Competition of the WS-131B / GAM-77 Hound Dog

[nugo]

Hi All!
WS-131B/GAM-77 Hound Dog---carrier by B-52 Stratofortress.
Competition beginning early 1957 (the exact date could not be found)
I know that 12 companies participated.
Competition won a North American Aviation in August 1957.
12 proposal:
1) North American Model G-? or ?
2) Vought V-412 (my opinion)
3) ?
4) ?
5) ?
6) ?
7) ?
8) ?
9) ?
10) ?
11) ?
12) ?


That you can add ?

 

[Bill S]

Here is a general arrangement for the V-412 Study #7


Vought Heritage Collection


Bill

 

[Bill S]

Inboard Profile of V-412 "B-52 ASM"


Vought Heritage


bill

 

[sferrin]

Looks like a baby Regulus 2. ;D

 

[nugo]

History of development of the WS-131B:


15 March 1956---GOR-148 issued calling for B-52 ASM
1956-----------Cancellation of first proposals
April 1957--------Re-bid of GOR-148 and later named Weapon System 131B
July 1957--------Proposals submitteb by 12 firms:
1) North Amercan Model G-? or ?---GAM-77/AGM-28
2) Vought Model 412
3) Northrop Model 196
4) Boeing Model 80? or 81? (or Model 62? or 63?) (maybe)
5) Bell Model D-? or P-? (or Model ?) (maybe)
6) Convair Model ? (maybe)
7) Douglas Model 1???/DM-? (maybe)
8) Lockheed Model CL-4?? (or CL-3??) (maybe)
9) Martin Model 34? or 35? (maybe)
10) Republic Model AP-? (maybe)
11) Hughes Model HM-? (maybe)
12) GE or R-M or Grumman or ?...: Model ?


These are my comments, and your comments about my comments?

 

[Bill S]

I found another V-412 configuration recently.
Here is the general arrangement drawing.
VAHF archives.


bill

 

[fightingirish]

Tony Chong - Northrop’s N-196 – The Passed-Over Hound Dog


Photo credit: Tony Chong collection

 

[Archibald]

Seems the Hound Dog was considered as a strategic reconnaissance system by the CIA - called OMER. Date is August 1960: the frantic period between shoot down of U-2 & RB-47 and early success of DISCOVERER capsule recovery, August 1960.

"omer II" site:www.cia.gov - Google Search

 

[GeorgeA]

Interesting that in the comparative data, the operational altitude of the B-70 was shown as 120,000 feet.

 

[Archibald]

It was the heydays of boron fuels...

 

[GeorgeA]

It was the heydays of boron fuels...

Yes the table says “chem fuel” which could be zip fuel or Chanel No. 5.

 

[Yellow Palace]

It was the heydays of boron fuels...

The range is pretty dismal, and the main benefit of HEF was supposed to be increased range - AFAIK it wouldn't particularly affect speed or altitude beyond the extent to which it reduced weight. I don't see that you can get a B-70 up to 120,000 feet in controlled flight no matter what engines you put on the thing.

 

[NMaude]

Inboard Profile of V-412 "B-52 ASM"


Vought Heritage


bill

Regulus II.

 

[Yellow Palace]

Regulus II.

Similar configuration, but presumably smaller. Unfortunately no dimensions or named equipment visible on the drawing. The other V-412 drawings give a weight of just under 10,000 lb, which is comparable to Hound Dog and less than half that of Regulus II.