"High Ground-A History of the Cold War in Space"

[BlackOps]

This did indeed come out beautifully  I thought it was gorgeous before then POW! Amazing how much difference the little details make.

[AeroplaneDriver]

Abridged from Chapter 4-The Longbow Project, "High Ground-A History of the Cold War in Space" by Dr. Samuel Lambert, copyright 1986 Navy Press

In late 1964 the CIA came into possession of classified Soviet documents indicating that the Soviet Lunar Program was no aimed at landing on the Moon, but instead at diverting US space efforts towards the Apollo program.  The Soviets saw the race to the moon as a largely theatrical pursuit with little practical application in the near term.  They did however, see an opportunity to focus US efforts towards the moon while the Soviets moved to conquer near-space.

The CIA determined that the Soviets were determined to deploy an orbital weapon network by 1970, capable of launching nuclear attack on the US with virtually no warning.  To counter this threat the US saw an urgent need deploy a flexible, rapid response satellite intercept capability.  Kelly Johnson's Lockheed Skunk Works was approached to meet this capability.  Johnson responded with a proposal to modify the SR-71 design to carry a missile capable of destroying orbiting satellites.

Hughes was chosen to develop the missile, known as 'Project Longbow', with Lockheed proceeding with the modified SR-71.  The new aircraft was designated the F-13 Raven.  The Fighter designation was intended to provide a cover for the program if it were to be compromised by Soviet intelligence.  Officially the Raven was said to be a program designed to carry a new long-range air-to-air missile to defend the continental US from the long range, high-speed Soviet bombers on the drawing board

Many of the details surrounding the Raven remain classified, but it is known that the forward fuselage was shortened by approximately seven feet to increase high speed stability during the climb maneuver.  The two massive PW engines were also supplemented by a 22,000lb thrust Thiokol rocket engine burning a combination of Hydrogen Peroxide and Kerosene.  Hydrogen Peroxide reaction control jets were also added on the nose, tail and wings for control at extreme altitudes.  The guidance system for the Longbow missile was housed in a fairing between the aft cockpit and inflight refueling receptacle. 

The first flight of the Raven came in December 1966, with the first test firing of the Longbow missile coming six months later in June.  Though this first firing was a success the project was delayed in early 1967 with the loss of the second prototype, the details of which are still classified.

Full production of 28 F-13A Ravens was authorized on May 18, 1967, with the first production aircraft being delivered to the USAF at a secret Nevada test facility in August 1969, shortly after the Apollo 11 moon landing.  Operationally the aircraft were dedicated to Air Defense Command, again as part of the official cover story.

The operational profile of the Longbow mission involved a takeoff from the Nevada desert (the location now known as Area 51), followed by an inflight refueling before the Raven carrier aircraft climbed to an altitude of 85,000 feet and accelerated to a speed somewhat greater than Mach 3.4.  From this speed and altitude the aircraft would initiate an autopilot-controlled zoom-climb  during which the Thiokol rocket would be ignited.  The aircraft's high potential energy combined with the thrust of the rocket would carry the Raven to an altitude estimated to be over 160,000 feet. 

At the apogee of this climb maneuver the aircraft would undertake a zero-G pitchover maneuver lasting 20 seconds.  During this period of weightlessness the missile was ejected from its mounting pylon, with a piston mechanism driving the missile clear of the launch aircraft.  Once safely clear of the aircraft the missile's first stage ignited, boosting the missile to an altitude of 70 miles, when the first stage separated, leaving the second stage to carry the missile on to the intercept at an altitude up to 200 miles. 

After missile launch the aircraft would begin a freefall (the term 'glide' was officially used, but F-13 crews interviewed for this book claimed that the Raven glided like a piano during descent).  As the engines were automatically shutdown during the climb to prevent control problems induced by asymmetric flameouts, the aircraft was unpowered during the initial decent.  The complex flight guidance computer gave flight director commands during the decent, allowing the pilot to either handfly the aircraft or conduct an autopilot descent.  The flight guidance computer was also coupled to an advanced engine management system which automatically carried out engine relight once the aircraft descended through 50,000 feet.  A small reserve of rocket fuel was maintained to allow a brief (6-8 second) boost phase if required during the relight.  The standard procedure was for the crew to eject if at least one engine had not been relit by 18,000 feet.  Though the procedure sounds perilous, on practice only one of the 31 YF/F-13s was lost due to a failure to relight.

Details of Raven/Longbow operations remain classified, but it is rumored that the 1970 shootdown of two low-priority Soviet satellites was behind the Soviet decision to abandon their planned orbital weapons platforms in 1971. 

[Rafael]

Grrreat!!!

The new photos show more of the really beautiful configuration of beast, and the ASAT rocket is wonderfully crafted.

The rear rocket exhaust looks the part, like it was meant to be in real life.

Really, a work of art, A-D.

Rafa

[The Rat]

That's so pretty I want to marry it! 

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

As sexy as one of the Sex-Princesses of Sextown who's just had a make-over to make her more sexy !

Yeah Baby !

Ian
Is it time for my meds yet ??

[John Howling Mouse]

I just fell down...a second after my jaw hit the ground.

Beeee-YOO-tiful!!   

[nev]

Wow  That is sharp with a capital S-H-A-R-P  

Possibly (and I never thought I'd say this), better than Todd's Bluebird and Pinkbird...

[cthulhu77]

Simply one of the greatest 71 builds of all time. That goes beyond the pale, my friend...you have truly captured a fantastic idea in styrene. "Wow" just isn't enough.   

[HOG]

Sex in styrene.
Will obviously provide one of the biggest bangs since the Big One.

Beautiful build.
regards Gary

[Shasper]

AD, I'm curious to know how your Raven would retain the rocket fuel until the A/C had reached a speed that would allow the fuel tanks to self seal. (the Blackbirds were well known for leaking up to 2/3rds of their fuel on the ground before take-off due to the lack of any proper self-sealing product period)

Having said that, she looks Gorgeous!


Shas b)

[AeroplaneDriver]

AD, I'm curious to know how your Raven would retain the rocket fuel until the A/C had reached a speed that would allow the fuel tanks to self seal. (the Blackbirds were well known for leaking up to 2/3rds of their fuel on the ground before take-off due to the lack of any proper self-sealing product period)

Having said that, she looks Gorgeous!


Shas b)

The rocket fuel & oxidizer are stored in seperate spherical tanks in the fuselage, completely seperate from the JP-7 tankage.

[B777LR]

That's so pretty I want to marry it! 

I know its ubernice, but isnt that sorta an exageration?