Air Force released today first details of its first air-to-air missile, Ryan Aeronautical Co.'s XAAM-A-1 "Firebird." Only 10 ft. long and 6 in. in diameter, the Firebird can be fired singly, or several can be launched in multiples from a fast-moving jet fighter to seek out and destroy enemy aircraft. With a compact, but very complete radar navigation system, the Firebird is designed to "home" on its objective. The end product of a 2-year, $2-million project carried out by Ryan, the missile has been flight tested at Alamogordo, N. M. It is said to be particularly effective against piloted aircraft, because it is capable of maneuvers beyond human endurance. After launching, a booster rocket in missile's tail pushes it to maximum speed, then is jettisoned by an explosion charge-cutting Firebird overall length to 7 ft. Remaining power for last phase of interception is sup plied by rockets in main housing. The warhead, designed to explode when close enough to insure destruction of the enemy, automatically detonates if target is missed. Not scheduled for regular production, Firebird's primary mission will be to aid in development of better air-to-air missiles.

 

Guided missiles are passing from the developmental stage into limited production.

Approximately $26 million will be spent by the U. S. Air Force for guided missile procurement this year. USAF and Navy have approximately $28 million earmarked for guided missile procurement in the fiscal 1950 budget now being considered by Congress. This is in addition to research and development funds for guided missile experimentation.

Training Missiles-Gen. Hoyt Vandenberg, USAF chief of staff, announced that the $26 million appropriation recently approved by President Truman would be spent largely for training missiles and launching equipment needed to train USAF missile launching crews and technicians. Earlier Vandenberg revealed that USAF was expanding its first guided missiles group into a guided missiles wing (wings normally consist of three groups).

Legislation authorizing the USAF to construct a $200 million long range proving ground for guided missiles was introduced in Congress last week by Sen. Millard Tydings (D., Md.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The proving ground would be oper-ated jointly by members of the USAF, Navy and Army.

New Missiles-Air Force also revealed two experimental missiles which it has tested successfully during the past six months. They are:

Convair 774-This is a 32 ft. missile roughly similar to the German V-2 (45 ft.) It was built at Convair's San Diego plant and will be put into use as a training missile for USAF missile launching crews.

The Convair 774 was first fired successfully last summer at White Sands Proving Ground, N. M. The 774 was designed primarily as a test vehicle for experimentation with new launching techniques, fuels, and rocket propulsion motors. The missile will also be used in upper atmosphere research since it has a potential altitude of 100 miles.

North American NATIV-This test missile is 13 ft. long and was first fired last summer at Alamogordo, N. M. It will be used to test aerodynamic research in the development of control systems and also as a training vehicle for launching crews. It is fired from a tall metal tower and is guided by rails within the tower during the first few seconds after firing. The missile has attained an altitude of 10 miles during test firings.

NATIV was built by North American at its Inglewood plant.

USAF now has nine basic guided missile development contracts in the aircraft industry and has developed military requirements for 13 basic types of guided missiles.

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Aviation Week | February 7, 1949

 

Bell's Supersonic Speedster: First flight picture of the Bell XS-1, flying laboratory, which will make the initial attempt to break through the sonic barrier and achieve supersonic flight. Carrying a full weight com-plement including rocket engines, fuel and instruments the XS-1 is now making test flights as a glider released from a specially equipped 13-29 at AAF's Muroc Lake testing center. First flight powered by Reaction Motor's 6,000-pound static thrust rocket engine is scheduled for late December with Bell test pilot Chalmers (Slick) Goodlin at the controls.. (AAF photo) 

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New Navy Robot Bomb: One of a series of "tomorrow's-weapons-today" at which the public was given a quick peek at the Naval Air Material Center's "open house" is this turbo-jet powered KDN-1 guided-missile which is carried under the wing of a PB4-Y Privateer and launched from the air. It has a "seeker" head and a speed of better than 500 mph.  

New Weapon Tested: First published photo of the NACA-developed guided missile being test-fired at the Committee's auxiliary flight test station. Initial power comes from six rocket motors in the tail fin assembly which drops off after the rockets exhaust their power. Still classified are its range and perforrnance details. (NACA photo) | Aviation Week, 1946

 

Small flying wing fighter built experimentally for the AAF by Northrop Aircraft Co. is designated XP-79. Among the plane's "firsts" and distinctive features are that the pilot lies prone to enable him to withstand 12 G's on pullouts, and that this is the first U. S.-built flying wing to be powered by jet engines—two Westinghouse 19-B's. The aircraft was designed as a regular fighter, carrying four machine guns. 

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Aviation Week | June 17, 1946