Here's a few pics, including panoramas I constructed out of multiple photo shots of the Robins AFB Museum in Georgia. These displays are all restored by, and the museum staffed by volunteers.
Enjoy!
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The F-15 is Featured in the Main Museum Building Hall.
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As you can see from the tables, the Museum hosts outside functions
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SA-
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Thank goodness they are largely immobile targets, otherwise we'd probably have to deal with later versions evolved from this type. Thanks to new reader RM in the comments for tipping me on my unforced error, corrected 12/22/13. I should have looked more closely at my own picture archive:
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Tacit Rainbow. The text below the missile is a politically-correct (i.e. LIE) version of why it was cancelled
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A man never forgets his first REALLY classified program.
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The Remaining Specially-Modified C-130 Modified for a Never Attempted Iranian Hostage Rescue Mission (Corrosion Abounds)
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Neither C-130 nor Placard are Not Faring Well in the Georgia Heat and Humidity
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Okay..I'm intrigued; what's the politically incorrect story behind Tacit Rainbow's demise?
ReplyDeleteIt was purely a budget decision. The system experienced cost growth early that took it over the 15%-'overage' that back in those days triggered additional review/decisions to proceed. That was no problem at the time, because it was recognized between the time the project was proposed and budgeted and the time detailed design work began there had already been about 20% inflation (15% in 1979 alone). The trouble came when the costs for physically integrating the system onto launch platforms came due -when the overage would really be felt. Just the cost of care and feeding of the instrumented launch B-52 at Edwards drained the budget enough to make the program cry uncle. the Navy started insisting on more and more threat library capability with the same budget, which sucked but was typical 'Navy'. China Lake also had crazy range time costs to even PRETEND to launch against their threat simulators. At the UTTR, we did early flight test and integration by launching it off our DC/NC-130s for a couple of years, and the accuracy of it was eye-watering. We had the normal flight test difficulties, but nothing that impacted schedule. Because of the budget crunch in the late mid-80s, there were other priority systems that got the money, because also about that time, in DoD at least, we were beginning to see cracks in the Soviet empire. Cancelling it was an 'acceptable risk'. I noted that the JROC requirement for a loitering anti-radiation missile remained unfunded for years later.
ReplyDeleteJust found your blog, definitely enjoying the debunking of the many claims folks throw out without proof.
ReplyDeleteOne note on the pictures - the SA-2 photo is an SA-5. Still big. Still fast.