The French Parca SAM

Projectile Autopropulsé Radioguidé Contre Avion
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"Radio-guidance projectile against aircraft"

A failed French SA-2 / S-75-like early SAM, cancelled for MIM Hawks in the late 1950's
(the same Hawk that 30 years later in 1987 disintegrated one of Gaddhaffi Tu-22 Blinder over Chad - with an East German mercenary pilot found dead in the crashed cockpit... but that's another story).

PARCA is renowned for one thing: it single-handedly sent France into the space race. Colomb-Béchar and nearby Hammaguir launch base and test ranges in Algeria were created for it; it led to the Véronique and Diamant rockets later on, and Ariane from there, after a move to Kourou.

Lot of stuff on the Internet, mostly in French.


Web page translator here.
www.lexilogos.com

Traducteur en ligne de page internet dans toutes les langues LEXILOGOS

traduction en ligne de page internet : français anglais allemand espagnol italien néerlandais portugais grec russe japonais chinois...
www.lexilogos.com www.lexilogos.com

cheers !
 
PARCA - Projectile Autopropulsé Radioguidé Contre Avions - Self-Propelling Radio-Controlled Anti-Aircraft Projectile. 1948 project. Command-guided anti-air missile, powered by liquid-fuel motor & solid boosters (if I recall correctly, at some point switched to all-solid):

  • Cylindrical main body, cruciform wing,
  • Length: 7.5m, body diameter: 0.45m, wingspan: 1.7m,
  • Aerodynamic duck-type rudders (located at the front),
  • Hydraulic servomotors,
  • Full powder drive,
  • Propelled flight duration: 21 s,
  • Useful flight time: 25 s,
  • Four starting thrusters, thrust of 12 tonnes for 4 seconds, speed reached 400 m / s,
  • Two-stage cruising thruster (Epictetus powder): thrust of 2 tons for 17 seconds, speed stabilized at 650 m / s,
  • Payload mass: 80 kg,
  • Military charge (tolite) with splinters,
  • Maximum speed: Mach 1.8,
  • Load factor: 20 g,
  • Ballistic range: 25 km,
  • Useful range: 14 km,
  • Ballistic altitude: 15 km,
  • Useful altitude: 12 km,
  • Remote control on 175 MHz carrier.
Tested in 1954, but due to availability of more advanced American "Hawk" missiles was not put into mass production. The other criticism was a relatively short range for late-1950s. Some sources claim, that several batteries were in experimental service since 1958.
 
The photo shows the PARCA "transition" n°8T1. It belongs to the small series (86 launched) tested from 1957 to 1962.

The history of PARCA is quite complex. Initially, it was to be a liquid-propelled missile (about 2 t of thrust for 20 to 30 s). However, until this engine was developed, the first units, launched from 1950 onwards, used small solid motors.
The liquid engine first used diesel oil and nitric acid, and later turpentine + nitric acid. When the engine was ready, it was discovered that the feeding of liquid propellants was complex when the missile had to maneuver to reach the target. Different tank configurations were tested.
Finally, it was decided to use solid propulsion. The choice was made for a motor (Ajax grain) delivering 2 t of thrust for 17 s, tested from 1954 and adopted the following year for the so-called "transition" version.
The final version of the PARCA, named Eleonore, was only launched 5 times in 1958 before the program was cancelled. Heavier and longer than the "transition", it used a new engine (Jason grain) delivering 3 t for 28 s. Its range was over 40 km.
The remaining "transition" missiles were used for training until 1962. A total of 415 PARCAs were launched.

For details, see "DEFA PARCA, Early Surface-to-Air Missile for the French Army", by Philippe Jung, Jean Robert, Jean-Jacques Serra and Christian Vanpouille, Paper IAC-14-E4.2.6
 

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