AIM-68 Big Q
Encyclopedia
The AIM-68 is an American air-to-air missile
design. It never entered production.
rocket. The Genie was unguided, and had generally poor flight performance characteristics. The Big Q was to be a much more capable weapon, intended to engage Soviet bombers.
Big Q is actually a nickname only. The right to name the missile was given to the initial designer, 1st Lt John McMasters
who chose the name of the Aztec
serpent god Quetzalcoatl
. This led to a tremendous number of pronunciation and spelling errors until finally virtually everybody associated with the project simply referred to it as Big Q for short.
In 1965 the ZAIM-68A designation was assigned to the missile. A 20% model was successfully tested in a wind tunnel during that year and in June a contract was awarded to National Tapered Wing Engineering Company to produce 20 fuselage sections for prototype missiles.
The AIM-68 was designed with a dual-thrust solid-propellant rocket and was capable of reaching speeds of Mach 4 over its 65 kilometres (40.4 mi) range. The prototypes were fitted with infrared guidance systems from GAR-2A/B (AIM-4C/D) Falcon
missiles; the rocket motor from the AGM-12 Bullpup
was used for propulsion. The warhead was a W30
0.5 kiloton nuclear warhead, smaller than the 1.5 kiloton model used on the Genie. The guidance system allowed the missile to be used against maneuvering targets, including single bombers, rather than whole formations as was the case for the Genie. The reduced yield and greater range also made using the weapon a far less hazardous prospect for the launching aircraft.
Potential users of the Big Q included the F-101B, F-102A, F-106A, F-4C
. The size of the missile was dictated by these choices, as some of the aircraft carried weapons in an internal bay. As part of the effort to keep the size down, the missile was fitted with fold-out sections on the main wings.
There have been attempts to reuse the -68 designation; notably the U.S. Navy wanted their new Standard Block V missile to be known as the RIM-68A. This failed (the designation RIM-156A was used instead). In 1995, the Navy tried to change it again—apparently wanting an operational missile to have a continuous run with the RIM-66 Standard MR
and RIM-67 Standard ER
designations. The request was refused again.
Air-to-air missile
An air-to-air missile is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft. AAMs are typically powered by one or more rocket motors, usually solid fuelled but sometimes liquid fuelled...
design. It never entered production.
Overview
The Big Q began life in 1963 as a replacement for the AIR-2 GenieAIR-2 Genie
The Douglas AIR-2 Genie was an unguided air-to-air rocket with a 1.5kt W25 nuclear warhead. It was deployed by the United States Air Force and Canada during the Cold War...
rocket. The Genie was unguided, and had generally poor flight performance characteristics. The Big Q was to be a much more capable weapon, intended to engage Soviet bombers.
Big Q is actually a nickname only. The right to name the missile was given to the initial designer, 1st Lt John McMasters
John H. McMasters
John H. McMasters was an aeronautical engineer notable for his contributions to aerodynamics and engineering education.-Career:...
who chose the name of the Aztec
Aztec
The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...
serpent god Quetzalcoatl
Quetzalcoatl
Quetzalcoatl is a Mesoamerican deity whose name comes from the Nahuatl language and has the meaning of "feathered serpent". The worship of a feathered serpent deity is first documented in Teotihuacan in the first century BCE or first century CE...
. This led to a tremendous number of pronunciation and spelling errors until finally virtually everybody associated with the project simply referred to it as Big Q for short.
In 1965 the ZAIM-68A designation was assigned to the missile. A 20% model was successfully tested in a wind tunnel during that year and in June a contract was awarded to National Tapered Wing Engineering Company to produce 20 fuselage sections for prototype missiles.
The AIM-68 was designed with a dual-thrust solid-propellant rocket and was capable of reaching speeds of Mach 4 over its 65 kilometres (40.4 mi) range. The prototypes were fitted with infrared guidance systems from GAR-2A/B (AIM-4C/D) Falcon
AIM-4 Falcon
The Hughes AIM-4 Falcon was the first operational guided air-to-air missile of the United States Air Force.-Development:Development of a guided air-to-air missile began in 1946. Hughes Aircraft was awarded a contract for a subsonic missile under the project designation MX-798, which soon gave way...
missiles; the rocket motor from the AGM-12 Bullpup
AGM-12 Bullpup
The AGM-12 Bullpup is an air-to-ground missile which was used on the A-4 Skyhawk, A-6 Intruder, F-105 Thunderchief and F-4 Phantom among others...
was used for propulsion. The warhead was a W30
W30
The W30 was an American nuclear warhead used on the RIM-8 Talos surface to air missile and the Tactical Atomic Demolition Munition .The W30 was 22 inches in diameter and 48 inches long, weighing 438, 450, or 490 pounds depending on the version....
0.5 kiloton nuclear warhead, smaller than the 1.5 kiloton model used on the Genie. The guidance system allowed the missile to be used against maneuvering targets, including single bombers, rather than whole formations as was the case for the Genie. The reduced yield and greater range also made using the weapon a far less hazardous prospect for the launching aircraft.
Potential users of the Big Q included the F-101B, F-102A, F-106A, F-4C
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
. The size of the missile was dictated by these choices, as some of the aircraft carried weapons in an internal bay. As part of the effort to keep the size down, the missile was fitted with fold-out sections on the main wings.
There have been attempts to reuse the -68 designation; notably the U.S. Navy wanted their new Standard Block V missile to be known as the RIM-68A. This failed (the designation RIM-156A was used instead). In 1995, the Navy tried to change it again—apparently wanting an operational missile to have a continuous run with the RIM-66 Standard MR
RIM-66 Standard
The RIM-66 Standard MR is a medium range surface-to-air missile originally developed for the United States Navy . The SM-1 was developed as a replacement for the RIM-2 Terrier and RIM-24 Tartar that were deployed in the 1950s on a variety of USN ships...
and RIM-67 Standard ER
RIM-67 Standard
The RIM-67 Standard ER is an extended range surface-to-air missile and anti ship missile originally developed for the United States Navy...
designations. The request was refused again.
Specifications
- Length : 2.92 m (9 ft 7 in)
- Wingspan : 86 cm (2 ft 10 in) (with the wings extended)
- Diameter : 35 cm (1 ft 2 in)
- Weight : 225 kg (500 lb)
- Speed : Mach 4
- Range : 65 km (40.4 mi)
- Propulsion : Solid-fuel rocket
- Warhead : W-30 nuclear (0.5 kT)