Help Needed: AIM-7 Sparrow Lofting

[TheSublimeGoose]

Hi, all,

Apologies if this isn't the correct forum. I looked-around and read the rules for each, felt this probably was the most appropriate a lot.

Okay, so, here is my conundrum; I am seeking sources (secondary preferred but primary sources are acceptable) that state the AIM-7 Sparrow was capable of "lofting." It is widely accepted that one could "manually" loft early AIM-7 variants (I presume the missile could detect that the launching aircraft was at a certain AoA and would gain-altitude post-launch) and that later variants (usually agreed-upon to be the AIM-7MH and later) could "independently" loft, regardless of the launching aircraft's AoA (a la the AIM-54).

Here is my current situation:

I have been able to locate very, very vague references to the Sparrow's lofting capabilities. First, we have the two images I'm uploading. I found these in all places, on the War Thunder forums. However, the original uploader did not remember where they had originated. If anyone knows, you'd be my knight in shining armor. Secondly, I located a tiny reference in the 1989 TO 1F-15A-1 which states "RLOFT AIM-7H" on page "1-65E," concerning some HUD information.

Any assistance would be greatly, greatly appreciated!

~Goose

EDIT: made a bit of a breakthrough, yesterday. In older documents, lofting is referred to as "trajectory shaping." Even some AMRAAM documents refer to it as-such. I found a couple additional references that way. Any help would still be appreciated.

 

[kizvy]

Any assistance would be greatly, greatly appreciated!

~Goose

EDIT: made a bit of a breakthrough, yesterday. In older documents, lofting is referred to as "trajectory shaping." Even some AMRAAM documents refer to it as-such. I found a couple additional references that way. Any help would still be appreciated.

you can find out more about it from the sources listed in this bug report for trajectory shaping in war thunder
https://community.gaijin.net/issues/p/warthunder/i/qXZgF5fLYEAe
Primary Sources:
[1] "Navy Cherry Point Range Complex Final Environmental Impact Statement/ Overseas Environmental Impact Statement (EIS/OEIS) Volume 2, Appendices"

[2] "ANNUAL REPORT OF THE NAVY AEROBALLISTICS COMMITTEE TO THE NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS Final, 1 Jan -31 Dec 1981 COMMAND AND THE NAVAL SEA 6- PERFORMING ORO. REPORT NUMBER SYSTEMS COMMAND FOR 1981"

[3] "RTO LECTURE SERIES 221 bis Technologies for Future Precision Strike Missile Systems"

[4] "Missile design guide by Eugene L. Fleeman"
https://download.bibis.ir/Books/Mechanics/2022/Missile-design-guide-by-Eugene-L.Fleeman_bibis.ir.pdf

 

[Aeria Gloria]

Well it also depends on launcher. Some planes I think have no way of “toggling” the lofting feature. Some like F-18 can turn the loft on or off. It will also turn off on its own at closer ranges.

I think you would have better luck checking manuals, as they will more often say when a missile of a particular variant will loft, if this can be toggled, HUD cues, etc. It’s definitely a real thing.

 

[TheSublimeGoose]

you can find out more about it from the sources listed in this bug report for trajectory shaping in war thunder
https://community.gaijin.net/issues/p/warthunder/i/qXZgF5fLYEAe
Primary Sources:
[1] "Navy Cherry Point Range Complex Final Environmental Impact Statement/ Overseas Environmental Impact Statement (EIS/OEIS) Volume 2, Appendices"

[2] "ANNUAL REPORT OF THE NAVY AEROBALLISTICS COMMITTEE TO THE NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS Final, 1 Jan -31 Dec 1981 COMMAND AND THE NAVAL SEA 6- PERFORMING ORO. REPORT NUMBER SYSTEMS COMMAND FOR 1981"

[3] "RTO LECTURE SERIES 221 bis Technologies for Future Precision Strike Missile Systems"

[4] "Missile design guide by Eugene L. Fleeman"
https://download.bibis.ir/Books/Mechanics/2022/Missile-design-guide-by-Eugene-L.Fleeman_bibis.ir.pdf

I found that first source, I added it to Wikipedia (any of the sources on the AIM-7 Wikipedia page relating to lofting, I added). I believe the other three are new, I will check them out, thank you so much! Really appreciate it.

@Aeria Gloria There are some quirks with the lofting capabilities, yeah, but apparently even certain F-4 HUDs supported it. I've spoken with a WSO and a RIO and they both confirmed that there was "some setting" which enabled "some sort of lofting" on the Sparrow, but couldn't recall any further details.

Frankly, I'm shocked that the Sparrow — particularly the early variants — even benefitted from lofting.