UK Bloodhound firing

[Jim_P_Pulfrew]

Much appreciated, thanks!

Jimps

 

[sumps]

The Bloodhound sooties did a little bit more than just fuel and defuel the missile.

Though lacking the turning bits of a normal jet engine, the Thor Ramjets on the Bloodhound did have an engine control system which was tested as part of the missile servicing. The Bloodhound Mk 2 carried about 52’ish gallons of Avtur in two bag tanks either side of the wing bay. As well as containing the biggest casting on the airframe which held the moving wing mounts, along with the actuators that moved the wings, at the centre of the bay was the fuel turbopump. This was driven by ram air from a pair of auxiliary air intakes between the ramjets and the mainbody (correct term for the fuselage of a missile). As well as supplying air to the fuel pump, these intakes also supplied air to a hydraulics turbopump which powered the certain mechanical parts of the missile and also supplied air to pressurise the fuel tanks. The fuel pump had two impellers, the front one was driven by the air from the top intake, and feed fuel from the front tank to the upper ramjet. The rear one was feed from the lower intake and fed fuel from the rear tank to the lower ramjet. Each impeller had its speed controlled by a fuel flow sensor that opened a spill valve to dump air before it got to the impeller turbine. Fuel entered the ramjet via a Fuel Air Ratio Control (FARC) system mounted in the island assembly at the front of the engine (behind the shock cone on the engine intake). The FARC measured the altitude of the missile via a pitot mounted on front of the engine shock cone, and controlled the amount of fuel feed to the fuel injectors (Lower altitude, more fuel and vice versa).

There were two sets of fuel injectors on the Thor engine. A single injector fed a pilot combuster can at the rear of the island assembly which kept the engine alight and the fuel fed to it was controlled by the FARC to give a fixed cruise thrust level. Forward of this pilot can was a separate secondary ring of 12 injectors which had their fuel flow controlled by FARC system, along with a device called the Thrust Control Unit (TCU) mounted in the missile mainbody behind the Hydraulics Turbopump. The TCU had two main functions. First it controlled the missile’s speed, below the missile’s cruising speed of Mach 2.7, it allowed the engines to run at full power by allowing maximum fuel flow to the secondary ring of 12 injectors. Once the missile reached its cruising speed and height, the TCU chopped the amount of fuel to the secondary ring and throttled the engine back. (Max power of the two engines was around 10,000/11,000 pounds which for a missile weight with the boosters gone was a thrust to weight ratio of about 4 to 1.)

The other thing the TCU did was cut the amount of fuel going into the engine when the missile did a hard manoeuvre. Mounted on the nose was a cone like device called the incidence switch, which operated if the missile’s pitch or yaw attitude to the direction of flight went over an angle of about 5 degrees. One of the problems that was found with the Bloodhound Mk 1 was that shockwaves in the engine intake which helped provide the compression of the incoming air, moved within the intake when the missile manoeuvred. This lead to a loss of compression (being that there was no turning compressor) and then to an incorrect fuel air ratio, which in a lot of cases led to a flameout due to a rich fuel air mixture. The TCU and incidence switch on the Mark 2 overcame the problem. Each engine had three cartridges fitted to it. One was a gas charge which blew the weather covers off (they forgot to fit them on Bloodhound 1), while the other two were flares which lit the pilot combustor which burnt for about 10 seconds. All three were fired 2 seconds before the boost motors were ignited.

On a missile major the sootie had to remove, refit and test these parts, some guys hated it, some loved it. In a lot of ways it was an easy job. I knew some TG1 guys who were at Raynham for ages.



As for the acronyms:

MOTE – Missile Overall Test Equipment. A large rig that supplied Electrical, Air and Hydraulic oil to a missile undergoing ground servicing, it also simulated the Ground radar used to guide the missile and the reflected echo from the target.

WREBUS – Weapon Research Establishment Break Up System. A Weapons range saftey device designed at the Weapon Research Establishment at Woomera in Australia during the 1950’s. The WREBUS was fitted to a number of British guided weapons and rockets when fired on trial ranges. Basically it was a radio receiver, arming system and a small charge of explosive mounted on the missile airframe (on Bloodhound Mk 2 it was located within the Warhead bay of the missile, just in front of the forward fuel tank). Normally trial missiles were fired sans warhead, the bomb being replaced with an instrument package, which recorded data of a number of missile voltages, signals, fuel flow, Hydraulics pressures and a number of other bits of data on what the missile was doing and transmitted them to the ground. When the WREBUS was armed on launch it would do nothing as long as it received a signal from the ground. Lose the signal due to the range safety officer activating the system (by chopping the signal) or WREBUS receiver failure. The system would blown the side out of the warhead bay and aerodynamic forces would do the rest. Other systems were also tacked on to a trials missile like doppler transponders and alike to allow precise tracking and recording of the missile’s flight path.

Mate that is fantastic - thanks

 

[MAINJAFAD]

Image of a MOTE, that's on the website, done by a mate of mine, who was a Radar Designer of one of the Bloodhound radars (T86) with Ferranti

The MOTE allowed the missile to be run up as if it was on the launcher and also allowed missile flight to be simulated on the ground. Just out of the shot on the left was a rotating source aerial, which the missile's guidance system could be locked on to as a Target. When fully run up, the missile dish would follow the moving aerial, and if the wings were unlocked, they would move as to get the missile to intercept the source. When this happend, a load of readings were taken and plotted on a board, if the plots all fell within a shape marked on the board, the missile was set up correctly, and it was a wrap (put the missile back together), Pushers!!!!!

 

[virgoprestige]

RAF Marham '60

RAF Marham '60

I did Bloodhounds on 242 SQN at RAF Marham in 1960, from there I went to Scampton to work on Blue Steel. Both situations illustrated what the COLD meant in the COLD WAR!!cup of corrrfeee

 

[Digzster]

Question for MAINJAFAD....

Question for MAINJAFAD....

Since reading this thread, I've been racking my old brain to identify the control system from the ADRS station to the bloodhound site. Link 5 is lurking at the forefront of my mind for some reason. I've checked all my various tech folios and it wasn't listed there. I'm sure that there was a feed from the Elliot 920b computer (a whole 20K of memory installed) at SLEWC. Any info as it's driving me up the wall now?

 

[MAINJAFAD]

I did Bloodhounds on 242 SQN at RAF Marham in 1960, from there I went to Scampton to work on Blue Steel. Both situations illustrated what the COLD meant in the COLD WAR!!cup of corrrfeee

Got any Colour Photos of a Mark 1 with 'Live' Boosts on them or any photos from 242 at the time. I could really use them. Worked on the Mk 2 myself.

Since reading this thread, I've been racking my old brain to identify the control system from the ADRS station to the bloodhound site. Link 5 is lurking at the forefront of my mind for some reason. I've checked all my various tech folios and it wasn't listed there. I'm sure that there was a feed from the Elliot 920b computer (a whole 20K of memory installed) at SLEWC. Any info as it's driving me up the wall now?

SLEWC equipment was based on GL161 'Tinsmith' which was designed to interface with the Argus 200 computer in the Bloodhound Mk 2 LCP (Mk1), and I'm aware of the Digital Control (DC) mode of engagement control between the two systems (it was first trialed by 41 Squadron on a deployment of one of its mobile Missile Sections to Rattlesden in 1966/7 and later directly to West Raynham by telephone line), however I wasn't an 'L' Man, so I'm not that gen'ed up on what was in the LCP outside of the bits that were also used on the MOTE. There was a complete revamp of the Command and Control System within the Bloodhound Force in 1986/7 with a new Computer (Argus 700) and Display System (Using the CHARGE system used on FAPDS) in the LCP (Mk2) which had a 'Bloodhound Force' wide ADP system tacked on to it with data terminals in the Force HQ, Sqn HO's and Flight Ops rooms which may have interfaced with SLEWC, All I do remember from my time in the R3 in later days was that there were IUKADGE Link 1 data lines intended from the CRC's into RDET's in the Missile Sqn Ops rooms, However by the time they got ICCS up and running, Bloodhound had been gone for a year and a half.

 

[Doc]

Been following the conversation for a while. Hope you don't mind me butting in.....

Got any Colour Photos of a Mark 1 with 'Live' Boosts on them or any photos from 242 at the time. I could really use them. Worked on the Mk 2 myself.

This any use to you?

Also got:

and with dummy boosts (I think)

and

Here's one getting a lift from a Belvequeer....

Hope these are of interest...

Doc

 

[MAINJAFAD]

Been following the conversation for a while. Hope you don't mind me butting in.....



This any use to you?

Fooking SPOTTY DOG!!!!! Just what I was after.

Also got:

and with dummy boosts (I think)

I would concur with that statement, Early Mk 2s with the orignal Ramjet Covers.

Most likely taken at Farnbourgh with Dummy Boosts, nice photo of the Cpl Tech and J/T badges of the day as well.

and

Phil the Greek does North CoatesDT_Xtremez_42:DT_Xtremez_42:

Here's one getting a lift from a Belvequeer....

Hope these are of interest...

Doc

Airframe may have been a mark 1, Boost motors off an XRD1 prototype (boost fins are a different shape).

Top find there DocDT_Xtremez_30:DT_Xtremez_30:

 

[Ex-Bay]

Fascinating stuff, that, and thanks.
I was interested to be able to identify a Marconi Sig Gen on top of the MOTE; brought back a few memories.

What sort of Bang did these things have?. I mean, how did the missle actually take down an aircraft? Fly up alongside and detonate (with maybe a slack handful of nails for the A/c intakes), or fly straight up the tailpipe and contact ?

And what happened to the installation that was at Cosford Museum ?.

 

[John Lloyd]

Fascinating stuff, that, and thanks.
I was interested to be able to identify a Marconi Sig Gen on top of the MOTE; brought back a few memories.

What sort of Bang did these things have?. I mean, how did the missle actually take down an aircraft? Fly up alongside and detonate (with maybe a slack handful of nails for the A/c intakes), or fly straight up the tailpipe and contact ?

And what happened to the installation that was at Cosford Museum ?.

A continuous rod warhead with proximity fuse
http://www.chinalakemuseum.org/history/overview_pages/rodbring.html

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgu...mage_result&resnum=4&ct=image&ved=0CBMQ9QEwAw

Up the tailpipe or alongside the cockpit, either way it's tears to the eyes time.

 

[XVR RA RA RA]

Mainjafad, your knowledge of the Bloodhood is amazing, if you had the choice between making love to a beautiful woman or stroking the shaft-like mainbody of a mk2 Bloodhound missile fitted with "live boosts", what would you do ? DT_Xtremez_34: he he

 

[Doc]

I have also found this which I am sure is a drill Bloodhound Mark 1, sans boosts, sans fins. Are the engines under covers?

I am trying to find others in the collection but its taking some time.

Oh I should add - From Imperial War Museum Collection: No. RAF-T 562

Doc

 

[MAINJAFAD]

Mainjafad, your knowledge of the Bloodhood is amazing, if you had the choice between making love to a beautiful woman or stroking the shaft-like mainbody of a mk2 Bloodhound missile fitted with "live boosts", what would you do ? DT_Xtremez_34: he he

Option One, I'm not that sad.

 

[MAINJAFAD]

I have also found this which I am sure is a drill Bloodhound Mark 1, sans boosts, sans fins. Are the engines under covers?

I am trying to find others in the collection but its taking some time.

Oh I should add - From Imperial War Museum Collection: No. RAF-T 562

Doc

It could be one of the early Mk 1's (there is footage of a dark coloured Mk 1 on display on the Pathe newsreel archive web site which also has film of a Missile Evaluation Trial firing by No 8 JSTU at Woomera taken in early 1958). On the other hand it could be one of the eXpermental Red Duster (XRD) prototypes, of which there were two types, The XRD1 and the XRD2. The main external differences between the two were the stub wings that the ramjets mounted on and the profile of the rear of the missile (most of them fired from Aberporth were painted in a dark colour). Unfortunately, I can not tell from the angle and quality of the photo if it’s an XRD 1 or 2. (The XRD 2 was almost identical externally to the Bloodhound Mk 1 anyway). The personnel of 8 JSTU were involved in UK MoS R&D firings at Aberporth in 1956/57 to give them some experience in firing the missile before heading to Woomera. The covers on the Ramjets were part of the Special To Type packing used when they came in the box from Bristols and were used when fitting the engines to the missile. They were also used as weather covers, as the MoS forgot to add the requirement that some form of quick removable weather proofing to the ramjet intakes and exhausts be put on the missile....So Bristol’s didn't build it into the design. When the missile entered full service in 1960, lightweight glassfibre covers were fitted in the shape of a rounded cone at the front (with an attachment that covered the small air intake on the stub wing) and a round plate in the exhaust nozzle. Fortunately, the gas pressure created by the firing of the ramjet igniters flares normally blew the covers off before the missile was launched (Ramjet flares were fired two seconds before the boost motors). On the Mark 2, three ramjet cartridges were fitted to each engine, two flares to ignite it and a gas charge to blow the covers off.

Doc PM coming your way.

 

[Doc]

Mainjafad - thanks for the info. I don't have anything else within that particular series which will give any further detail, but I do have these:

A slightly dramatic silhouette and what appears to be some of her insides - though this last one could be anything.....

Again from IWM collections.....

Left IWM RAF-T 560
Right IWM RAF-T 561

Doc

 

[MAINJAFAD]

Mainjafad - thanks for the info. I don't have anything else within that particular series which will give any further detail, but I do have these:

A slightly dramatic silhouette and what appears to be some of her insides - though this last one could be anything.....

Again from IWM collections.....

Left IWM RAF-T 560
Right IWM RAF-T 561

Doc

First shot is of a Senior Tech measuring the output of one of the units mounted in the Guidance Sector of a Mk 1 Missile's Forebody in one of the bays that made up the Missile Assembly, Test And Repair Area (MATRA) as Bristols called it (I think the RAF called it the MASS (Missile Assembly and Servicing Section). I would guess that they are working in the Overall Test and Repair Bay, seeing that the forebody is connected to the rest of the missile (The Forebody assembly could be totally removed from the missile and tested in another bay on the Mark 1). It could be at Aberporth, or a pre production round at the Missile School at Yatesbury (I can not tell if that is sea in the background of the second photo). I doubt it was taken at North Coates or any of the other operational units. Missile on the other shots are on their servicing trolley.

 

[br9mp81]

i had the pleasue of being on the fire section at west raynham 88-90,i was told that,some hounds hd been taken to the range to be test fired and the very first one misfired with a bit of a pop?

 

[MAINJAFAD]

i had the pleasue of being on the fire section at west raynham 88-90,i was told that,some hounds hd been taken to the range to be test fired and the very first one misfired with a bit of a pop?

I'm pretty sure that the last ones were fired in 1986, I knew that firings were planned for 1991 because a mate of mine was going to be detached back to WR to assist in doing the Trials fit on the missiles as he had done them in 1985/6. However the system was suddenly canned in early 91.

Lots of Bloodhounds of both marks ended up in the sea earlier than they should have, the first RAF one launched at Aberporth did fly a bit before it broke up, though a misfire was when the missile didn't fly after the Fire button was pressed, which is what happened to the second RAF one to be fired.

When the fire button was pressed in the LCP (after the missile had been run up, tuned to its ground based radar and a lot of other preperation ), a number of firing commands were sent to different bits of the missile that had igniters on them.

If the engagement was a long range one, the first firing signal fired the Thermal Batteries. The output of the batteries were monitored, and if they reached the correct output within five seconds, firing signals were sent to the gas cartrigdes which blew off the weather covers on the ramjets and the flares which would ignite the ramjet engines. While is was happening, equipment in the Launch Control Post was still monitoring the signals coming from the missile, if every thing was still OK, the firing commands were sent to the boost motors two seconds later, and it was missile away.

For short range engagement, the batteries and ramjet cartridges were fired together, followed two seconds later by the Boosts.

In the case of the misfire on the second RAF firing, the cover on the lower ramjet came flying off, hit the quick release on the power and signals cable that connected the missile to the launcher and knocked the cable off the missile. At that point the LCP monitor systems automaticly aborted the launch as it lost all of the signals from the missile. The fix was a modifiaction to the launcher which stopped the cover from hitting the cables.

I don't think any of the production missiles went pop on the launcher, but I know of two of the XTV/XRD test missiles used in the development of Bloodhound blowing up on the launcher when a boost motor tube let go on launch. The list of Bloodhound missile failures is quite long and ranges from design flaws to poor maintaince to bad luck.

 

[Shugster]

I found this picture that might interest you Bloodhound fans on the Facebook, "Save the RAF", group page...



I've no idea how old it is though.

 

[Tashy_Man]

As a child I remember my dad taking a picture of me infront of a Bloodhound......think it may have been at Aberporth but not too sure......it was a long time ago !

My mum probably still has the pic somewhere.

Those were the days when we had a deterrent/defence !

Crack on.................DT_Xtremez_09: