Firestreak info and parts needed

[jimgriff]

Does anyone out there have one main "wing" and a tail steering vane for a Firestreak missile?
I need to complete my display and just lack the two items.
I am also making a new "glass" nosecone and have the dimensions from the unit on display at Cosford.
Any details regarding the markings on the missile would also be handy- The display item is just all white with nothing added and I'm sure that operational missiles would have been festooned with some kind of stencilled info?
Any help would be fab.
Thanks in advance!

[NutLoose]

Have a word to the museum at Elvington, pretty sure they have them fitted to theirs, also ask in the Flypast Historical Forum as several of the Elvington guys frequent it.. Good luck.

[Fitter2]

Operational live units were pretty devoid of markings.

http://i45.tinypic.com/dpimtl.jpg

[Halton Brat]

Hope those are elfnsafety flip flops......

HB

[Fitter2]

Avpin proof!

[Courtney Mil]

A bit of Google confirmed my dim recollection of the old bird. None appeared to have a lot of markings. Typically:

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2036/2352771942_0c99235242.jpg

or

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2581/5776352918_ec92abfa31.jpg

Interesting project. Good luck :ok:

Courtney

[Madbob]

If you can't find the bits you need you could make a very impressive display by sectioning the missile (in other words cutting it in half) or by mounting it with a mirror behind so as to create the full missile from the parts you have.......

Just a thought. Is it for a museum or for static display on an ac?

MB

[tonker]

Just a few years ago there used to one at the Cardington hangers, just sat there.

[jimgriff]

The one I have is a full tech teaching unit- Minus the bit that goes WHOOSH and the bit that goes BANG! No glass nose and missing a wing and steering vane- Apaprt from that the internals are all there and it is complete and in very good condition. I'm after a trolley too if anyone knows of a spare anywhere!

[VinRouge]

here is a teccie question for you. how do IR missiles see the target when the sensor covering glass is subject to stagnation temps. at the typical mach experienced by modern gen missiles, you are looking at 800-900 celcius;this has to have an effect on modern band 4 sensors especially?

[Courtney Mil]

Today's aren't made of glass. The Sidewinder, for example has an IR-dome made of Magnesium Fluoride, which behaves very differently.

[Lightning Mate]

I posted a pic this morning but it has evaporated.....and it was within the image size criteria.

Mods...??

[Courtney Mil]

I didn't see anything, LM.

[Lightning Mate]

Sorry - it's on the other thread that jimgriff posted on the same topic.

Looks like he posted twice under slightly different titles. :\

It's in Aviation History & Nostalgia.

[Q-RTF-X]

Of the two (very good) pictures posted by Courtney Mil, the first would be the most complete being fitted with a Launching Shoe and also an Ammonia Bottle. The shoe was the interface between the missile and the aircraft pylon; the ammonia bottle delivered the coolant for the homing head and fitted into the rear of the shoe.

The second example is wearing a red "Noddy Cap" protecting the glass nose, it might be worth a note that in that state there would normally be red covers of a similar material around the missile protecting the Fuze Windows. i.e. Noddy cap and fuze window covers were usually fitted/removed at the same time. The fuze windows can be easily identified as located within the two black bands around the forward portion of the missile body aft of the nose.

Normally, there were three types of Firestreak in regular use on a squadron, a Drill Round that was simply a sturdy shape with weight and aerodynamic qualities representative of the real thing; there was also an Acquisition Round which was inert as far as rocket motor and warhead but the electronics functioned normally allowing practice intercepts. On a Lightning in normal day-to-day operations it was usual to fit a drill round on port pylon and an acquisition round on starboard, a configuration that was adopted as the aircraft access ladder fitted on the port side of the aircraft bringing the risk of clunking the missile when fitting/removing the ladder. Sometimes an acquisition missile might be fitted on the port side if there was a need to practice some particular intercepts. The third type of missile was a Live Round, usually only fitted on the QRA aircraft on both sides. (careful with the ladder). Very rarely one might come across what was essentially a live round with the warhead replaced by either a Flash Warhead or a Telemetry Unit. Such conversions were normally only encountered at missile practice camp.


Best wishes for the project !

[dctyke]

My Firestreak glass dome has a nice Mk6 Lightning model inside, a v nice posting present................. and you aint having that. J G, were you once on 1(f) ?

[Scruffy Fanny]

I don't think the missiles had any thing written on them
most of the ones we flew with at Binrook were just painted drab olive green- as a point of Interest we often flew the FMK3 s in Combat and always tried to fly with Drill Firestreaks as the small fins actually gave you a bit more lift and nose authority - handing for gunning F4s ..........not that we needed much help :D

[Milo Minderbinder]

Magnesium fluoride
Understandable given its optical transparency, but must be a PITA to prevent water absorption by the crystal

[Lightning Mate]

always tried to fly with Drill Firestreaks as the small fins actually gave you a
bit more lift and nose authority

If I remember correctly, the missile "flew" above 250 knots.

[jimgriff]

@dctyke- No never flew with them! In fact - I never flew with anyone- But did pass the OASC (Aircrew) at Biggin in 1978- But that's a different story!:ok: