Single Skybolt carrier 72 scale

[neillbill]

I got one Skybolt missile left over from a Vulcan/Skybolt build. Anyone suggest a suitable hypothetical carrier aircraft for it? Wont fit under a TSR2 already tried that.

Thanks

Bill

[Graeme H]

There was a proposal to fit it to the Bucaneer on top of the Starboard wing, above where the fuel tank goes, and carry it asymmetrically with a fuel tank on the port side.

Work was done to locally strengthen that part of the wing, the mounting was set a 3.5 deg nose up to clear the tailplane after wind tunnel testing showed a sharp rise in drag with anything other than that, launch was to accomplished by a 60 deg bank to port with top rudder, a short version of a sideslip at the moment of launch and the weapon falling away to enter it's normal glide before ignition.

The Bucaneer was limited to just 25,000 ft with the weapon though as drag and weight combined to limit it's ceiling.

Work was initiated on the Carrier Launch option, but  Carrier landings carrying the weapon were ruled out on safety grounds, the whole program was scrapped when the UK controversially pulled out of Skybolt.

 

[Giorgio N]

A Skybolt on the top of a Buccaneer wing would have been one of the strangest sight of the cold war! I'd love to see a drawing of the thing, I'd also love to know who came up with such a weird idea

[Finn]

If you have any multi engine a/c in your stash you could use the Skybolt as an early sub-orbital satellite launch vehicle for putting either commercial or military satellites into orbit like the L-1011 does today.

 

Jari

[neillbill]

I reckon I can get a Skybolt semi submerged in a Vulcan bomb bay. It's only slightly longer than a Blue Steel and some of that would be the aerodynamic fairing at the tail, I could lose that. A three Skybolt Vulcan? Be a bit overweight but could lose some fuel, its not coming back is it. :^(

Edited January 31, 2018 by neillbill