Aircraft Launched Rockets and Unguided Rocket Projectiles

[The Wooksta!]

Scimitar and possible the Sea Vixen:  I believe these aircraft were also designed to carry a quantity of 2.0"(50mm) FFAR weapons in a drop down/out fuselage mounted tray containing the launch tubes.  This assembly was located on either side of the fuselage adjacent to the nose landing gear and just behind the radome.

Scimitar wasn't.  It had four 30mm cannons.  The Vixen was originally designed with four guns but these were replaced with the rocket batteries.

[The Wooksta!]

Of course you could go the other way and create an Allied equivalent to this proposed anti-bomber He-177 (which used proposed to use Wfr.Gr.42 rockets):



Regards,

Greg

That's simply suicidal.  The chances of that getting where near the bombers it's meant to attack are infinitesmally low - if the Me 410s and Bf 110s were being cut to shreds by the Mustags and Thunderbolts, I can see these being thought of as shooting fish in a barrel.

[Fulcrum]

Of course you could go the other way and create an Allied equivalent to this proposed anti-bomber He-177 (which used proposed to use Wfr.Gr.42 rockets):



Regards,

Greg

Then again, the Luftwaffle would be very desperate for any attempt at a victory(no matter how small).

That's simply suicidal.  The chances of that getting where near the bombers it's meant to attack are infinitesmally low - if the Me 410s and Bf 110s were being cut to shreds by the Mustags and Thunderbolts, I can see these being thought of as shooting fish in a barrel.

[Jschmus]

Technically this is no longer an unguided weapon, but there have been some developments in the Hydra rocket APKWS program.
http://gizmodo.com/5934493/to-turn-dumb-warheads-into-smart-missiles-just-add-lasers

[AS.12]

Well I wasn't sure whether to put this in this thread or an army weapons thread... but it is an ground-launched air weapon for an airborne force!

During the period of the Portuguese colonial wars, OGMA developed an infantry-portable single-shot launcher for the SNEB 37mm rocket.  The same rocket as used in podded form on the Portuguese Air Force's T-6 and Do-27.  The device was intended for use by the Paras, who were at that time a component of the Air Force rather than the army, to replace the unpopular 3.5" Bazooka.

http://www.operacional.pt/lanca-foguetes-de-37mm-para-tropas-terrestres/

Maximum range was 2.3 km!  Only really accurate out to 400 metres or so. 

The launcher looks awkward but was apparently very popular and supplemented stocks of RPGs captured or bought from Bulgaria.

[Weaver]

Cheers - never heard of this one: interesting! 

On the one hand, if somebody took my 89mm bazooka away and gave me a 37mm one, I might be quite upset about it. On the other hand there was no actual armour threat in theatre, and if 37mm on-target at 400m did the job, then maybe carrying a tube twice as big was superfluous.

[rickshaw]

Well I wasn't sure whether to put this in this thread or an army weapons thread... but it is an ground-launched air weapon for an airborne force!

During the period of the Portuguese colonial wars, OGMA developed an infantry-portable single-shot launcher for the SNEB 37mm rocket.  The same rocket as used in podded form on the Portuguese Air Force's T-6 and Do-27.  The device was intended for use by the Paras, who were at that time a component of the Air Force rather than the army, to replace the unpopular 3.5" Bazooka.

http://www.operacional.pt/lanca-foguetes-de-37mm-para-tropas-terrestres/

Maximum range was 2.3 km!  Only really accurate out to 400 metres or so. 

The launcher looks awkward but was apparently very popular and supplemented stocks of RPGs captured or bought from Bulgaria.

Are those vent holes all along it's length?   

I'd hate to fire it without complete body and face protection.  The exhaust venting out would be very hot and full of unburnt powder.  Its a bizarre weapon from that aspect.   Otherwise an interesting use of an aircraft rocket.

[Weaver]

The consensus on other sites seems to be that the tube is double-skinned with a solid inner and a perforated outer heat-shield, the latter being akin to the perforated barrel shields seen on some MGs and SMGs.

[Sauragnmon]

I find myself reminded of a video I saw during the Libyan Revolution recently... where they were talking about a place of higher learning that was innovating new weapons for the resistance... like developing an infantry launch system for 57mm rockets from some simple source materials.  Long as you have a blast deflector on the muzzle, I'd give it a whack at least once.  I remember seeing 57mm rocket pods mounted like rocket artillery too.

[AS.12]

Glad you liked the man-portable-SNEB!  From what I can read on Portuguese sites it didn't have much 'operational effect' but was an excellent psychological weapon.  Less boom than the Bazooka but much more frightening for the enemy.  Little wonder: from what I can find, burn-out velocity of the 37 mm SNEB was around 400 m /s; four times that of the Bazooka and half of the standard Portuguese rifle round.  Nice!

And whilst digging for some more info about the SNEB rocket family, I found this splendid document http://www.eurosae.com/pages/comaero/COMAERO%2008.%20Tugaye%20Armements.pdf  about French airborne armaments ( excluding missiles ) .  

After an historical overview of each of the major companies it provides a summary of various armaments with some lovely diagrams including rocket pod arrangements and dimensions...


Edit: here is the contents page for all the documents in the series '50 Years of French Aviation': http://www.eurosae.com/pages/comaero/comaero.php

[Sauragnmon]

On a mildly off topic thought... I had an idea for a lightweight close support bird... the SUU-20 pod with a slight modification.  I couldn't help, when looking at the "practice bombs" how much they look like mortar shells.  Four 70mm rockets, six 80mm mortar shells, on some kind of light attack plane?

[rickshaw]

I wonder, I know the Sea Vixen had unguided rockets as part of the FAW.1's armament but I've never seen pictures of the launchers either open or in use.  Does anybody know of any pictures which show them?

[PR19_Kit]

I could only find one, thanks to our Czech friends who produced this gem.

[rickshaw]

Excellent!  Thanks, Kit. 

[PR19_Kit]

Wierd arrangement, isn't it? 

Looks like they hinge down from the rear, and presumbly must have the hinges skewed in two planes so they're aligned with the aircraft's centre-line when they're deployed.