionics the rocket was the fairing, placed on the sides of the fuel tank.
The power plant consisted of two upper stage rocket engine thrust at sea level, 68 TS, and one of the main — thrust of 27.2 TC at sea level and 36 cu — in vacuum. To control the rocket’s roll were two Vernier rocket engine thrust 450 kg, mounted on the sides of the hull, above the main frame of the engine compartment.
The overall thrust of the power plant at the start at sea level was 174 TC. The upper stage rocket engine together with the closing of the “skirt” dumped approximately 100 seconds after launch.
The guidance system on the Atlas rocket was a combination of inertial and radio command systems. Data about the magnitude and the direction of the velocity vector sent by onboard equipment to a ground station where they are processed in a digital computer with the necessary amendments by a coded radio signal was transmitted on Board the missile.
After the Atlas went out of sight of ground tracking stations, turn off radio command system and the effect of inertial working until separating WARHEAD. The accuracy of the system, shown during testing, was low. At a range of 8000 km, the average error was 3 km.
Intercontinental ballistic missile Atlas.
Assembly of the first three missiles ended in the late summer of 1956. Two of them were intended for strength tests and the third for static testing launch complex at Cape Canaveral.
On 1 October 1956, a secret rocket loaded on a trailer, wrapped in silver tissue, and she went on a trip from San Diego to Florida. Nine days Atlas And No. 3 secured on the launch pad. Testing of the starting complex were successful.
June 11, 1957, his place was taken by Atlas And No. 4 ready for the first launch. The countdown has begun…
The rocket is easily pulled away from the start of the table only due to the thrust of the booster rocket engine. Boosters on the rocket is not installed. After 23 seconds of the flight refused gyros of the control system and Atlas with nearly full fuel tanks has fulfilled a very sharp maneuver, which ended the “dead loop”. The future behavior of the Atlas was unpredictable, and the officer safety blew up the rocket.
The second launch took place on 25 September. Rocket again had to undermine. This time was rejected by the regulator oxidizer, causing the engine thrust fell sharply.
Nine days was a great event — the USSR launched the first artificial Earth satellite. Fun “papiskiai” the ball into orbit ballistic missile R-7 designed by S. P. Korolev. America was literally crushed because the possibility of Russian “seven” allowed her to carry heavy duty thermonuclear warhead.
Bossart solemnly assured the military that for the third launch, scheduled for December, does not have to blush. Of course! After 5 October 1957 the Secretary of state publicly declared, in December 1962, the US will have four squadrons of combat missiles Atlas. However, the reality was less rosy. 17 Dec rocket lifted off the Cape Canaveral and fell into the Atlantic ocean. Only the fifth Atlas 10 January 1958 passed for a given program.
The first phase of testing was completed on 3 June 1958 eighth start of the rocket. Only three of them ended successfully. All launches of the head part of the rocket didn’t separate.
In the second phase of testing out a pre-production sample of the rocket Atlas V. the First launch of this rocket took place on 19 July 1958. On the 43rd second of the flight there was self-termination of engines booster. This fault was repeated in some subsequent runs.
Put these accidents into a dead end, the firm Convair turned to a research center air force. Arnold for help. Scientists have examined various factors that could affect the combustion process in the engine. It turned out that the exhaust turbine driven fuel pumps were pointed straight down, and a long steel fairings of the engines created a vacuum that led to the intake of the exhaust gases back into the fairing, resulting in burned electrical wiring of the ignition.
After the exhaust opening of the turbine was moved in another place and cut off the bottom parts of the fairings off stopped.
The most important for all program was the second launch of Atlas 2 Aug. He demonstrated the first compartment of the upper stage engines, the stable operation of the main engine and the separation of the nose cone after the inclusion of brake motors.
28 November 1958 the missile finally reached Intercontinental range, flying 10 km. 176 It was estimated flight range without taking into account the rotation of the Earth. Launches in an easterly direction, with the rotation of the Earth, the flight range can exceed 14 000 km.
In December 1958, to the test came With the Atlas having a higher launch mass and thus less acceleration at the start than the previous modification. The rocket was intended to test separating WARHEAD. Great difficulties during the tests was generated by searching MS with measuring equipment. And here missilemen helped center them. Arnold. In a wind tunnel investigated the slipstream of the falling cone. The answer was unexpected — the parachutes did not open due to air turbulence behind the falling WARHEAD.
The first combat modification ICBM Atlas D went on flight tests in early 1959. The rocket stood in the power plant of the type MA-2, consisting of upper stage motors XLR-89 and marching XLR-105 thrust in 69 cu and 25.6, respectively. New head part Mk.3 pointed type, with ablative coating was calculated under a thermonuclear warhead W-49 capacity of 1.4 MT.
First launch of Atlas D no. 3 was held on March 18, 1959 from Baikonur Canaveral. During the start-up had torn the fairing around the engines, and the rocket had to be blown up. The cause of the accident was due to imperfect construction launch pad. Rocket kept two rods on the hydraulic locks.
When the engine thrust exceeded the weight of the rocket is 3.5 TC, the hydraulic system locks reset pressure, the struts are pulled out the fingers, the stems discarded and the rocket rose into the air. Different pressure in the hydraulic locks was the reason that one of the rods began to fall behind and cut passing up the fairing.
Pressure relief of the hydraulic locks changed so that the lag stud has been eliminated. Later holding mechanism replaced the A-frame farm, excluding the possibility of capture of the skirt rods.
The second and third launches of Atlas D, too, ended in failure. The first rocket exploded in the air as a result of destruction of the upper bulkhead of the fuel tank, and the second in the result of a maintenance error.
Concerned military gave the engineers the task to eliminate all shortcomings and to bring the missile to the stage of combat readiness by 1 August 1959.
After elimination of causes of accidents firm Convair installed it on the starting position of the next rocket. July 28, 1959 it has fully complied with the flight program and flew for about 10, OOO km in 14 days, there was a recent successful test launch. August 31 ICBM Atlas was brought to the stage of the initial alert.
Started delivery of “atlases” D in the US air force. The first missile entered the 704 th strategic missile wing of the U.S. air force (Strategic Missile Wing SMW) on the basis of Vandenberg. This compound was the main training base for personnel.
March 10, 1960, the military tried to launch the Atlas D at maximum range. But the rocket during launch exploded. 20 may attempt to repeat. This time the launch was successful. The layout of the WARHEAD fell into the Indian ocean, 1,600 km South-East of Cape town and 800 km North-East of the island of Prince Edward. Rocket overcame a 14 500 km in 53 minutes.
The next modification of the missile was Atlas E. it was the new power plant MA-3, consisting of upper stage engines LR-89-NA-5 a thrust of 73.4 cu and marching LR-105-NA-5 thrust of 25.6 cu. In addition to increasing traction, the designers managed to reduce the weight and number of parts in the engines. The increased thrust of the power plant will equip the missile a more powerful warhead W-38 3.7 MT, which was a new type of WARHEAD Mk.4. The estimated range of the Atlas E was 16 000 km.
To improve the accuracy of the rocket put it on inertial guidance systems of the ICBM Titan.
The first launch of the Atlas E was held on 11 October 1960. This and the next two start-up failed. Only a year later designers managed to eliminate all disadvantages of the rocket and put it into service.
The last combat missile of the Atlas was its shaft option F. Atlas its Distinctive features are:
— installation of special equipment in the fuel lines and start the main engine to the main fuel valves, allows long to keep the rocket tank;
— installation of drainage devices for the removal of sediment that may have formed on the bottom of the tank during long storage periods;
— installation of the launch complex special filling equipment and additional tanks of helium for tank pressurization in the accelerated preparation for launch.
On the last series of the Atlas F missiles were installed WARHEAD from a Minuteman missile of the type Mk.5.
The first Atlas F launch took place on 8 August 1961. The rocket flew along the track of the Atlantic landfill is about 9200 km and fell in the specified area near ascension island.
The first subdivision, mastered the new missile, was 576 Sqn, 704 SMW (579 SMS — Strategic Missile Squadron). September 9, 1959, its personnel made a first successful launch.
Construction of fighting positions for missiles on the base Vandenberg in California, began 1957. The starting tables were located in the lungs shelters of hangar type with sliding roofs. The rocket was rolled to the shelter of the conveyor in a horizontal position. To secure it to the starting table last turned 90 degrees. From the launch pad departed rigid lattice truss lift, extending along the housing and having two grippers in the form of calipers, zajimavych adapter ring in the rear part of the projectile. After attaching the missile to the ring began operations on installing MS.
After the decision on the start included the system power lift rocket. Electro-hydraulic system 75 HP moved the roof of the shelter back, and then the lift started to install Atlas in an upright position — it took about two minutes. Further, the fuel system of the rocket was purged with nitrogen automatically fed oxidant and fuel, and then began the pre-start countdown time.
The first combat formation of the Atlas rockets, which became on combat duty, became the 706-e SMW on the basis of Warren in Wyoming. 546 squadron of the wing was placed in six launch complexes are open. 565 squadron had three of the launch complex in the lungs hangars with side sliding roof. 549 squadron had nine launchers hangar type, recessed into the ground.
Embattled base Warren was reached in 1960. The second military base of the rocket Atlas Fairchild in Washington state was commissioned in October 1961. On the basis there was nine launchers by type 549 squadron. Base differed secure microwave communications system. Third base Forbs in Kansas became operational also in October 1961. The number of launchers and their type was the same as on the base Fairchild.
In 1959 it was decided to develop a ICBM Atlas a fully fortified shelter mine type. Rocket wheel was in the mine only to store and to run it had to be lifted to the surface. The depth of the mine was 53 m, diameter of 15.8 m. the control Center run was in a concrete shelter at a distance of about 30 m from the mine and linked by a tunnel, passing approximately at the level of the fifth floor of the mine. The shelter provided protection from radiation, and the elastic suspension of the rocket in the mine protected it from strong vibrations near nuclear explosions.
The missile could be stored with fuel tanks filled with kerosene but a filling with liquid oxygen has begun prior to running, to lifting missiles to the surface.
Mine shelters for the Atlas F was built on the bases Schilling in Kansas, Plattsburg in the state of new York, Lincoln Nebraska, Aptos in Oklahoma, Dies in Texas, Walker in new Mexico. Each of these bases was one squadron of 12 missiles.
Total time for the operation was running about 153 ICBM Atlas, various modifications of which 110 were successful (72%), 26 partially successful and 15 unsuccessful. The results of the two runs were classified.
In 1975, Atlas ICBMs removed from service, replacing them with more shelf-stable and start-up solid-fuel Minuteman missiles.
But the story of Atlas missiles did not end there, Almost all of them were used in the US space program to launch satellites, interplanetary spacecraft and astronauts. This part of the history of the Atlas missile so big that could be a separate topic for a series of publications.
Technical characteristics of the rocket Atlas
Length with nose cone of the MK.2, m: 23
Length with nose cone of the Mk.3 or Mk.4, m: 25
Length with nose cone of the Mk.5, m: 24
Body diameter, m: 3,04
Diameter transition compartment nose cone, m: 1,2
The width of the skirt starting engines m: 4,87
Launch weight, kg:
— modification D: 115 700
— modification of E and F with nose cone of the Mk.4: 118 000
Weight with nose cone without fuel, kg: 9000
The weight of the structure without the nose cone and upper stage engines, kg: 3600
Powerplant modifications D-MA-2:
starting engines: 2 LRE LR-89-3 (rod 68 000 kgs);
— main engine: 1 rocket engine LR-105-3 (thrust 27 200 kg);
— Vernier engines: 2 rocket engine LR-101-5, -6,-7 (450 kgf thrust)
Powerplant modifications of the E and F – MA-3:
starting engines: 2 LRE LR-89-5 (rod 74 800 kgf);
— main engine: 1 rocket engine LR-105-5 (thrust 27 200 kg);
— Vernier engines: 2 rocket engine LR-101 (450 kgf thrust)
Fuel for all engines: kerosene
The oxidizer is liquid oxygen
Range, km:
— initial calculation: 10 175
effective combat: 16 600
Maximum altitude of flight, km: 960
The speed at the time of fuel burn-up corresponds to the number M=26-27
A. CHECHIN, N. Food reserve was
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31 October 1945 the technical Department of the Us air command (the name of the U.S. air force) requested the leading firms, they create new weapon systems capable of hitting targets at ranges from 40 to 8000 km.