AIM-120 AMRAAM development projects

Was amraam ever planned to get a different name, before amraam stuck? Or was anything else at least proposed? Names like falcon, sparrow, phoenix etc?
 
totoro said:
Was amraam ever planned to get a different name, before amraam stuck? Or was anything else at least proposed? Names like falcon, sparrow, phoenix etc?
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They seem to be inconsistent as to whether new weapons get name or not. God knows what determines if they do.

JASSM
THAAD
PAC-3
GBI
LRSO
ACM
ALCM
SRAM
etc.
 
totoro said:
Was amraam ever planned to get a different name, before amraam stuck? Or was anything else at least proposed? Names like falcon, sparrow, phoenix etc?
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No. Though it got nicknamed "slammer" but that's kind of concide with the Navy's Harpoon SLAM-ER.
You have to look it this way: all the named missiles were originally either done by the military itself or a single company was contracted to do it from the beginning, hence, they got the right to name it.
All later ones came out of program competitions, hence, the program name is what they get stuck with.
 
It makes one wonder how the Sparrow got its' name what with 12ft long, 8" in diameter and weighing 485-510lb.
 
NMaude said:
It makes one wonder how the Sparrow got its' name
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All of them are already gone so who knows.
NMaude said:
what with 12ft long, 8" in diameter and weighing 485-510lb.
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Because this gives it a L/D of 18 so it's a long range missile.
If it were as originally made with the 5" HVAR body and L/D of 13 it wouldn't have powered range after reaching max v without multipulse design.
 
NMaude said:
You missed my point, a sparrow is a very small bird that can fit in the palm of one's hand while the Sparrow AAM was a very big missile when it entered service.
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Well, I chose not to address the obvious. Having been to many places it was my mistake and ignorance to assume this. I'm sorry about that.

I see now. Many city dwellers are unaware of the dangers and horrors of nature. As a "loser" I've seen it all on these continents; and the dreadful big niddles I had to take each time with whatever mysterious concoction the doc pescribed.
Anyhow, sparrows are not like rabbid attack squirrels or ferocious attack cats. No, these unassuming birds are terrifying and vicious once angered. They not only attack you rapidly. They hunt and chase you down wherever and whenever. And often try to release their white bombs onto your head. You better shut your mouth in that instant.
They are absolutly cold blooded killers that take over territories and wage total wars of annihilation against other birds. And don't forget they are invaders in North America! Yes, for years these aliens have gradually push and penetrated deeper into our homelands and backyards.
We must resist! If not it will haunt you until you go crazy.
Would you like to know more? Join up! The infinite conflict of Man vs. Nature.
 
Recent scores:
Nice 1990s prints of dev photos from the OG SLAMRAAM program and a prototype exit blast cone.
Neat estate sale, sadly no other 120 goodies I could find, not bad for $60 total.
I know my scanner has somethin up with it due to the rainbow streaks, it's on the to-do before I hit the National Archives later this year.
These are also screenshots of my raw TIFF archive scans.

They have two generations of the AMRAAM on the rails, or just used CATMs to fill it out so wasn't too weird looking in the demo.
 

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I read in a thread on this site that the AIM-120D uses a dual-pulse rocket-motor, is that correct?
 
Does anyone have a clear picture of the writing on the motor section of the AIM-120D-3?
I somehow doubt the C-5 motor (in production since the late 90s) is totally unchanged or unimproved after 30 years.
 
NMaude said:
It makes one wonder how the Sparrow got its' name what with 12ft long, 8" in diameter and weighing 485-510lb.
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Well it was created at ruffly the same time as the much larger falcon missile, the disiners might have known about that missile so named there's after a smaller bird.
 
Cjc said:
Well it was created at ruffly the same time as the much larger falcon missile
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"Roughly" not ruffl, now as to the Falcon it was significantly smaller than the Sparrow unless you're referring to the XAIM-47A Super Falcon (Predecessor to the AIM-54 Phoenix).

Cjc said:
the disiners might have known about that missile so named there's after a smaller bird.
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I don't know why the AIM-4 was named the Falcon, also it's "Designers" not diviner's.
 
NMaude said:
"Roughly" not ruffl, now as to the Falcon it was significantly smaller than the Sparrow unless you're referring to the XAIM-47A Super Falcon (Predecessor to the AIM-54 Phoenix).



I don't know why the AIM-4 was named the Falcon, also it's "Designers" not diviner's.
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Ya aim-47 was what I was referring to, I've only seen it called falcon on the docs.
 
AIM-47 was a totally different missile than AIM-4. Why it was called like the much smaller AIM-4? I fear we will never know it...
 
Shusui said:
Does anyone have a clear picture of the writing on the motor section of the AIM-120D-3?
I somehow doubt the C-5 motor (in production since the late 90s) is totally unchanged or unimproved after 30 years.
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the motor size hasnt changed much though it is reportedly bigger in the D. there arent any images but i suspect that its mostly propellant related which if you can get a stronger proplent you dont need a much bigger missile or bigger motor to get the same range.
 
JJPET said:
the motor size hasnt changed much though it is reportedly bigger in the D. there arent any images but i suspect that its mostly propellant related which if you can get a stronger proplent you dont need a much bigger missile or bigger motor to get the same range.
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IIRC, what happened was that the new guidance package was able to be reduced in size, so they used that volume for additional rocket fuel.
 
Scott Kenny said:
IIRC, what happened was that the new guidance package was able to be reduced in size, so they used that volume for additional rocket fuel.
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Does anyone know how long the new AIM-120 rocket-motors are? IIRC the baseline rocket-motor for the AIM-120A was 78" long.
 
xena said:
AIM-47 was a totally different missile than AIM-4. Why it was called like the much smaller AIM-4? I fear we will never know it...
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Coincidence. AIM-4 and AIM-47, as you say, were completely different missiles. AIM-47 was up next when they gave GAR-9 a number.
 
NMaude said:
It makes one wonder how the Sparrow got its' name what with 12ft long, 8" in diameter and weighing 485-510lb.
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The AIM-7 is pretty small if you consider it as a pilotless aircraft; which the Bureau of Aeronautics classified it as in late 1940s. The Bureau of Ordnance on the other hand classified it as a projectile. I strongly suspect each Bureau’s perspective is tied strongly to how much defense dollar they can get to develop the AAM at the time.
 

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