AIM-68 Big Q

AIM-68 Big Q
General Information
Type	Air-to-air missile
Manufacturer	Air Force Weapons Laboratory
development	1963
Technical specifications
length	2920 mm
diameter	350 mm
Combat weight	225 kg
span	860 mm
drive	Solid rocket motor
speed	Do 4
Range	65 km
Furnishing
Target location	Semi-active radar, infrared
Warhead	Nuclear warhead
Detonator	Distance fuses
Weapon platforms	F-101B
Lists on the subject

The AIM-68 Big Q is an air-to-air missile equipped with a nuclear warhead. It was developed from 1963 by the internal weapons development department of the US Air Force as a replacement for the AIR-2 Genie . A main goal was to develop a lighter and much better missile.

In March 1965, the first wind tunnel tests were carried out with a 1: 5 model. In May of the same year, the Little Q , which was a Big Q fuselage missile fitted with a solid rocket motor only for testing , flew on the White Sands Missile Range . In June 1965 a total of 20 complete hulls were delivered to the Air Force Weapons Laboratory . In December 1965, the solid rocket motors followed, which are the same as the AGM-12 Bullpup . The missiles, now designated as XAIM-68A, were equipped with a seeker head from the AIM-4C Falcon .

Since the AIM-68 project had only a low priority and there were still problems with the F-101B, it was rather slow until it was probably finally ended in August 1966. No test flights were officially completed with the XAIM-68A. The reasons given for the program stop were the rising costs for the ICBM program and the Vietnam War . Since the Air Force did not get the AIM-68, they contented themselves with the genius , whose solid rocket motor was improved.

Others

• The name AIM-68 has never been officially confirmed, which is why it is sometimes found under the name AIM-X.
• The Big Q should actually be called Quetzalcoatl . Since the word was difficult to pronounce, the name "Big Q" ( Big Q uetzalcoatl ) was chosen instead.

Web links

• www.designation-systems.net (English)