AIM-26 Falcon

AIM-26
General Information
Type	Air-to-air missile
Manufacturer	Hughes Aerospace Group
development	1959
Technical specifications
length	2.14 m
diameter	279 mm
Combat weight	92 kg
span	620 mm
drive	Thiokol M60 solid fuel propulsion
speed	Above Mach 2.0
Range	8-16 km
Furnishing
Target location	semi-active radar target search or passive infrared
Warhead	18.1 kg fragmentation warhead or W54 nuclear warhead with 0.25 kT
Weapon platforms	Fighter planes
Lists on the subject

The Hughes AIM-26 Falcon is an infrared or radar-guided air-to-air missile produced by the Hughes Aerospace Group . The guided weapon could be equipped with a nuclear warhead. The designation originally intended by the USAF for the Falcon was XF-98 , with which the rocket was formally incorporated into the series of US fighter aircraft.

history

Planning for a version of the AIM-4 Falcon with a nuclear warhead began as early as 1956 when Hughes Aircraft was contracted to develop two such guided missiles. The development of the actual AIM-26 , initially called GAR-11 , began in 1959. The mission profile provided for the interception of high-flying and high-speed bombers. In 1961 the first version was put into service and used on the Convair F-102 Delta Dagger .

The GAR-11A , which had a conventional fragmentation warhead, was also built for use over Allied territory .

Since 1963 the missile has been used as the AIM-26 as part of the designation reform , the nuclear version became the AIM-26A , the conventional AIM-26B .

In 1972 the weapon was finally decommissioned in the USAF and replaced by the more effective AIM-7 Sparrow . However, the AIM-26 continued to be built under license in Sweden, where it was known as the Rb-27 and Rb-28 and armed the Saab Draken until the 1990s . Another license production took place in Switzerland under the local designation HM-55 and HM-88 ; there it was used on the Mirage IIIS .

technology

The W54 nuclear warhead , as it was also used in the Davy Crockett , had an explosive force of up to 250 tons of TNT equivalent . Alternatively, a 18.1 kg high explosive warhead was used. The route guidance was semi-active, so the hunter had to illuminate the target with his radar . This presupposed that the on-board radar was continuously sending out radar signals in the direction of the target. The AIM-26 seeker head used the reflected radar energy to find the target. The ignition was carried out using a proximity fuse. The rocket engine accelerated the AIM-26 to over Mach 2, the range was up to 16 kilometers.

The AIM-47 Falcon , which was never built, and the AIM-54 Phoenix, which was used for a long time in the United States Navy , were also derived from the rocket .

variants

AIM-26A

Variant with a 1.5 kT nuclear weapon explosive device

AIM-26B

Variant with conventional warhead.

Bofors / Saab HM-55

This variant, manufactured under license by Saab-Bofors, corresponds to the American Hughes AIM-26B. It was also known as the Jaktrobotsystem 27, or RB-27 for short, and was used for the Saab J-35 Draken . It is directed by an infrared seeker head.

Bofors / Saab HM-55S "Falcon"

This fully assembled variant in Switzerland corresponds to the infrared-guided American Hughes GAR-11A / AIM-26B or the RB.27. 225 of these were produced for the Swiss Mirage IIIS.

Bofors / Saab RB-27 (see HM-55)

Emergency aircraft

• F-102 Delta Dagger
• Saab J-35 Draken
• Mirage IIIS
• F-89 Scorpion
• Convair F-106 Delta Dart
• McDonnel Douglas F-4 Phantom II

Web links

Commons : AIM-26 Falcon  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

• AIM-26 on designation-systems.net (English)

Individual evidence

1. ^ John M. Andrade: US Military Aircraft Designations and Serials. Midland Counties Publ., P. 106.
2. ↑ Arming America's Interceptors: The Hughes Falcon Missile Family - VII. Export Falcons , Air Power Australia, June 2011, accessed October 20, 2019