Armstrong Whitworth « Flutter Dart » and related design

[Barrington Bond]

:-\

 

[Michel Van]

you got more info about the Foto, were and wenn it was taken ?

 

[Barrington Bond]

I have nothing but the photo

 

[uk 75]

Mr Bond

What a fascinating photo. Judging by the gents standing around it is taken in the 1950s,
possibly in one of the halls at Farnborough.

The photo enlarges very nicely and the rocket looks like a test item for various wings and boosters
and probes. Could it have been something to do with weather or atmospheric testing? It is certainly heavily engineered, which suggests it is British. I cannot identify the aircraft fuselage in the background.

Sorry not to be of more help.

The gent with the cap might be a pigeon fancier, so could it be...

 

[SOC]

The object in the background almost looks like a Mercury capsule.

 

[archipeppe]

I'm not sure but the general configuration of this thing resemble (at least to me) an Italian SISPRE missile...

 

[Barrington Bond]

Aircraft? I thought the black thing in the background looked like part of a jet...?

Regards,
Barry

 

[Michel Van]

The object in the background almost looks like a Mercury capsule.

Not a Mercury capsule but a rocket engine nozzle

on our mystery missile
my guess it could be a RAE Ben, but i got only to oversimplify drawing of it.
the RAE Ben was a searchlight-guided anti aircraft rocket

 

[SOC]

The back end looks pretty close to what's found on the old 5-inch HVAR.

 

[Rickshaw]

Did anybody else notice the two prominent aerials sticking out each side of the nose? Almost like whiskers. suggests radio guidance or transmitters (for a sounding rocket).

 

[archipeppe]

Did anybody else notice the two prominent aerials sticking out each side of the nose? Almost like whiskers. suggests radio guidance or transmitters (for a sounding rocket).

Sounding rocket with such huge wing?
Mmmm...

 

[CJGibson]

it's an Armstrong Whitworth Flutter Dart, but with a straight wing rather than the swept shown here:

Chris

 

[TomS]

Witht he name, Skomer has an entry and a description:

http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/news/national/article_2672c6bb-91f3-59f1-85e4-c9f1fe23948f.html

"Rocket boosted winged vehicle to investigate aero-elasticity."

Makes sense that they might try various different wings for comparison. A simple straight wing would be a good baseline, since it's so well-understood.

 

[CJGibson]

Don't go betting the rent on Skomer. Long past its use-by date.

Chris

 

[flateric]

http://www.defense.gov/specials/missiledefense/tmd-thaad.html
http://pvo.guns.ru/other/usa/thaad/photos.htm

 

[Michel Van]

Found this on a Forum


look like bomb with a rotochute
or is this a sonar probe ?

 

[Stargazer]

Ha! That shouldn't be too difficult... The man standing next to it is Charles Kaman!

This is one of the KRC- Rotochute test vehicles.

 

[Stargazer]

Added three pics to post just above.

 

[Michel Van]

BIG THX for Info !
do we have not a threat about Charles Kaman Rotochute ?

 

[Stargazer]

BIG THX for Info !
do we have not a threat about Charles Kaman Rotochute ?

I think it is somewhere on this forum, yes. In that case, let a mod merge the two and remove my duplicate attachments accordingly.

 

[Michel Van]

oh yes that would be nice
Thx Stargazer2006