AUM-N-6 Puffin (Kingfisher F)

[Petrus]

Quite an interesting Wikipedia article on the Puffin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AUM-N-6_Puffin. Frankly I haven't found any further information on that missile elsewhere on the Internet. So unfortunately I don't know its dimensions and other detailed specs. Perhaps someone in this forum may know more?

But what I've found are galleries of photos showing the missile during tests in 1948. Here you've got links to the galleries:

http://www.filefactory.com/file/2wnitv5su86t/McDonnell_Aircraft%20XAUM-N-6%20Puffin_Kingfisher%20F%20PhotosPartII.zip

http://www.filefactory.com/file/3nctez9f1r7b/McDonnell_Aircraft%20XAUM-N-6%20Puffin%20Photos.zip

Below small versions of the photos.

Piotr

 

[Petrus]

part 2 of 3

 

[Petrus]

part 3 of 3

 

[Dilandu]

Actually, I have a VERY strong suspicion, that our Soviet intelligence learned about that missile quite a lot, and put the data into the design features of one of our first anti-ship missiles: RAMT-1400 "Schuka" ("Pike"):



There are quite a lot of similarities:

* Both missiles were planned to have a radar seeker guidance system.
* Both missiles have plunging warhead in the form of narrow cone, placed under hull.
* Both missiles have V-shaped tail & generally similar architecture.
* Both missiles have similar flight scheme - after launch they were supposed to drop to 60 meters altitude, and continue toward the target on it.
* The development of RAMT-1400 started in 1948 - when the Puffin tests started.

The only two major differences that I was able to find between Puffin and RAMT-1400, are the engine (RAMT-1400 was rocket-powered), and "vibrating" control surfaces on RAMT-1400 (clearly German influence). But - I must point out, that the original Puffin design called for use of rocket motor, and only later switched on the pulsejet.

So... it seems that nuclear bomb and Tu-4 wasn't the only things we "borrowed" from USA)