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AAM Rocket series

Powered Dart Programme

Project "Skynet" air early warning system

Atlantis-Argentine Rocket Programme
Work moved on from the AAM-1 rocket (‘Triumph’) during 1936 and Mr Minia’s Atlantean team at the Maquichao Research Station. The AAM-2 was designed in early 1935 and six were tested during late 1936 and early 1937. The rocket was codenamed ‘Silver’. It was 1.6m long, had a take-off weight of 107kg and was powered by a modified ‘Bold’ alcohol/ liquid oxygen rocket engine known as ‘Harmony’ (FMA/ RRF RL-AO-102) again producing 3 kilonewtons of thrust (FMA/ RRF RL-AO-102). The main difference between the AAM-1 and 2 is the use of Gyroscopes in the centre of the rocket between the alcohol and oxygen tanks for stabilisation, which makes the AAM-2 more stable.
While ‘Bold’ seemed to work well, three of the six early production ‘Harmony’ engines were destroyed in static tests. One blew up on Test Stand No.3 causing a large explosion after 2 seconds of full firing and putting the stand out of commission for three months. The third engine blew up on ignition due to a faulty combustion chamber and the third failure was the fourth engine when the pump failed causing a LOX leak which exploded killing two engineers. The other surviving engines were tested to destruction and achieved 2.5kN of thrust and met the specified burn times. Another two test ‘Harmony’ engines performed well during July 1936 and so the next six engines were built as full production ready engines for mating with the ‘Silver’ rocket.

The gyroscope guidance system was built in Atlantis and shipped to Maquichao in July 1936 for initial tests. The gyroscope equipment was tested in the centrifuges at the smaller test site and stood up well to high G levels up to 18G and in the freezing temperatures of the climatic test chambers. In October the first system was mated to the nearly complete Silver 1 rocket. This was destroyed 5 seconds after ignition due to a rocket malfunction on November 27. Silver 2 was tested on December 15 and reached 130 feet before it tumbled out of its trajectory and exploded within the safety range. Silver 3 was tested February 7 but the engine did not produce enough thrust and after lift-off the rocket dropped back down and tumbled off Test Stand No.1 exploding in the water trough area which limited the damage. Silver 4 was used for static full power trials and the engine was removed and the rocket stored for mating with another engine. Silver 5 made a fully successful flight on March 20, the gyroscope system working perfectly. Silver 6 on April 25 made a successful take-off but soon after take-off went out of control and broke up in flight. Silver 4 was re-engined with an improved ‘Aqua’ engine, on tests the two prototype engines had much improved reliability with a new pumps and a basic automatic cut-off system. Silver 4 as Silver 8 thus on August16 1937 made the final, and most successful, flight of the Silver series.

By early 1937 attention had switched to a scaled-up AAM-2, the AAM-3.
The AAM-3 differed in appearance having tail fins and an aerodynamic pointed nose. It was 5.82m high; 0.78m in diameter and a fin span of 0.93m. The gross weight was 900kg. The successful ‘Aqua’ engine and a series of basic chamber test beds fired in vertical and horizontal test stands led to the development of the FMA/ RRF RL-AO-200 producing 14.7kN (3,305lbs) of thrust. The main aim was to get to 12km (36,000ft) altitude and supersonic performance from the rocket.
Design work took most of Mr Minia’s time and much of the work was done in Atlantis, they developed the rocket aerodynamics and guidance system while the Argentine engineers developed the engine. Vanquish bombers dropped no less than 25 scale models to study the aerodynamics.
In order to iron out the faults of the ‘Harmony’ engines no less than ten FMA/ RRF RL-AO-200 prototypes were used in static tests from partial short tests, safety checks and eventually full power trials for long periods. Atlantis provided some of the more exotic alloys needed and the use of active cooling by using a walled chamber through which the alcohol was pre-heated and also cooled the chamber saved weight and solved some of the problems. Eventually six of these engines performed as expected and by September 1937 production began on the eight series engines for the AAM-3 programme.

The AAM-4 rocket was a full-size rocket being 14m long, having a core diameter of 1.65m, a fin span of 3.55m and weighing some 12,815kg fully loaded. The rocket was code-named "Black" and the rocket motor "Polyphony." The FMA/ RRF RL-AO-203 rocket engine was developed from the AO-202 but was rated at 245kN (55,125lbs) thrust and had a burn time of 68 seconds. The AAM-4 could hold 3,850kg of alcohol (ethanol and water) and 5,000kg of liquid oxygen with a hydrogen peroxide tank for the turbo-pump machinery. Ignition was by a hypergolic mixture and the combustion chamber would quickly reach 2,500-2,700 Celsius. Alcohol was pumped through the combustion chamber cavity wall which kept the chamber cool and pre-heated the fuel. Some of alcohol was fed directly into the chamber to form an inner protective boundary layer. Control was achieved by four graphite vanes in the exhaust flow and they were linked to a gyroscopic control system developed by the Lyrian Electro-Mechanical Engineering Co. The FMA/ RRF RL-AO-203 "Polyphony" motor took time to build and most of 1939 was spent testing prototype engines. Ten were built and varied in thrust from 90kN to 185kN. Five of these failed on the test stands, one stand being destroyed by the explosion and fire. In early 1940 six "Polyphony" AO-203-A motors were tested and all managed 10 hours of running over 30 firing tests and all finally achieved 150-190kN thrust. The first five AAM-4 shells were structurally tested and used in air-drops to test the aerodynamics during late 1939 and in May 1940 a complete AAM-4 was finished minus the actual engine. Vanquish bombers during this period also dropped 20 scale models to study the aerodynamics. In November 1940 the first AO-203B finally achieved 245kN of thrust but the next four test engines were not quite as successful but still were producing over 170kN of thrust. Finally in July 1941 the first AAM-4 rocket Black-1 was launched but it toppled at 30m and crashed into the pad area causing great damage and putting Launch Pad 3 out of commission for eight months. In October the second rocket exploded at just 4,000m ceiling, the third never left the pad before exploding. Early 1942 was spent modifying the AAM-4 and no less than 380 changes were made to the engines and rocket and on May 11th 1942 the Black-4 reached 38km ceiling before contact was lost and it tumbled out of control exploding in mid-air. Black-5 reached 80km (265,000ft) and travelled 120 miles. The sixth and seventh failed to get further than 500m up before either tumbling out of control or cutting out. The project was nearly cancelled at this point but Mr Minia and his team managed to persuade the Atlantean government to keep funding the project and a new gyro stabilisation system was fitted. The next three launches in November 1942 to February 1943 went well and they all travelled 100-120 miles downrange in almost perfect flightpaths. Two further AAM-4 rockets were built with refined FMA/ RRF RL-AO-203D engines and these were launched in September 1943 and were fully successful reaching 300,000 feet and travelling 140 miles downrange. At that point the AAM-4 programme was wrapped up and work began on making the AAM-5 rocket successful and tests were scheduled for the end of 1944.

The AAM-5 was codenamed Gold and its engine; the FMA/RRF RL-AO-204 was codenamed Symphony. The AAM-5 was designed from the outset of the programme as the full-scale rocket. Mr Minia’s design team had begun work as early as June 1942 and Dr. Galteri’s team used their growing experience to make some refinements to the engines. The sleek design that rolled out of the assembly shed on 26 June 1944, just over ten years after the project began, was 14.05m long, 1.68m in diameter and weighed roughly 12,000kg when fuelled. It had spare capacity to carry 950kg of scientific payload and was powered by the 25,000kg-thrust FMA/RRF RL-AO-204 engine. Dr. Galteri had refined the hydrogen peroxide steam turbine fuel pump which ran on the bench successfully at 5000rpm and producing 675hp. Minia predicted the flight path would be an arc 330km long with a maximum altitude of 96km (the margins of space) which would take 3 mins 40 secs. It would be powered for 70 secs of the flight, attaining a maximum velocity of 5580km/h. By comparison the original AAM-1 only 1.4 m long with a take-off weight of 150 kg looked like a firework.
New range equipment including the latest Atlantean radio-location sets was installed during March-September 1944. After extensive static test firings during the summer in the test stands at Maquichao, the second production engine was fitted to Gold-1 during November 1944. After further static trials to determine reliability of various components and how well the fuelling systems worked, Gold-1 was test fired in the stand on January 6 1945. Six days later it was launched to check the operation of the AO-204 engine. It travelled 200km downrange and reached a maximum altitude of 85km. Gold-2 followed on 17 March, travelling 220km and reaching a maximum altitude of 88km. This was the first fully instrumented prototype. The fourth production AO-204 engine blew up on the stand on 16 April and the programme was paused for three months until the problem could be identified and corrected. The fifth engine passed all its trials in August and on September 1 it launched Gold-3 successfully. Gold-4 followed on 26 September, but a gyroscope failure saw the rocket tumble out of control and the safety office had to destroy the rocket. Gold-5 with a research package designed by the University of Pyrrha performed the first ever space research mission, the rocket reaching 96km altitude, on 7 November. In January 1946 a series of three rockets under Project Ophion were test fired in tightly calibrated trajectories to measure their accuracy. Gold-6 was lost during its firing on 11 March, but Gold-7 again proved the design with a successful maximum range flight. Gold-8 was the last of the experimental flights on 24 April, fitted with a scientific payload designed by the physics department of the University of Cordoba. Following this was a classified programme of eight flights under Project Ophion II during June-October.

Powered Dart Programme
The Atlantean Air Ministry in 1934 laid down a requirement for a “powered Ranken Dart” able to destroy the newest airships now under development across the world. Some of the ground firing trials were conducted at Maquichao during 1935.
Basically based on the Army's rocket shell the rocket is crude diglycol powered missile. About 50mm diameter it had a warhead of around 5lb. It consisted of a steel piercing cap and behind this the warhead which was inside a shrapnel casing. If the rocket missed its target then a time detonator exploded the warhead after 750 metres flight time. It was tube fired.

The Vanquish II was chosen as a flying testbed, the bomb bay was stripped and ten tubes fitted inside, these were inclined around 10-15 degrees. The bomb bay doors and dorsal doors were fitted to cut drag in cruising flight. The tubes could be fired upwards or downwards and the tubes tilted either for or aft (not changeable in flight). The gunner in the dorsal turret was the rocket gunner with electrically operated firing switches, he could choose between salvoes of two, four or ten rockets. This RI-21R first flew in July 1935 and undertook ten hours of aerodynamic trials before the tubes were installed. Three trials with single rocket launches were made and the rockets worked perfectly.

In December 1935 the aircraft was destroyed in a RSAF bombing raid on the FMA facility in Cordoba and aerial trials thus ceased and the Atlantean Air Force thereafter undertook all further development and the FAA declared no further interest in the Ranken Dart as a weapon.

IMPA SI-21RF Spartan Sp-21R

General Type:
Airplane = 1
Airship = 2
Orbiter = 3
1

Year of First Flight: 1935

Description

Conventional Aircraft
Monoplane
Conventional Fuselage

A monoplane twin-engined fighter armed with two dorsal 7.7mm, 2x 13mm HMG in wingroots and 10 150lb Rocket Ranken Darts, 10mm armour around pilot



Characteristics:

Weight (maximum) 16,800 lbs
Weight (empty) 12,741 lbs

Length 40 ft
Wingspan 67 ft
Wing Area 600 sq ft
Sweep 3 degrees

Engines 2
Spartan 1000
Piston

1,000 hp
at 10,000 ft


Crew 2


Typical cost $0.064 million in 1934
Total number procured 200


Performance:

Top Speed 239 kts = 275 mph
at 15,000 ft
Mach N/A

Operational Ceiling 30,000 ft

Range 660 nm = 760 miles
with 1,895 lbs payload
1,996 lbs released at halfway point

Climb 1,336 fpm

Cruise 152 kts = 175 mph
at 15,000 ft

Corner Speed 229 KIAS =
245 kts at 5,000 ft
Mach N/A
Turning Rate 30.4 deg/sec
Radius 1,565 ft



Internal Data:

Intake / Fan Diameter 8.5 ft

Bypass Ratio 85.65

Engine Weight 1235 lbs
Overall Efficiency 22.5 percent

Structural Factor 0.98

Number of Wings 1
Number of Fuselages 1

Limiting Airspeed 350 kts
Wing Ultimate g Load 11.00 g
Wing Taper 0.3
Wing Thickness at Root 2.1 ft

Tail / Canard Factor 0.5

Number of Nacelles 2
Length 6 ft
Diameter 2.15 ft
Fullness 0.3

Fuselage Diameter 4.8 ft
Fuselage Fullness 0.4

Pressurized Volume 0 percent
Cargo Decks 0

Cleanness 60 percent
Unstreamlined section 1.2 sq ft

User equipment 2,660 lbs

Powered Dart Programme, continued

As a result of the distruction of the Argentine prototype Rankin fighter and subsequent abandonment of the project, Atlantis was forced to continue the project alone at home. As a result a few changes were made to the design to reflect the airforces specific requirements.

The danger of airships had since been downgraded and switched to long range bombers and the design was subsequently modified to meet this threat. The newer Vanquish III airframe, at the time currently being developed, was utilised. The armament of two dorsal 7.7mm and 2x 13mm HMG in wingroots was replaced by a heavier armament of 2x13mm in the dorsal turret and 2 fixed forward firing 20mm. The 10 150lb Rocket Ranken Darts would be reduced to 8 and the 10mm armour around pilot removed to save weight. Self sealing fuel tanks were added along with more powerfull engines.


Aircraft Type or Name:

Spartan Vanquish RRF II
A monoplane twin-engined bomber destroyer armed with two dorsal 13mm, two 20mm cannon and eight fuselage mounted 150lb powered Ranken Darts. Self-sealing wing fuel tanks.

Characteristics:
Weight (maximum) 16,000 lbs
Weight (empty) 10,250 lbs

Length 44 ft
Wingspan 67 ft
Wing Area 600 sq ft
Sweep 3 degrees

Engines: 2 Ripon R-1200-013AS Piston, 1,200 hp at 15,000 ft
Crew: 2
Typical cost $0.049 million in 1938, Total number procured 144
Performance: Top Speed 284 kts =327 mph at 15,000ft
Operational Ceiling: 36,000 ft
Range 1,500 nm = 1,727 miles with 1,890 lbs payload
2,126 lbs released at halfway point
Climb 1,894 fpm
Cruise 175 kts =201 mph at 15,000 ft
Corner Speed 208 KIAS = 261 kts at 15,000 ft
Turning Rate 24.5 deg/sec
Radius 2,062 ft

Internal Data:

Intake / Fan Diameter 9 ft
Bypass Ratio 81.85
Engine Weight 1410 lbs
Overall Efficiency 22.5 percent
Structural Factor 0.98
Number of Wings 1
Number of Fuselages 1
Limiting Airspeed 250 kts
Wing Ultimate g Load 9.50 g
Wing Taper 0.3
Wing Thickness at Root 2.1 ft
Tail / Canard Factor 0.5
Number of Nacelles 2
Length 6.1 ft
Diameter 2.35 ft
Fullness 0.3
Fuselage Diameter 5.1 ft
Fuselage Fullness 0.4
Pressurized Volume 0 percent
Cargo Decks 0
Cleanness 65 percent
Unstreamlined section 1.25 sq ft
User equipment 1,140 lbs

Dorand/Roth/Fanaero GIIA / Fanaero HF
Statistics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 11.5 m
- Rotor Diameter: 16 m
- Height: 3.5 m
- Empty weight: 1450 kg
- Loaded weight: 3000 kg
- Powerplant: 2x Austral Palomo or Roth 668R-1200 (300hp)
- Armament: 2x 250kg depth charges or bombs

Performance
- Maximum speed: 155 mph (250 kph) / 135 knots
- Max Range: 497 miles @ 100 mph/87 knots (800km @ 165 kph)
- Service ceiling: 5000m
- Rate of climb: Unknown

Notes
French-Atlantean designed helicopter; licensed for production by Roth and Fanaero. Based on the historical Dorand GII; production GII+ has better rotor spacing than the GII prototype, with more powerful engines and a resulting increase in light tonnage. The derivative Fanaero FH is the first helicopter commercially-produced in South America.

Roth T-5 Gunnery trainer and variants

T-5 Gnat

Statistics
- Crew: 5
- Length: 16.05 m (52 ft 8in)
- Height: 4 m (13 ft, 1.5 in)
- Empty weight: 3,925 kg (8654 lb)
- Loaded weight: 5,120 kg ( 11,288 lb)
- Powerplant: 2x 520 hp Roth inline
- Armament: 3x30 cal MG (1 nose 2 in dorsal turret)
First flight 1943

Performance
- Maximum speed: 170 mph (274 km/h)
- Max Range: 840 miles (1,352 km)
- Service ceiling: 5,790 m (19,000 ft)
- Rate of climb: Unknown

TD-5 target drone

Statistics
- Crew: 2 optional (for testing and ferry flights)
- Length: 16.05 m (52 ft 8in)
- Height: 4 m (13 ft, 1.5 in)
- Empty weight: 3,925 kg (8654 lb)
- Loaded weight: 6,940 kg ( 15,300 lb)
- Powerplant: 2x 520 hp Roth inline
- Armament: none
First flight 1945

Performance
- Maximum speed: 220 mph (354 km/h)
- Max Range: 1,500 miles (2,414 km)


TD-5 Aerial torpedo

Statistics
- Crew: 2 optional (for testing and ferry flights)
- Length: 16.05 m (52 ft 8in)
- Height: 4 m (13 ft, 1.5 in)
- Empty weight: 3,925 kg (8654 lb)
- Loaded weight: 6,940 kg ( 15,300 lb)
- Powerplant: 2x 520 hp Roth inline
- Armament: 1,800 kg (4,000 lb) warhead

Performance
- Maximum speed: 220 mph (354 km/h)
- Max Range: 1,500 miles (2,414 km)
First flight 1945

Not produced as a result of the AAM missile project

Roth RX-1 helicopter

Crew: 1
Length: 27 ft.
Height: 8.5 ft.
Weight: 1,120 lb. empty, 1,625 lb. gross
Powerplant: 1x Roth RV1 piston 165 hp.
Max speed 75 mph
Rotor diameter: 33 ft.
First flight:1943
Design features: Two wooden rotor blades, tricycle landing gear, welded tube frame, teetering rotorhead with stabilizer bar, can carry up to 500 lb's