Firestreak info and parts needed
Thread Starter
Firestreak info and parts needed
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!
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!
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,031
Received 2,902 Likes
on
1,243 Posts
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.
A bit of Google confirmed my dim recollection of the old bird. None appeared to have a lot of markings. Typically:
or
Interesting project. Good luck
Courtney
or
Interesting project. Good luck
Courtney
Last edited by Courtney Mil; 4th Sep 2012 at 11:26.
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Bury St. Edmunds
Age: 64
Posts: 539
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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
Just a thought. Is it for a museum or for static display on an ac?
MB
Thread Starter
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!
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Germany
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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?
I posted a pic this morning but it has evaporated.....and it was within the image size criteria.
Mods...??
Mods...??
Last edited by Lightning Mate; 5th Sep 2012 at 14:48.
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.
Looks like he posted twice under slightly different titles.
It's in Aviation History & Nostalgia.
Last edited by Lightning Mate; 5th Sep 2012 at 15:02.
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Philippines
Age: 81
Posts: 147
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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 !
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 !
Last edited by Q-RTF-X; 5th Sep 2012 at 16:06.
Join Date: Aug 2010
Age: 91
Posts: 144
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Stencilling
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
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
always tried to fly with Drill Firestreaks as the small fins actually gave you a
bit more lift and nose authority
bit more lift and nose authority
Thread Starter
@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!
