thumb|300px| XSM-73 being prepared for flight.
The Fairchild SM-73 (originally Bull Goose) was a planned sub-sonic, jet-powered, long-range, ground-launched decoy cruise missile. XSM-73 was the designation for the development version. Development began in 1952 with conceptual studies and ended when the program was canceled in 1958 after 15 test flights but before any operational deployment. The operational concept was to base squadrons of XM-73s at various locations in the United States and if necessary launch the aircraft as part of a strategic bomber attack. The aircraft would fly autonomously under inertial guidance towards the target area, using radar reflectors and electronic countermeasures to imitate American bombers and thus confuse and saturate enemy air defenses. The program was cancelled because the missile was not able to simulate a B-52 bomber on radar.
Development
Starting in December 1952, Fairchild began concept studies for a ground-launched long range decoy missile that could simulate strategic bombers on radar.
In March 1953, the United States Air Force released General Operational Requirement (GOR) 16 which called for a long range decoy missile to increase the effectiveness of Strategic Air Command bombers by confusing and saturating an air defense system.
Multiple SM-73 missiles would be ground-launched from Strategic Air Command bases located in the continental United States. The requirement was that fifty percent of the deployed SM-73 missiles could be launched within the first hour after a launch order and the remaining missiles could be launched within one more hour. The requirement called for 85 percent of the decoy missiles to arrive at the target area within 115 nm (185 km). The SM-73 was to fly 4,000 nm (7,408 km) at speed of at least Mach 0.85 at an operating altitude of 50,000 ft (15,240 m) with a payload of 500 lb (227 kg).
Each engine was in the 2,450 lbf (10.9 kN) thrust class with a thrust to weight ratio goal of 10:1. General Electric was awarded a contract for the development of the General Electric J85 and Fairchild was awarded a contract for the competing engine, the Fairchild J83. Fairchild proposed a lightweight engine of conventional design. and 22 were constructed near the Cape Canaveral Light Construction of Bull Goose missile sites began in August 1958.
Variants
;B-73
:Original designation in Bomber sequence
;XSM-73
:Test and Evaluation prototypes.
;SM-73
:Production Missile designation.
;Gander
:Proposed surface-to-surface version capable of carrying a 1 Mt warhead .
Operator
- United States Air Force
Survivors
- XSM-73 located in the Hagerstown Aviation Museum, Hagerstown, Maryland, United States.
- XSM-73 located in the Air Force Space & Missile Museum, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, United States
- XSM-73 located in the Research & Development Gallery in the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio
- XSM-73 awaiting restoration at the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Connecticut
See also
References
Citations
Bibliography
- Evolution of the Cruise Missile, Kenneth P. Warrell, Air University Press USAF, 1985.
- IDEAS, CONCEPTS, DOCTRINE, Basic Thinking of the United States Air Force 1907-1960, Vol 1, Robert Frank Futrell, Air University Press, 1989
- Interavia, International Aeronautic Federation, 1992.
- SM-73 Bull Goose, Web Page of Global Security.org [http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/systems/sm-73.htm]
- Technology and the Air Force A retrospective Assessment Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, 1997
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rockets and Missiles, Bill Gunston, Salamander Books Ltd, 1979