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In the case of the
Thunderbird, the "Stage 1½" design was known as "Green Flax", and after some paperwork with that name on it was lost and assumed compromised, "Yellow Temple". It utilised the new Type 86 "Indigo Corkscrew" radar. In service it was known as Radar, AD, No 10 (fire control). The new
487:
boosters lying between the control surfaces and wings. The boosters featured a single oversized fin of their own, and are particularly easy to spot due to a small flat surface at the end of every fin. This surface provided an outward drag component that help pull the booster away from the main body
503:
The test programme used development vehicles D1 to D4. D1 and D2 established some of the basic configuration issues, whilst D3 and D4 were used to test the aerodynamics of the design. The Army rejected the idea of using a liquid fuel rocket because of the difficulty in handling the highly reactive
530:
While development of the Stage 1 missiles was still ongoing, work on the Stage 2 systems was proving to be too far in advance of the state of the art to realistically enter service while the Red Duster and Red Shoes were still useful. In the meantime, advances in radar technology were proceeding
507:
While testing of the Red Shoes was underway, the "competition" in the form of Red Duster was also entering testing. Red Duster demonstrated several serious problems, and the Army ended any interest in it. In the end the Red Duster problems were sorted out fairly quickly, and it entered service
478:
nose cone, four cropped-delta wings just behind the middle point of the fuselage, and four smaller control surfaces at the rear, in-line with the mid-mounted wings. The fuselage had a slight boat-tail narrowing at the extreme rear under the control surfaces. The sustainer was to be a
370:
The GAP committee also considered the needs of the Army and Air Force, based on the same technology but aimed at higher performance aircraft and longer ranges on the order of 100,000 yards (57 mi). As a new project, it was assigned a name under the newly-introduced MoS
319:
before they could reach firing range. In March 1944, a panel known as the GAP Committee formed within the MoS to consider this and similar designs from the Army. The group was reformed several times, growing each time as the topic grew more important. From their work the
383:
Due to the way radar signals spread out in space with increasing range, beam riding is only useful at shorter ranges, and a paper produced by the RAE suggested that there was no way Red
Heathen's accuracy requirements could be met with existing radars. This meant new
707:
Anti-Aircraft
Battery and museum, Cornwall, UK A Thunderbird without launch pad can be seen at Capel Military Show, Surrey UK Two of the Finnish missiles survive, one missile is located in Museo Militaria, Hämeenlinna, another in the Anti-aircraft Museum, Tuusula.
565:
Several changes to the basic missile were undertaken as well. Although the size remained the same, the new version featured much larger boosters, larger mid-mounted wings with sweep on the front and back, and a new nose cone with a much higher
206:
were still used for lower altitude threats. Thunderbird entered service in 1959 and underwent a major mid-life upgrade to
Thunderbird 2 in 1966, before being slowly phased out by 1977. Ex-Army Thunderbirds were also operated by the
395:
system with the same required range as
Seaslug. Bristol's ramjet-powered Seaslug design was redirected to this new requirement instead of Navy use. A single set of radars would be used with both designs, this consisted of a
702:
located at East
Fortune, just outside Edinburgh, Scotland. A Thunderbird is also stationed outside the Combined Services Military Museum at Maldon in Essex. A Thunderbird nose cone and parts of main body on display at
642:- planned purchase of either Thunderbird or Bloodhound was eventually cancelled, but only after deactivated training missiles had been delivered in the late 1960s. These were used in the training role until 1979.
570:. The boosters lost their asymmetrical nose cones, but the surfaces on the end of their fins grew much larger. Overall the missile still looked much like the Mk. I version, as opposed to the
415:
In 1952 the projects were split, with
Bristol's effort becoming "Red Duster" and English Electric's becoming "Red Shoes". These would fill the Stage 1 requirement, along with existing
614:
202:. Thunderbird was primarily intended to attack higher altitude targets at ranges up to approximately 30 miles (48 km), providing wide-area air defence for the Army in the field.
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fuel in the field, so a solid rocket sustainer had to be chosen instead. Several different models of sustainer were tried, most of them known as the "Luton Test
Vehicle", or LTV.
284:
Thunderbird traces its history to the 1947 reorganisation of
British missile projects. At the time there was a wide variety of concepts under study among various groups in the
619:
519:
515:
The production Red Shoes missile was officially named
Thunderbird. It entered service in 1959 and equipped 36 and 37 Heavy Air Defence Regiments, Royal Artillery. In the
243:
Thunderbird was the Army's only heavy anti-aircraft missile. As missile systems like Thunderbird made flight at medium and higher altitudes practically suicidal,
347:
guidance on the Navy's Type 909 radar with range on the order of 30,000–60,000 yards (17–34 mi) and capability against subsonic aircraft. This was renamed
1327:
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To support Thunderbird operations in the field the regiments were equipped with the new Radar, AD, No 11 (tactical control, usually called '
247:
flying became the norm and even shorter-range, faster acting systems were needed. Thunderbird's role was taken over by the much smaller
695:
559:
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Type 88 and Type 89. After leaving Army service in 1977 they were turned over to the RAF who used them for tactical control.
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radar greatly improved performance against low-level targets, as well as providing considerably better performance against
522:
also used Thunderbird. It was the first British-designed and produced missile to go into service with the British Army.
30:
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516:
222:, although it pre-dates both of these systems. After its mid-life upgrades, which shared several components with the
577:
The improved missile was known in service as Thunderbird 2. They entered service in 1966 and were removed in 1977.
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459:
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would have to be developed for this role, and that, in turn, led to a re-evaluation of the Red Heathen concept.
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serving both as an acquisition and illumination system. The same radar was used with the competing Red Duster.
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The MoS re-evaluated the missile program and split it into two "Stages". Red Heathen re-emerged in 1949 as a
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Thunderbird remains a popular museum item in the UK. One of the missiles is now displayed outside the
434:", and relegated to Stage 2 deployment in the 1960s along with newer radars and interceptor aircraft.
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The Navy's initial design was reformulated several times as the threat evolved from propeller-driven
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324:
experimental design emerged, short for "Liquid Oxygen and Petrol Guided Anti-aircraft Projectile".
233:
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894:"| Museo Militaria | Sotahistoriamuseo, nähtävää Hämeenlinnassa, retkikohde Hämeenlinna"
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554:') radar, giving them a longer range surveillance system. These radars were also known to
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Cold War, Hot Science: Applied Research in Britain's Defence Laboratories, 1945-1990
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in 1947, shortly before being moved to the RAE. The RAE was interested in seeing
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when released, helped by the booster's asymmetrical nose cone. Guidance was via
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EE's design quickly developed into a fairly simple cylindrical fuselage with an
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Thunderbird had performance similar to other semi-portable missiles like the US
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which would dramatically improve the performance of the existing missiles.
426:. The original Red Heathen concept for a much longer-ranged weapon became "
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Among the projects inherited by the RAE was a 1943 Navy effort to develop
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The Early Development of Guided Weapons in the United Kingdom, 1940-1960
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to submit an entry for Seaslug as well. They were too busy working with
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A Thunderbird I missile minus finned-boosters, a museum exhibit at the
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Colourful display of Thunderbird II airframe in Anti-Aircraft Museum,
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developed for the missile, and was launched by four large "Gosling"
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324th (Northumbrian) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery
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698:, Woolwich, England. A Thunderbird Mk1 is also on display at the
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rapidly, so it was decided to produce interim designs using new
375:, "Red Heathen". English Electric won the development contract.
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929:. 25 September 1959. pp. 295–299, 302–303. Archived from
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457th (Wessex) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery
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457th (Wessex) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery
240:, and was able to track targets even at very low altitudes.
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153:
1007:
881:
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694:, England. Another example on a launcher is displayed in
661:- 37 second-hand Thunderbird I missiles purchased in 1967
550:') and Radar, AD, No 12 (height finder, usually called '
1323:
History of science and technology in the United Kingdom
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A Thunderbird is displayed in Woomera township of the
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1328:Surface-to-air missiles of the United Kingdom
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574:which became much larger as it was upgraded.
450:, Finland. Note the changes to the main fins.
35:Thunderbird II at Imperial War Museum Duxford
968:a 1959 advertisement for the Thunderbird in
355:technology applied to this role, and asked
1333:Military equipment introduced in the 1950s
1000:
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832:Bud, Gummett NMSI Trading Ltd, (2002) p228
279:
842:Thunderbird Surface to Air Missile System
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184:Single rail, ground mounted (not mobile)
558:as the S303 and S404, or to the RAF as
311:(SAMs) to shoot down aircraft carrying
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817:
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304:(RAE) providing technical direction.
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611:36 and 37 HAA Regiments RA (regular)
458:Missile rear end connector details.
236:system that was highly resistant to
117:1 ft 8.7 in (0.527 m)
109:20 ft 10 in (6.35 m)
13:
764:- a similar weapon adopted by the
755:- a similar weapon adopted by the
508:slightly before Red Shoes, as the
296:. All of these were handed to the
14:
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959:
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670:Negotiations were also held with
517:Territorial Army (United Kingdom)
470:Thunderbird at RAF Museum Cosford
363:, so the contract was offered to
125:5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
907:http://www.ilmatorjuntamuseo.fi/
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29:
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460:The Artillery Museum of Finland
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404:and the RRDE's "Yellow River"
328:won a contract to develop its
16:British surface-to-air missile
1:
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148:4 x Gosling solid fuel rocket
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681:
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302:Royal Aircraft Establishment
192:English Electric Thunderbird
7:
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275:Thunderbird missile (front)
238:radar jamming and deception
10:
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696:The Royal Artillery Museum
541:electronic countermeasures
254:
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1164:(Sea Ceptor, Land Ceptor)
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700:National Museum of Flight
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229:, Thunderbird featured a
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133:Continuous-rod HE warhead
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51:Place of origin
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40:
28:
21:
944:. Taylor & Francis.
938:Twigge, Stephen (1993).
847:5 September 2008 at the
492:, the Ferranti Type 83 "
490:semi-active radar homing
393:semi-active radar homing
251:as it became available.
218:and fully mobile Soviet
171:semi-active radar homing
762:Hawker Siddeley Seaslug
410:British Thomson-Houston
309:surface-to-air missiles
280:Seaslug and Red Heathen
1303: Anglo-Australian
966:"Emphasis on Mobility"
882:http://www.cmsm.co.uk/
727:Body Diameter: 0.527 m
533:continuous wave radars
471:
463:
451:
402:tactical control radar
317:anti-shipping missiles
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196:surface-to-air missile
45:Surface-to-air missile
1011:of the United Kingdom
771:List of Rainbow Codes
659:Royal Saudi Air Force
469:
457:
445:
274:
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231:continuous-wave radar
209:Royal Saudi Air Force
80:Royal Saudi Air Force
713:Woomera Rocket Range
424:interceptor aircraft
417:early warning radars
330:liquid-fueled rocket
715:, South Australia.
526:Further development
326:Armstrong Whitworth
1301:
1299: Anglo-French
1228:Surface-to-surface
933:on 3 October 2013.
861:"Associated units"
753:Bristol Bloodhound
688:Midland Air Museum
510:Bristol Bloodhound
481:liquid fuel rocket
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406:fire control radar
298:Ministry of Supply
277:
269:
265:Midland Air Museum
234:semi-active homing
227:Bristol Bloodhound
204:Anti-aircraft guns
146:liquid fuel rocket
86:Production history
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742:Range: 75 km
735:Continuous HE rod
485:solid fuel rocket
386:Gun Laying radars
365:Bristol Aerospace
198:produced for the
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739:Speed: Mach 2.7
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421:Gloster Javelin
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339:to jet-powered
300:(MoS) with the
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64:In service
59:Service history
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724:Length: 6.35 m
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1289:Green Cheese
1119:Storm Shadow
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931:the original
926:
916:Bibliography
902:
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865:. Retrieved
855:
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692:Warwickshire
685:
669:
654:Saudi Arabia
640:Finnish Army
605:British Army
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494:Yellow River
473:
430:" and then "
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373:rainbow code
369:
357:de Havilland
334:
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286:British Army
283:
242:
213:
211:after 1967.
200:British Army
191:
189:
91:Manufacturer
76:British Army
72:Used by
23:Thunderbird
1279:Blue Streak
1218:Thunderbird
818:Twigge 1993
795:Twigge 1993
438:Development
345:beam riding
313:glide bombs
216:MIM-23 Hawk
1317:Categories
1284:Blue Water
1274:Blue Steel
1208:Starstreak
1152:Bloodhound
1036:Firestreak
1018:Air-to-air
777:References
766:Royal Navy
733:Warheads:
705:Predannack
572:Bloodhound
432:Blue Envoy
400:developed
379:Stage Plan
290:Royal Navy
267:, England.
1236:Swingfire
1203:Starburst
1193:Sea Viper
1124:Sea Venom
1109:Sea Eagle
1094:Brimstone
1089:Blue Boar
1031:Fireflash
782:Citations
682:Survivors
666:Potential
581:Operators
496:" pulsed
408:built by
367:instead.
332:engine.
220:2K11 Krug
67:1959-1977
1251:Vigilant
1213:Tigercat
1198:Sea Wolf
1183:Sea Dart
1157:Blowpipe
1114:Sea Skua
1066:Skyflash
1051:Red Hebe
1046:Red Dean
974:magazine
845:Archived
747:See also
548:Big Ears
419:and the
398:Ferranti
361:Red Hawk
180:platform
164:Guidance
158:Mach 2.7
122:Wingspan
114:Diameter
1266:Nuclear
1246:UB.109T
1241:Malkara
1188:Seaslug
1168:Javelin
1129:SPEAR 3
1104:Martlet
1056:Red Top
867:26 June
635:Finland
556:Marconi
512:Mk. I.
448:Tuusula
349:Seaslug
255:History
130:Warhead
1178:Seacat
1173:Rapier
1134:Tychon
1099:Martel
1041:Meteor
1026:ASRAAM
971:Flight
948:
927:Flight
676:Zambia
651:
632:
597:
586:Former
353:ramjet
322:LOPGAP
178:Launch
166:system
143:Engine
106:Length
1084:ALARM
672:Libya
552:Noddy
498:radar
476:ogive
224:RAF's
1256:NLAW
1162:CAMM
946:ISBN
869:2024
674:and
560:AMES
315:and
292:and
190:The
41:Type
757:RAF
1319::
925:.
802:^
690:,
678:.
543:.
412:.
288:,
1001:e
994:t
987:v
954:.
896:.
871:.
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