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To: HiJinx
Here's some more historical USAF stuff.:

It's rocket! It's a jet! It's BOMARC!

The supersonic Bomarc missiles (IM-99A and IM-99B) were the world's first long-range anti-aircraft missiles, and the first missiles that Boeing mass produced. The program also represented the first time Boeing designed and built launch facilities. It used analog computers, some of which were built by Boeing and had been developed for GAPA experiments during World War II.

Authorized by the Air Force in 1949, Bomarc was the result of coordinated research between Boeing (Bo) and the University of Michigan Aeronautical Research Center (marc).

The missiles were housed on a constant combat-ready basis in individual launch shelters in remote areas. The alert signal could fire the missiles around the country in 30 seconds. The Model A had a range of 200 miles, and the B, which followed, could fly 400 miles. Boeing built 700 Bomarc missiles between 1957 and 1964, as well as 420 launch systems. Bomarc was retired from active service during the early 1970s.

(BOMARC used a solid fuel rocket to get up to speed, then a pair of ramjets turned on for cruise. It carried a nuclear warhead, and was designed to "disrupt" incoming Soviet bomber formations.)

146 posted on 09/18/2002 11:15:17 AM PDT by ArrogantBustard
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To: ArrogantBustard
Before I came along, my Mom worked as a secretary to the Program Manager at Wright-Pat for missile systems. IIRC, her PM worked SNARC.
152 posted on 09/18/2002 11:25:44 AM PDT by HiJinx
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