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120-747: The GAM-63 RASCAL was a supersonic air-to-surface missile that was developed by the Bell Aircraft Company . The RASCAL was the United States Air Force 's first nuclear armed standoff missile . The RASCAL was initially designated the ASM-A-2, then re-designated the B-63 in 1951 and finally re-designated the GAM-63 in 1955. The name RASCAL was the acronym for RAdar SCAnning Link, the missile's guidance system. The RASCAL project

240-568: A B-36 crashed in February 1950. Training missions were typically in two parts, a 40-hour flight—followed by time on the ground for refueling and maintenance—and then a 24-hour second flight. With a sufficiently light load, the B-36 could fly at least 10,000 mi (16,000 km) nonstop, and the highest cruising speed of any version, the B-36J-III, was at 230 mph (370 km/h). Engaging

360-482: A B-36H-20-CF (serial number 51-5712) that had been damaged in a tornado at Carswell AFB on 1 September 1952. This aircraft, redesignated the XB-36H (and later NB-36H ), was modified to carry a 1 MW , air-cooled nuclear reactor in the aft bomb bay, with a four-ton lead disc shield installed in the middle of the aircraft between the reactor and the cockpit. A number of large air intake and exhaust holes were installed in

480-425: A B-52 as well as its normal bomb load. Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Supersonic Sounds are traveling vibrations in the form of pressure waves in an elastic medium. Objects move at supersonic speed when the objects move faster than the speed at which sound propagates through the medium. In gases, sound travels longitudinally at different speeds, mostly depending on

600-454: A bomb bay. The GRB-36D would ferry the RF-84K to the vicinity of the objective, whereupon the RF-84K would disconnect and begin its mission. Ten GRB-36Ds and 25 RF-84Ks were built and had limited service in 1955–1956. Projects Tip Tow and Tom-Tom involved docking F-84s to the wingtips of B-29s and B-36s. The hope was that the increased aspect ratio of the combined aircraft would result in

720-530: A bomber of truly intercontinental range. The German Reichsluftfahrtministerium 's (RLM) would request the similar ultralong-range Amerikabomber program on 12 May 1942. The USAAC sent out an initial request on 11 April 1941, asking for a 450 mph (720 km/h) top speed, a 275 mph (443 km/h) cruising speed, a service ceiling of 45,000 ft (14,000 m) and a maximum range of 12,000 mi (19,000 km) at 25,000 ft (7,600 m). These requirements were too demanding and far exceeded

840-717: A crew of 15. War missions would have been one-way, taking off from forward bases in Alaska or Greenland , overflying the USSR, and landing in Europe, Morocco, or the Middle East. Veteran crews recall feeling confident in their ability to fly the missions, but not to survive weapon delivery, as the aircraft were not fast enough to escape the blast. These concerns were confirmed by the 1954 Operation Castle tests, in which B-36s were flown at combat distances from detonations of bombs in

960-548: A golf ball from 45,000 ft (14,000 m) and up to 63,600 ft (19,400 m) away. The first RB-36D (44-92088) made its initial flight on 18 December 1949, six months after the B-36D, but initially flew without turbojets. The 28th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing based at Rapid City AFB (later renamed Ellsworth AFB) , South Dakota , received its first RB-36D on 3 June 1950 but due to severe material shortages, they were not operational until June 1951. The 24th and last RB-36D

1080-557: A greater range. Project Tip Tow was cancelled when an EF-84D and a specially modified test EB-29A crashed, killing everyone on both aircraft. This accident was attributed to the EF-84D flipping over onto the wing of the EB-29A. Project Tom-Tom, involving RF-84Fs and a GRB-36D from the FICON project (redesignated JRB-36F), continued for a few months after this crash, but was also cancelled due to

1200-467: A heavier payload enter service. The wings of the B-36 were large even when compared with present-day aircraft, exceeding, for example, those of the C-5 Galaxy, and enabled the B-36 to carry enough fuel to fly the intended long missions without refueling. The maximum thickness of the wing, measured perpendicular to the chord , was 7.5 ft (2.3 m), containing a crawlspace that allowed access to

1320-538: A level partly determined by knowledge of the capability of Soviet air-defense radar . The main Soviet air-defense radar in the 1950s was the American-supplied SCR-270 , or locally made copies, which were only effective up to 40,000 ft (12,000 m) – in theory, and an aircraft cruising above this level likely would remain undetected. The first aircraft to put this theory to

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1440-465: A lightweight version of this aircraft, the RB-36-III, could reach 58,000 ft (18,000 m). RB-36s were distinguished by the bright aluminum finish of the camera compartment (contrasting with the dull magnesium of the rest of the fuselage) and by a series of radar domes under the aft fuselage, varying in number and placement. When developed, it was the only American aircraft large enough to carry

1560-751: A new radio and radar system and the Pratt and Whitney engines were redesigned, adding another 1,000 lb (450 kg). The B-36 was two-thirds longer than the previous "superbomber", the B-29 and its wingspan and height exceeded those of the Soviet Union's 1960s Antonov An-22 , the largest turboprop ever produced. Only with the advent of the Boeing 747 and the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy , both designed two decades later, did aircraft capable of lifting

1680-454: A prodigious appetite for lubricating oil and each engine required a dedicated 100 US gal (380 L) tank. Normal maintenance consisted of tedious measures, such as changing the 56 spark plugs on each of the six engines which were often fouled by the lead in the 145 octane anti knock fuel required. Thus, each service required changing 336 spark plugs. The B-36 was too large to fit in most hangars . Since even an aircraft with

1800-453: A single RASCAL missile. The RASCAL occupied both of the B-36's aft bomb bays where it was carried semi-submerged. A portion of the missile was located inside the aircraft and a portion of the missile hung below the aircraft. One forward bomb bay was used to hold equipment required by the RASCAL's guidance system. The retractable antenna for the command guidance system was installed in the rear of

1920-860: A speed of Mach 3.0 by July 1955. It was intended that the Rascal would be deployed on the B-50 and B-36. The RASCAL design used the X-9's canard aerodynamic configuration and a rocket engine derived from the X-9's rocket-propulsion system. The RASCAL was larger than the X-9 with a fuselage that was 9 feet (2.7 m) longer and 2 feet (0.61 m) larger in diameter. The RASCAL's flight controls included forward and rear surfaces. Forward surfaces include fixed horizontal stabilizers and movable dorsal and ventral surfaces . Rear surfaces include wings with ailerons and fixed dorsal and ventral stabilizers. The aft lower stabilizer could be folded for ground handling. The RASCAL

2040-548: A tail turret, or no gunners at all for several years but the development of air-to-air missiles , such as the Soviet K-5 which began test firings in 1951, eliminated remaining justifications for keeping them. In February 1954, the USAF awarded Convair a contract for a new "Featherweight" program, which significantly reduced weight and crew size. The three configurations were: The six turrets eliminated by Featherweight I reduced

2160-475: A tender on 16 October 1941. Consolidated asked for a $ 15 million contract with $ 800,000 for research and development, mockup, and tooling. Two experimental bombers were proposed, the first to be delivered in 30 months, and the second within 36 months. Originally designated Model B-35, the name was changed to B-36 to avoid confusion with the Northrop YB-35 piston-engined flying-wing bomber, against which

2280-466: A terminal dive about 20 miles (32 km) from the target. The command guidance system did not send a directional signal and was not encrypted which made it susceptible to detection and jamming . The guidance system developed by Bell for the GAM-63A version of the RASCAL produced a CEP of 1,500 feet (460 m). The accuracy claims of the inertial guidance system have been questioned by sources., It

2400-531: A trapeze. The concept was tested using a B-29 carrier, but docking was difficult even for experienced test pilots. Moreover, the XF-85 was no match for contemporary foreign powers' interceptors in development or in service and consequently the project was cancelled. The FICON project was more successful and involving a modified B-36 (a GRB-36D "mothership") and the RF-84K , a fighter modified for reconnaissance , in

2520-419: Is " ultrasonic ", but the older meaning sometimes still lives on, as in the word superheterodyne The tip of a bullwhip is generally seen as the first object designed to reach the speed of sound. This action results in its telltale "crack", which is actually just a sonic boom . The first human-made supersonic boom was likely caused by a piece of common cloth, leading to the whip's eventual development. It's

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2640-428: Is crack formation faster than the speed of sound in a brittle material. The word supersonic comes from two Latin derived words ; 1) super : above and 2) sonus : sound, which together mean above sound, or faster than sound. At the beginning of the 20th century, the term "supersonic" was used as an adjective to describe sound whose frequency is above the range of normal human hearing. The modern term for this meaning

2760-444: Is more complex. The main key to having low supersonic drag is to properly shape the overall aircraft to be long and thin, and close to a "perfect" shape, the von Karman ogive or Sears-Haack body . This has led to almost every supersonic cruising aircraft looking very similar to every other, with a very long and slender fuselage and large delta wings, cf. SR-71 , Concorde , etc. Although not ideal for passenger aircraft, this shaping

2880-427: Is quite adaptable for bomber use. Convair B-36 The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker" is a strategic bomber built by Convair and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1949 to 1959. The B-36 is the largest mass-produced piston-engined aircraft ever built, although it was exceeded in span and weight by the one-off Hughes H-4 Hercules . It has the longest wingspan of any combat aircraft. The B-36

3000-545: The COVID-19 pandemic and the vehicle was put up for sale. Most modern fighter aircraft are supersonic aircraft. No modern-day passenger aircraft are capable of supersonic speed, but there have been supersonic passenger aircraft , namely Concorde and the Tupolev Tu-144 . Both of these passenger aircraft and some modern fighters are also capable of supercruise , a condition of sustained supersonic flight without

3120-520: The RTV-A-4 Shrike later re-designated the X-9 as a testbed for the later Rascal that would be developed under project MX-776B. MX-776A in itself was an ambitious program intended to not only develop aerodynamic, structural, guidance and propulsion information. The X-9 was also to develop the knowledge and skills required to check out and launch an air-to-ground missile. MX-776A was also to develop experience in training crews to maintain and deploy

3240-594: The ThrustSSC . The vehicle, driven by Andy Green , holds the world land speed record, having achieved an average speed on its bi-directional run of 1,228 km/h (763 mph) in the Black Rock Desert on 15 October 1997. The Bloodhound LSR project planned an attempt on the record in 2020 at Hakskeenpan in South Africa with a combination jet and hybrid rocket propelled car. The aim was to break

3360-562: The Tupolev Tu-160 and Rockwell B-1 Lancer are also supersonic-capable. The aerodynamics of supersonic aircraft is simpler than subsonic aerodynamics because the airsheets at different points along the plane often cannot affect each other. Supersonic jets and rocket vehicles require several times greater thrust to push through the extra aerodynamic drag experienced within the transonic region (around Mach 0.85–1.2). At these speeds aerospace engineers can gently guide air around

3480-524: The fuselage of the aircraft without producing new shock waves , but any change in cross area farther down the vehicle leads to shock waves along the body. Designers use the Supersonic area rule and the Whitcomb area rule to minimize sudden changes in size. However, in practical applications, a supersonic aircraft must operate stably in both subsonic and supersonic profiles, hence aerodynamic design

3600-471: The molecular mass and temperature of the gas, and pressure has little effect. Since air temperature and composition varies significantly with altitude, the speed of sound, and Mach numbers for a steadily moving object may change. In water at room temperature supersonic speed means any speed greater than 1,440 m/s (4,724 ft/s). In solids, sound waves can be polarized longitudinally or transversely and have higher velocities. Supersonic fracture

3720-467: The speed of sound decreases somewhat with altitude, due to lower temperatures found there (typically up to 25 km). At even higher altitudes the temperature starts increasing, with the corresponding increase in the speed of sound. When an inflated balloon is burst, the torn pieces of latex contract at supersonic speed, which contributes to the sharp and loud popping noise. To date, only one land vehicle has officially travelled at supersonic speed,

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3840-546: The wave motion travelling through the bullwhip that makes it capable of achieving supersonic speeds. Most modern firearm bullets are supersonic, with rifle projectiles often travelling at speeds approaching and in some cases well exceeding Mach 3 . Most spacecraft are supersonic at least during portions of their reentry, though the effects on the spacecraft are reduced by low air densities. During ascent, launch vehicles generally avoid going supersonic below 30 km (~98,400 feet) to reduce air drag. Note that

3960-472: The 15-megaton range. At distances typical of wartime delivery, aircraft suffered extensive flash and blast damage. The B-36 was employed in a variety of aeronautical experiments throughout its service life. Its immense size, range, and payload capacity lent itself to use in research and development programs. These included nuclear propulsion studies, and "parasite" programs in which the B-36 carried smaller interceptors or reconnaissance aircraft. In May 1946,

4080-766: The Air Force began the Nuclear Energy for the Propulsion of Aircraft project, which was followed in May 1951 by the Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion (ANP) program. The ANP program used modified B-36s to study shielding requirements for an airborne reactor to determine whether a nuclear-powered aircraft was feasible. Convair modified two B-36s under the MX-1589 project. The Nuclear Test Aircraft was

4200-444: The B-36 and the carburetor was in front of the engine, where it would not benefit from engine heat and made more existing carburetor heat systems unsuitable. Hence, when intake air was cold and humid, ice gradually obstructed the carburetor intake, which increased the air/fuel mixture richness until unburned fuel in the exhaust caught fire. Three engine fires of this nature led to the first loss of an American nuclear weapon when

4320-504: The B-36 ceased in 1954. Due to problems that occurred with the B-36 in its early stages of testing, development, and later in service, some critics referred to the aircraft as a "billion-dollar blunder". In particular, the United States Navy saw it as a costly bungle, diverting congressional funding and interest from naval aviation and aircraft carriers in general, and carrier–based nuclear bombers in particular. In 1947,

4440-457: The B-36 could match what was arguably its approximate Soviet counterpart, the later Tu-95 . Until the B-52 became operational, the B-36 was the only means of delivering the first generation Mark 17 hydrogen bomb , 25 ft (7.6 m) long, 5 ft (1.5 m) in diameter, and weighing 42,000 lb (19,000 kg), the heaviest and bulkiest American aerial nuclear bomb. The Mark 17 took up

4560-551: The B-36 to USS United States . The Air Force successfully defended the B-36 project, and United States was cancelled by Secretary of Defense Louis A. Johnson in a cost-cutting move over the objections of both Secretary of the Navy John L. Sullivan and the Navy's senior leadership. Sullivan resigned in protest and was replaced as Secretary of the Navy by Francis P. Matthews , who had limited familiarity with defense issues, but

4680-407: The B-36 was believed to have "an ace up its sleeve": a phenomenal cruising altitude for a piston-driven aircraft, made possible by its huge wing area and six engines, putting it out of range of most interceptors, as well as ground-based anti-aircraft guns . Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation (later Convair) and Boeing Aircraft Company took part in the competition, with Consolidated winning

4800-470: The B-36 was meant to compete for a production contract. Throughout its development, the B-36 program encountered delays. When the United States entered World War II, Consolidated was ordered to slow B-36 development to greatly increase Consolidated B-24 Liberator production. The first mockup was inspected on 20 July 1942, following six months of refinements. A month after the inspection, the project

4920-475: The B-36, thanks to its ability to operate at more than 50,000 ft (15,000 m). Later, the new Secretary of Defense, Louis A. Johnson , who considered the U.S. Navy and naval aviation essentially obsolete in favor of the USAF and SAC, forbade putting the Navy's claim to the test. The propulsion system of the B-36 was unique, with six 28-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radial engines mounted in an unusual pusher configuration , rather than

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5040-558: The B-47E as a RASCAL missile carrier. Boeing was contracted to convert two B-47E into YDB-47E aircraft. The first YDB-47E flew in January 1954. The first successful RASCAL launch from a DB-47E occurred in July 1955. The mission of bombers had changed in 1956 from high altitude penetration to low level penetration so as to evade enemy radars. The fact that the minimum launch altitude of the RASCAL

5160-551: The B-50 as a RASCAL carrier was not reached until June 1956. A single B-50 was used as a launch platform in support of the RASCAL test program until 1955. A cradle lowered the RASCAL from the B-50's bomb bay before launch. The first powered RASCAL was launched from the test B-50 on 30 September 1952 at White Sands Missile Range , New Mexico in the United States In May 1953, 12 DB-36H "director-bombers" were ordered from Convair . Each bomber would be equipped to carry

5280-704: The Germans' Amerikabomber proposals, and the same day that the German firm Heinkel began design on a six-engined bomber of their own. The USAAF submitted a "letter of intent" to Convair for an initial production run of 100 , even before testing of the two prototypes was complete. The first delivery was due in August 1945, and the last in October 1946, but Consolidated (by now renamed Convair after merging with Vultee Aircraft ) delayed delivery. Three months after V-E Day

5400-463: The MA-8 fed the aircraft's velocity and heading to the missile. Following launch an inertial system guided the missile during launch, climb and mid-course phases of its flight. During the terminal dive a command guidance control system was used where the RASCAL was remotely controlled by the bombardier in the launching bomber. After launch, a lanyard connecting the RASCAL to the bomber was used to start

5520-520: The Navy attacked congressional funding for the B-36, alleging it failed to meet Pentagon requirements. The Navy held to the pre-eminence of the aircraft carrier in the Pacific during World War II, presuming carrier-based aircraft would be decisive in future wars. To this end, the Navy designed USS  United States , a " supercarrier " capable of launching huge fleets of tactical aircraft or nuclear bombers. It then pushed to have funding transferred from

5640-476: The RASCAL. The USAF Strategic Air Command did not agree with the decision to use the B-47 to carry the RASCAL. SAC wished to substitute the B-47 with the B-50 proposing to field a single squadron each of RASCAL equipped B-50s and B-36s. It was determined that RASCAL-carrying B-50s would need to be based outside the United States because the B-50 would have less range while carrying the RASCAL. The decision to eliminate

5760-633: The SAC. Convair touted the B-36 as the "aluminum overcast", a so-called " long rifle ", giving SAC truly global reach. During General Curtis LeMay 's tenure as head of SAC (1949–57), the B-36 formed the heart of the Strategic Air Command. Its maximum payload was more than four times that of the B-29 and exceeded that of the later B-52. The B-36 was slow and could not refuel in midair, but could fly missions to targets 3,400 mi (5,500 km) away and stay aloft as long as 40 hours. Moreover,

5880-732: The USAAF awarded the Bell Aircraft Company a contract for the construction of a supersonic air-to-surface missile compatible with the B-29 Superfortress , the B-36 bomber, and the B-50 Superfortress bomber. The missile was to have a range of 100 miles (160 km), Bell's development effort was led by Walter R. Dornberger . Rascal, was required to carry a 5,000 pound warhead a distance of 150 nautical miles at

6000-678: The USAF terminated the RASCAL program. The AGM-28 Hound Dog replaced the GAM-63 program. The first flight tests of the Hound Dog were in April 1959, and the first operational Hound Dog was delivered to the USAF in December 1959. The first Hound Dog equipped SAC squadron reached initial operational capability in July 1960. The Hound Dog offered a weapon with nearly five times the range of the RASCAL, without command guidance, and without hazardous fuels to contend with. Two Hound Dogs could be carried by

6120-455: The USSR. The modification to allow the use of larger atomic weapons on the B-36 was called the "Grand Slam Installation". The B-36 was obsolete from the outset, while it now faced the widespread introduction of opposing jet fighters. The Boeing B-47 Stratojet , its jet engined counterpart, did not become fully operational until 1953, and lacked the range to attack the Soviet Union from North America without aerial refueling and could not carry

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6240-501: The United States. By June 1955, at least two missiles had been launched from the B-36 and Convair had completed manufacturing modification kits for the 12 planned aircraft. Two kits had been installed on B-36 aircraft when the USAF decided to carry the RASCAL only on the B-47 bomber . Before the end of 1952, Boeing received a contract from the USAF to modify two B-47Bs into prototype RASCAL missile carriers. A removable missile support strut

6360-725: The XB-36 was restricted to Carswell Field adjacent to the factory in Texas, Eglin Field in Florida, and Fairfield-Suisun Field in California. The single-wheel gear was soon replaced by a four-wheeled bogie . At one point, a tank-like tracked landing gear was also tried on the XB-36, but it proved heavy and noisy and was soon abandoned. The four bomb bays could carry up to 87,200 lb (39,600 kg) of bombs, more than 10 times

6480-476: The YB-36, flew on 4 December 1947. It had a redesigned, high-visibility, yet still heavily framed greenhouse dome-shaped canopy, which was later adopted for production, and the engines used on the YB-36 were more powerful and more efficient. Altogether, the YB-36 was much closer to the production aircraft. The first 21 B-36As were delivered in 1948 as interim airframes intended for crew training. No defensive armament

6600-469: The aerospace industry for an air-to-surface missile on 15 July 1945. On July 15, 1945, the USAAF published the military characteristics for an air-to-surface missile. The missile was to be launched from an aircraft at an altitude of 20,000 to 45,000 feet (6,100 to 13,700 m), must operate at a speed of at least 1,200 miles per hour (1,900 km/h) for a range of at least 100 miles (160 km). The missile be able to strike within 500 feet (150 m) of

6720-592: The aircraft was unveiled on 20 August 1945 , and flew for the first time on 8 August 1946. After the start of the Cold War with the 1948 Berlin Airlift , and the 1949 atmospheric test of the first Soviet atomic bomb , American military planners sought bombers capable of delivering the very large and heavy first-generation atomic bombs. The B-36 was the only American aircraft with the range and payload to carry such bombs from airfields on American soil to targets in

6840-502: The aircraft's electrical wiring to jar loose or the vacuum tube electronics to malfunction, leading to failure of the aircraft controls and navigation equipment, which contributed to the crash of B-36B 44-92035 on 22 November 1950. The Convair B-36 was the only aircraft capable of carrying the T-12 Cloudmaker , a gravity bomb weighing 43,600 lb (19,800 kg) and designed to produce an earthquake bomb effect. Part of

6960-481: The aircraft's two aft bomb bays, while the forward bay could hold a Mark 6 atomic weapon. The defensive armament consisted of six retractable gun turrets, with side-by-side turrets mounted in forward dorsal, aft dorsal and ventral positions, aft dorsal and non-retractable tail and nose turrets. Each turret was fitted with two 20 mm (0.79 in) cannon , for a total of 16, and all turrets were remote controlled. Recoil vibration from gunnery practice often caused

7080-463: The aircraft. The first YDB-36H was flown on 3 July 1953. Six captive carry flights were flown between 31 July 1953 and 16 August 1953. The addition of the missile to the B-36 did not increase drag or change the handling characteristics of the bomber. An un-powered RASCAL was dropped from a YDB-36H on 25 August 1953. On 21 December 1954, a DB-36H was delivered to the Air Force for use in the RASCAL test program at Holloman Air Force Base , New Mexico , in

7200-502: The attention of the journal Aviation Week in 1951 when it report “First practical application of the Bell X-1 supersonic research test plans as a military aircraft may be in an air-to-ground guided missile . . . which will probably be designated Rascal. As a risk reduction measure the USAAF divided the program. Project MX-776 was divided into two sub projects as a risk reduction measure, MX-776A and MX-776B. The MX-776A program developed

7320-404: The autopilot put the missile into a 35-degree dive. Then the terminal radar guidance switched on. The operator of the guidance system then had to interpret what vision the radar screen was providing him and decide to either monitor or correct the missiles course. SAC was not interested in the Rascal because of this operational restriction as well as significantly affecting the cost and usefulness of

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7440-496: The bulky, high-resolution cameras of the day. The standard RB-36D carried up to 23 cameras, primarily K-17C, K-22A, K-38, and K-40 cameras. A special 240 in (6,100 mm) focal length camera (known as the Boston Camera after the university where it was designed) was tested on 44-92088, the aircraft being redesignated ERB-36D. The long focal length was achieved by using a two-mirror reflection system and could resolve

7560-409: The control system provided an accuracy or circular error probable (CEP) of 3,000 feet (910 m). Adequate for a missile equipped with a nuclear weapon. The bomber carrying the missile was modified with an additional antenna and equipment at the bombardier's position needed to guide the RASCAL. During the flight to the launch point, the bombardier transferred wind and navigation data periodically to

7680-487: The conventional tractor propeller layout of other heavy bombers . The prototypes six R-4360s delivered 18,000 hp (13,000 kW) which resulted in early B-36s needing long takeoff runs, which was ameliorated when power was boosted to 22,800 hp (17,000 kW). Each engine drove a three-bladed propeller, 19 ft (5.8 m) in diameter, mounted in a pusher configuration. This unusual configuration prevented propeller turbulence from interfering with airflow over

7800-400: The course to a preplanned launch point and automatically launched the missile when the launch point was reached. The flight of the Rascal began with a 19 degree climb angle to an altitude of 65,000 feet where it then leveled off. For the first 73 Nautical miles (roughly 195 seconds) Rascal was inertially guided. When the guidance system determined the missile was 17 nautical miles from the target

7920-420: The crew from 15 to 9. Featherweight III had a longer range and an operating ceiling of at least 47,000 ft (14,000 m), especially valuable for reconnaissance missions. The B-36J-III configuration (the last 14 made) had a single radar-aimed tail turret, extra fuel tanks in the outer wings, and landing gear allowing the maximum gross weight to be increased to 410,000 lb (190,000 kg). Production of

8040-411: The early missile test programs resulting in the program being terminated well short of the originally intended number of flights. Twenty two X-9 missiles were launched between April 1949 and January 1953. The intended mission for the RASCAL was the destruction of highly defended targets on routes to strategic targets. Only targets with well defined radar returns could be attacked by RASCAL. In May 1947,

8160-540: The end of 1953. On 5 December 1949, requirements for the RASCAL called for a nuclear warhead weighing between 3,000 pounds (1,400 kg) and 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg). The RASCAL warhead compartment accommodated a cylinder 3.8 feet (1.2 m) in diameter and 6.25 feet (1.91 m) in length. The USAF also wanted the ability to use the RASCAL as a standard gravity bomb if the missile could not be readied for launch. In January 1950, Bell began to study what nuclear warheads were available for RASCAL. The W-5 nuclear warhead

8280-416: The end of each wing which were also retrofitted to surviving B-36Bs. Consequently, the B-36 was configured to have 10 engines, six radial propeller engines and four jet engines, leading to the B-36 slogan of "six turnin' and four burnin ' ". The B-36 had more engines than any other mass-produced aircraft. The jet pods greatly improved takeoff performance and dash speed over the target. In normal cruising flight,

8400-576: The engines. The wing area permitted cruising altitudes well above the operating ceiling of any 1940s-era fighters, at over 40,000 ft (12,000 m). In 1954, the turrets and other nonessential equipment were stripped out (not unlike the earlier Silverplate program for the atomic bomb-carrying "specialist" B-29s), resulting in a "featherweight" configuration that increased top speed to 423 mph (681 km/h), and cruise at 50,000 ft (15,000 m) and dash at over 55,000 ft (17,000 m), perhaps even higher. The large wing area, with

8520-460: The existing record, then make further attempts during which (the members of) the team hoped to reach speeds of up to 1,600 km/h (1,000 mph). The effort was originally run by Richard Noble who was the leader of the ThrustSSC project, however following funding issues in 2018, the team was bought by Ian Warhurst and renamed Bloodhound LSR. Later the project was indefinitely delayed due to

8640-481: The feasibility of developing a subsonic "pilot-less" bomber carrying a substantial payload over a distance of 300 miles (480 km). After 18 months of study, Bell concluded that rocket propulsion was not capable of providing the performance needed to boost the missile the AAF wanted to a range of 300 miles. The range requirement was reduced to 100 miles (160 km) but other technical problems surfaced. The Rascal caught

8760-429: The film. The second bomb bay contained up to 80 T-86 photoflash bombs , while the third bay could carry an extra 11,000 L (3,000 US gal) droppable fuel tank. The fourth bomb bay carried electronic countermeasure equipment. The full defensive armament was retained. The extra fuel tanks increased the flight endurance to up to 50 hours and it had an operational ceiling of 50,000 ft (15,000 m). Later,

8880-423: The four jet engines supplementing the piston engines in later versions gave the B-36 a wide margin between stall speed ( V S ) and maximum speed ( V max ) at these altitudes. This made the B-36 more maneuverable at high altitude than most jet interceptors of the day, which could not maneuver effectively above 40,000 ft (12,000 m). However, the U.S. Navy McDonnell F2H Banshee fighter could intercept

9000-451: The fuselage to carry spare engines between bases. Each pod could airlift two engines. When the pods were empty, they were removed and carried in the bomb bays. No record exists of the pods being used. As engine fires occurred with the B-36's radial engines, some crews humorously changed the aircraft's slogan from "six turning, four burning" into "two turning, two burning, two smoking, two choking and two more unaccounted for". This problem

9120-563: The huge Mark 16 hydrogen bomb . The other American piston bombers of the day, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress and Boeing B-50 Superfortress , were also too limited in range. Intercontinental ballistic missiles did not become sufficiently reliable until the early 1960s. Until the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress became operational in 1955, the B-36 was the primary nuclear weapons delivery vehicle of

9240-456: The jet engines could raise the cruising speed to over 400 mph (640 km/h). Hence, a 40-hour mission, with the jets used only for takeoff and climbing, flew about 9,200 mi (14,800 km). Due to its size, the B-36 was never sprightly or agile. Lieutenant General James Edmundson likened it to "sitting on your front porch and flying your house around". Crew compartments were nonetheless cramped, especially when occupied for 24 hours by

9360-417: The jet engines were shut down to conserve fuel. When the jet engines were shut down, louvers closed off the front of the pods to reduce drag. The two pods with four turbojets and the six piston engines combined gave the B-36 a total of 40,000 hp (30,000 kW) for short periods of time. The B-36 had a crew of 15. As with the B-29 and B-50, the pressurized flight deck and crew compartment were linked to

9480-508: The late 1940s, strategic intelligence on Soviet capabilities and intentions was scarce. Before the development of the Lockheed U-2 high-altitude spy plane and Corona orbital reconnaissance satellites, technology and politics limited American reconnaissance efforts to the borders, of the Soviet Union. One of the essential criteria of the early postwar reconnaissance aircraft was the ability to cruise above 40,000 ft (12,000 m),

9600-414: The launch airplane. In early 1956, the USAF limited DB-47E production to just two aircraft. In May 1957 the USAF decided to field only one instead of two DB-47 squadrons equipped with the RASCAL missile. Strategic Air Command leadership believed the RASCAL was already obsolete. By December 1957, the USAF 445th Bomb Squadron of the USAF 321st Bomb Wing was training with the RASCAL. The first production RASCAL

9720-530: The load carried by the World War II Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress . The B-36 was not designed with nuclear weapons in mind, because the existence of such weapons was top secret during the period when the B-36 was conceived and designed, and the initial B-36A was not capable of accommodating them. Nevertheless, the B-36 stepped into its nuclear delivery role immediately upon becoming operational. In all respects except speed,

9840-524: The location. Special shelters were built to provide the maintenance crews a modicum of protection. Ground crews were at risk of slipping and falling from icy wings. The wing roots were thick enough, at 7 ft (2.1 m), to enable a flight engineer to access the backs of the engines and the landing gear during flight by crawling through the wings but was only possible at lower altitudes. In 1950, Consolidated-Vultee developed streamlined pods that looked like large drop tanks that mounted on each side of

9960-517: The maximum effective altitude of most of Nazi Germany 's anti-aircraft guns. In the Pacific, the USAAF needed a bomber capable of reaching Japan from bases in Hawaii , and the development of the B-36 became a priority. Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson , in discussions with high-ranking officers of the USAAF, decided to waive normal army procurement procedures, and on 23 July 1943, 15 months after

10080-723: The missile's guidance system. Bell developed two complete fuzing systems, airburst or surface burst. Then in March 1956 the W-5/RASCAL program was canceled. In July 1955, the W-27 nuclear warhead was considered as a replacement for the W-5 for the RASCAL. USAF requirements for the W-27 called for a 2,800 lb (1,300 kg) nuclear warhead with either electronic countermeasures equipment, infrared countermeasures equipment, or extra fuel to increase

10200-402: The missile's rocket engine. In the event the lanyard failed an automatic timer would count down and start the engine. The RASCAL was air-launched above 40,000 feet (12,000 m). Terminal guidance was by radar imaging of the target which was transmitted back to the bomber. As the missile approached the target the detail in the radar video transmitted from the missile improved. The missile began

10320-501: The missile. Prior to launch the bombardier tuned a video relay receiver, altitude phasing, and adjusted the terminal guidance tracking indicator. Missile control surfaces were also checked to make sure they were functional. Prior to the bomber taking off, the RASCAL was pre-programmed for a given flight path. Navigation to the intended launch point 90 miles from the target was determined by the DB-47E's MA-8 navigation system. Before launch

10440-527: The new weapon. It was the intent of the Air Material Command that the Shrike could provide the USAF with a tactical weapon following the test program. The X-9 program was successful in that all essential goals were met. The X-9 program began using two rocket thrust chamber one built by Aerojet and the other by Solar. From flight of the 16th X-9 the rocket motor was a Bell XLR65-BA-1 The X-9 Shrike

10560-530: The performance of the bomber. The performance impact was great enough to make the B-47/RASCAL combination of questionable value. SAC also argued the B-47/RASCAL combination might never work well. Since the equipment being added to the B-47 to guide the missile added more complexity to the already complex B-47. Then the modification costs required to carry the RASCAL added nearly US$ 1 million to the cost of every B-47. To SAC these costs seemed premature considering

10680-488: The range of the B-36 needed to be stationed as close to enemy targets as possible, this meant the plane was largely based in the extreme weather locations of the northern continental United States, Alaska, and the Arctic . Since the maintenance had to be performed outdoors, the crews were largely exposed to the elements, with temperatures of −60 °F (−51 °C) in winters and 100 °F (38 °C) in summers, depending on

10800-427: The range of the RASCAL. A design for the adaption kit between the W-27 and the RASCAL was completed in January 1957 before the RASCAL was canceled. Three bombers were originally considered as RASCAL launch platforms. The B-29 was removed from front line service while the RASCAL was in development. In March 1952, the USAF then turned to the B-36 and B-47 as RASCAL missile carriers. The B-36 was assigned first priority for

10920-611: The rear compartment by a pressurized tunnel through the bomb bay. In the B-36, movement through the tunnel was on a wheeled trolley, pulling on a rope. The rear compartment featured six bunks and a dining galley and led to the tail turret. The tricycle landing gear of the XB-36 featured a single-wheel main landing gear whose tires were the largest ever manufactured up to that time: 9 ft 2 in (2.79 m) tall, 3 ft (0.91 m) wide, and weighing 1,320 lb (600 kg), with enough rubber for 60 automobile tires. These tires placed so much ground pressure on runways that

11040-926: The serving Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Admiral Louis E. Denfeld , following Denfeld's testimony before the House Armed Services Committee . The congressional and media furor over the firing of Admiral Denfeld, as well as the significant use of aircraft carriers in the Korean War , resulted in the Truman administration subsequently ousting both Johnson and Matthews, and procuring Forrestal -class supercarriers, which were similar in size to United States , but geared towards multirole use with air wings of fighter, attack, reconnaissance, electronic warfare , early warning and antisubmarine-warfare aircraft. Simultaneously, heavy manned bombers for SAC were also deemed crucial to national defense and

11160-414: The sides and bottom of the aircraft's rear fuselage to cool the reactor in flight. On the ground, a crane would be used to remove the 35,000 lb (16,000 kg) reactor from the aircraft. To protect the crew, the highly modified cockpit was encased in lead and rubber, with a 1 ft-thick (30 cm) leaded glass windshield . The reactor was operational, but did not power the aircraft as its purpose

11280-409: The state of the RASCAL's development at that time. Finally SAC considered it unwise to commit aircraft and to start training crews before the missile's development had been completed. The Strategic Air Command considered the GAM-63 of no value, but Air Staff wished to press on with deployment of the RASCAL. SAC actively prevented the B-52 from being used as a RASCAL carrier. The USAF then decided to use

11400-506: The target 75 percent of the time. Guidance could be either remotely or self-contained. This resulted in MX-767 Project Mastiff, which was to develop a nuclear armed air-to-surface drone or self-controlled air-to-surface missile. Northrop Corporation , Bell, and Republic Aviation were invited by the USAAF to submit proposals for Mastiff. Bell was awarded a feasibility study contract by the USAAF on 1 April 1946. Bell studied

11520-409: The technology of the day, so on 19 August 1941, they were reduced, to a maximum range of 10,000 mi (16,000 km), an effective combat radius of 4,000 mi (6,400 km) with a 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) bomb-load, a cruising speed between 240 and 300 mph (390 and 480 km/h), and a service ceiling of 40,000 ft (12,000 m) The ceiling in both cases was chosen to exceed

11640-511: The test was the RB-36D specialized photo-reconnaissance version of the B-36D . It was outwardly identical to the standard B-36D, but carried a crew of 22 rather than 15, the additional crew members being needed to operate the reconnaissance equipment carried. The forward bomb bay was filled with a pressurized, manned compartment with 14 cameras and a darkroom , where a photo technician would develop

11760-478: The testing process involved dropping two of them in a single flight, one from 30,000 ft (9,100 m) and the second from 40,000 ft (12,000 m). The first prototype XB-36 flew on 8 August 1946. The speed and range of the prototype failed to meet the standards set out by the USAAC in 1941. This was expected, as the Pratt & Whitney R-4360 engines required were not yet available. A second aircraft,

11880-664: The time, Britain was at risk of falling to the Nazi "Blitz" attacks , making strategic bombing attacks by the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) against Germany impossible with the aircraft available. The United States would need a new bomber to reach Europe and return to bases in North America, necessitating a combat range of at least 5,700 mi (9,200 km), the length of a Gander, Newfoundland – Berlin round trip. The USAAC therefore sought

12000-503: The two DB-47B prototypes, the delays in the RASCAL's development effectively placed the DB-47 modification effort on hold until March 1955. Then in June 1955, Boeing received a contract to modify 30 DB-47Bs to carry the RASCAL. The Strategic Air Command was concerned that externally mounting the RASCAL and the associated internal equipment needed to support the missile would seriously degrade

12120-546: The two systems would never again be in competition for funding. The B-36, including its GRB-36, RB-36, and XC-99 variants, was in USAF service as part of the SAC from 1948 to 1959. The RB-36 variants of the B-36 were used for reconnaissance during the Cold War with the Soviet Union and the B-36 bomber variants conducted training and test operations and stood ground and airborne alert, but were never flown offensively as bombers against hostile forces. The Wasp Major engines had

12240-405: The use of an afterburner . Due to its ability to supercruise for several hours and the relatively high frequency of flight over several decades, Concorde spent more time flying supersonically than all other aircraft combined by a considerable margin. Since Concorde's final retirement flight on November 26, 2003, there are no supersonic passenger aircraft left in service. Some large bombers , such as

12360-433: The violent turbulence induced by the wingtip vortices of the B-36. One of the SAC's initial missions was to plan strategic aerial reconnaissance on a global scale. The first efforts were in photo-reconnaissance and mapping. Along with the photo-reconnaissance mission, a small electronic intelligence cadre operated. Weather reconnaissance was part of the effort, as was long-range detection of Soviet atomic explosions. In

12480-436: The wing, but led to engine overheating due to insufficient airflow around the engines, resulting in inflight engine fires . The large, slow-turning propellers interacted with the high-pressure airflow behind the wings to produce an easily recognizable very-low-frequency pulse at ground level that betrayed approaching flights. Beginning with the B-36D, Convair added a pair of General Electric J47 -19 jet engines suspended near

12600-430: Was 35,000 feet (11,000 m) meant that a low altitude delivery was impossible RASCAL test launches at White Sands Missile Range The actual mission profile of the Rascal was quite restrained. The mission began the moment the carrier aircraft left the ramp and took off towards a predetermined launch point and assigned target. Guidance before launch was dependent upon the DB-47E's MA-8 navigation system which determined

12720-543: Was a close friend of Johnson. Several high-level Navy officials questioned the government's decision in cancelling the United States to fund the B-36, alleging a conflict of interest because Johnson had once served on Convair's board of directors. The uproar following the cancellation of United States in 1949 was nicknamed the " Revolt of the Admirals ", during which time Matthews dismissed and forced into retirement

12840-418: Was accepted at Pinecastle Air Force Base on 30 October 1957. Funding shortages would prevent facilities from being built at Pinecastle Air Force Base until 1959. In August 1958 a review of the previous 6 months RASCAL testing revealed that out of 65 scheduled test launches only one launch was a success. More than half of the test launches were canceled and most of the others were failures. On 29 September 1958

12960-571: Was cancelled in September 1958. During World War II , Nazi Germany air-launched 1,176 V-1 missiles from Heinkel He 111 bombers . The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) studied this weapon system. Testing was conducted in the United States using B-17 bombers and the JB-2 Loon , a locally produced copy of the V-1. Successful testing of this combination led to the release of requirements to

13080-427: Was capable of intercontinental flight without refueling. Entering service in 1948, the B-36 was the primary nuclear weapons delivery vehicle of Strategic Air Command (SAC) until it was replaced by the jet-powered Boeing B-52 Stratofortress beginning in 1955. All but four aircraft have been scrapped. The design of the B-36 can be traced to early 1941, prior to the entry of the United States into World War II . At

13200-502: Was exacerbated by the propellers' pusher configuration, which increased carburetor icing . The design of the R-4360 engine tacitly assumed that it would be mounted in the conventional tractor configuration with the air flowing in the order of propeller/air intake/cylinders and to the carburetor. In this configuration, the carburetor is bathed in warm air flowing past the engine, so is unlikely to ice up. However, they were mounted backwards in

13320-709: Was fitted, since none was ready. All surviving B-36As were converted to RB-36E reconnaissance models once later models became available. Deliveries began in November 1948 of the combat-capable B-36B, which finally met the 1941 requirements, but had serious engine reliability and maintenance problems (changing the 336 spark plugs was a task dreaded by ground crews) and with the availability of weapons and spares. Later models had more powerful R-4360 engines, improved radar, and redesigned crew compartments. The jet engines increased fuel consumption and reduced range. Gun turrets were already recognized as obsolete, and newer bombers had only

13440-401: Was flown with two different guidance systems. The first was a radio command guidance system manufactured by RCA's Federal Telecommunications Division. Later in the development program guidance was provided by a preset/radar command guidance system developed by Bell. The X-9 program also tested on three flights a warhead which dispersed chemical bomblets. The X-9 was one of the more successful of

13560-593: Was initially considered. On 20 August 1950 the Special Weapons Development Board (SWDB) authorized a W-5/RASCAL integration effort. The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) was responsible for developing the fuzing system for the RASCAL warhead. No provision was made for surface burst at this time. In April 1952 fuze development was shifted to Bell which resulted because it was USAF policy to make airframe contractors responsible for nuclear weapons fuzing since this system needed to be integrated with

13680-443: Was installed on the right side of the B-47. Extra internal structure was installed to support the loads of the strut and missile. While carrying the RASCAL, the B-47 could not carry other weapons. The guidance equipment for RASCAL was added to the B-47 bomb bay. The retractable antenna needed by RASCAL was added to the rear fuselage. Both aircraft were sent to Holloman Air Force Base to support the RASCAL test program. After completion of

13800-420: Was moved from San Diego, California, to Fort Worth, Texas, which set back development several months. Consolidated changed the tail from a twin-tail to a single, thereby saving 3,850 lb (1,750 kg), but this change delayed delivery by a further 120 days. Changes in the USAAF requirements added back the weight saved in redesigns, and cost more time. A new antenna system needed to be designed to accommodate

13920-436: Was possible to drop the RASCAL as a gravity bomb if a system malfunction occurred in flight. In such case the missile would be used to attack a less heavily defended target. The RASCAL's forward section was interchangeable for different targets. Using this capability the RASCAL could be equipped with nuclear, biological, chemical, blast, or incendiary warheads. The requirements for biological and chemical warheads were dropped at

14040-513: Was powered by a XLR67-BA-1 rocket engine also developed by Bell. The XLR-67 provided 10,440 pounds-force (46.4 kN) of thrust using three vertical in-line thrust chambers. All three thrust chambers of the XLR67 were operated during the missile's boost phase which could last up to two minutes. At the conclusion of the boost phase the upper and lower chambers of the XLR-67 were shut down and thrust

14160-443: Was provided to the thrust chambers by a turbine driven propellant pump. A gas generator powered the propellant pump. The propellants were glow plug ignited. Bell contracted with Purdue University for the glow plug ignition system. Aerojet provided the pump drive assemblies. The RASCAL guidance system was developed jointly by Bell, Federal Communications/ Radio Corporation of America (RCA) and Texas Instruments . The initial version of

14280-407: Was sustained by the center chamber alone. Fuel for the XLR-67 included 600 US gallons (2,300 L) of white fuming nitric acid oxidizer and 293 US gallons (1,110 L) of JP-4 jet fuel . The oxidizer was stored in a series of tube bundles instead of a spherical storage tank. It is believed this configuration was chosen because it weighed less than a spherical tank of the same volume. Propellant

14400-489: Was to investigate the effect of radiation. Between 1955 and 1957, the NB-36H completed 47 test flights and 215 hours of flight time, during 89 of which the reactor was critical. Other experiments involved providing the B-36 with its own fighter defense in the form of parasite aircraft carried partially or wholly in a bomb bay. One parasite aircraft was the diminutive football-shaped McDonnell XF-85 Goblin , which docked using

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