Italian SAMs of 1950s

[Petrus]

I've just gathered some bits of info on obscure Italian SAMs from 1950s:

AR-14
Design of Aurelio Robotti (https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurelio_Robotti)
Works started in 1956.
One-stage missile with a liquid-fuel (kerosene + nitric acid) motor.
Thrust 1000 kp (30 sec)
Weight: 500 kg
Length: 7 m
Range: 20 km
Ceiling: 20 km
Guidance: beam-rider

(IMHO data on range and ceiling are unreliable)

The missile was based on earlier designs designated AR-3 and AR-4.
Flight-tested in 1958

AR-15
Also a design by Aurelio Robotti. Not very much known about it. It used liquid-fuel (aniline + nitric acid). Range: about 9 to 14 km.

MR-27
Designed in 1957.
Liquid-fuel rocket motor.
Weight: 227 kg
Length: 1.52 m
Diameter: 0.13 m
Span: 0.41 m
Range: 40 km
Ceiling: 14 km
Speed: 1500 kph
Command guidance with radio signals.

(IMHO info on its range is absolutely unbelievable. Also a missile of such dimensions shouldn't have weighted so much)

The missile was displayed during the World Astronautics Conference in Rome, in 1956.

Source: "Rakiety bojowe 1900-1970" ("Combat rockets 1900-1970) by Tadeusz Burakowski, Aleksander Sala.

Below you've got pictures (not very clear, unfortunately, as books published at that time sported photos of not very high quality) from the book as well as cut-outs from magazines from the late 1950s with brief mentions of the missiles.

Perhaps someone has more on that?

Piotr

 

[archipeppe]

Absolutely cool, many thanks!!!

 

[Dilandu]

Extremely interesting!

 

[Petrus]

MR-27
Designed in 1957.
Liquid-fuel rocket motor.
Weight: 227 kg
Length: 1.52 m
Diameter: 0.13 m
Span: 0.41 m
Range: 40 km
Ceiling: 14 km
Speed: 1500 kph
Command guidance with radio signals.

(IMHO info on its range is absolutely unbelievable. Also a missile of such dimensions shouldn't have weighted so much)

At https://patrimonio.archivioluce.com...dal-sindaco-tupini.html?indexPhoto=9&jsonVal=, among other photos taken during VII Congresso Internazionale Astronautico in Rome on 18 Sept 1956, there are two showing the MR-27 missile mock-up. Thankfully in these photos we have also a group of Italian soldiers, so the missile's dimensions may be estimated. Apparently the missile is bigger than data in the book by Burakowski and Sala might have suggested. If we assume that a soldier standing by the missile in 01.jpg is 1.75 m tall, the missile's length would be around 3 m (and not 1.52 m as the book says). A missile of this size could have weighted around 227 kg.

 

[Sgt_Miller]

So, Aurelio Robotti was designing a series of missiles back then. Is there any further known information on the list from AR-1 to AR-15 here?

 

[Pioneer]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing Petrus

Regards
Pioneer

 

[Tzoli]

Are these land based sams? No naval projects? No mention of the guidance radars?

 

[Dilandu]

Are these land based sams? No naval projects? No mention of the guidance radars?

Most likely purely land-based; Italian Navy already made an agreement to receive US RIM-2 Terrier for "Garibaldi" in mid-1950s.

 

[Temistocle]

Some info about Robotti activities and AR rockets in this pdf, from an Italian magazine (Missili, Vol. 3 No. 5, 1961), written by Robotti himself

 

[NicholasConcu]

Do we know of any obscure SAM's that were fitted unto a vehicle, or at least planned to do so?

 

[klem]

https://www.giornalelavoce.it/balme-aurelio-robotti-e-il-progetto-dellavio-bomba-315711

 

[Astrofilo]

Here you will find more information on all liquid propellant missiles built by Robotti:
http://uranialigustica.altervista.org/robotti/#§7
I hope in criticisms and suggestions!