RIM-50 Typhon LR
The RIM-50 Typhon LR was an anti-aircraft rocket of the US Navy that will never make it past the prototype status. It was initially developed under the name SAM-N-8 and was intended to replace the RIM-8 Talos (which is why the RIM-50 was also sometimes referred to as the "Super Talos").
At the end of the 1950s, the US Navy was aware that the existing anti- aircraft missiles would not be sufficient to combat the increasing number of Soviet fighter aircraft , which also increasingly had better flight performance. Since a separate missile was in operation for short, medium and long ranges (T3 series), it was feared that the different systems would not be coordinated in the event of large air attacks. Initial considerations of developing a uniform missile for all ranges were quickly rejected because the use of a long-range missile over short distances was not financially feasible (and would also have been technically difficult to implement). Ultimately, it was decided that, although different missiles were still required to cover the entire spectrum of operations, they should be controlled via a uniform fire control radar on board the ships. The AN / SPG-59 system was selected for this.
The manufacturer Bendix Corporation received the order to develop the new medium ( RIM-55 / SAM-N-9 ) and long-range missiles (RIM-50 / SAM-N-8). The first prototype of the RIM-50 was fired in March 1961. In order to achieve the high operational range, the RIM-50 had a solid rocket engine and a ramjet drive . The rocket motor accelerated the missile after takeoff and brought it to operational altitude. Then this was thrown off and the ramjet drive covered most of the distance to the destination. Although this twin drive produced high flight performance, which made it possible to combat Mach 3 aircraft at great heights, it also increased the costs massively. Since the hit probability was too low at high ranges, due to the guidance of the AN / SPG-59 radar, the entire program was canceled in December 1963.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| Length: | 4.70 m (booster: 3.70 m) |
| Span: | 1.02 m (booster: 1.57 m) |
| Diameter: | 41 cm (booster: 47 cm) |
| Weight: | 77 kg (booster: 870 kg) |
| Speed: | Do 4 |
| Maximum altitude: | 29,000 m |
| Range: | 370 km |
| Warhead: | 68 kg fragmentation warhead or W-60 nuclear warhead |
