Gorgon (missile family)
Encyclopedia
The Gorgon was an aerial ram
or air-to-air missile
powered by a turbojet engine
and equipped with radio
controls and a homing
device. The Gorgon, developed by the U.S. during World War II
, was later expanded into a general program including turbojet, ramjet
, pulsejet, and rocket
power; straight wing, swept wing, and canard
(tail first) air frames; and visual, television
, heat-homing, and three types of radar
guidance
for use as air-to-air
, air-to-surface and surface-to-surface guided missiles and as target drone
s. The final develoment of the series, the ASM-N-5 Gorgon V
, was to be an unpowered chemical weapons dispenser.
RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile
The RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile is a small, lightweight, infrared homing surface-to-air missile in use by the American, German, South Korean, Greek, Turkish, Saudi and Egyptian navies. It was intended originally and used primarily as a point-defense weapon against anti-ship cruise missiles...
or air-to-air missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
powered by a turbojet engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
and equipped with radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
controls and a homing
Homing
Homing is the process of determining the location of something, sometimes the source of a transmission, and going to it.More specifically, it may refer to:*Infrared homing*Semi-active radar homing*Active radar homing*Acoustic homing*Homing...
device. The Gorgon, developed by the U.S. during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, was later expanded into a general program including turbojet, ramjet
Ramjet
A ramjet, sometimes referred to as a stovepipe jet, or an athodyd, is a form of airbreathing jet engine using the engine's forward motion to compress incoming air, without a rotary compressor. Ramjets cannot produce thrust at zero airspeed and thus cannot move an aircraft from a standstill...
, pulsejet, and rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
power; straight wing, swept wing, and canard
Canard
Canard may refer to:*Nicolas-François Canard , French mathematician and economist*Canard , a small wing mounted on the front of some aircraft, which can be beneficial or detrimental depending on the design of the plane and its intended use*Canard , a phenomenon in some slow-fast dynamical systems...
(tail first) air frames; and visual, television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, heat-homing, and three types of radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
guidance
Guidance
Guidance may refer to:*Guidance *Guidance system*Guidance Solutions, an eCommerce development company*"Guidance", an episode of Death Note...
for use as air-to-air
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...
, air-to-surface and surface-to-surface guided missiles and as target drone
Target drone
A target drone is an unmanned, remote controlled aerial vehicle, usually used in the training of anti-aircraft crews.In their simplest form, target drones often resemble radio controlled model aircraft...
s. The final develoment of the series, the ASM-N-5 Gorgon V
ASM-N-5 Gorgon V
The ASM-N-5 Gorgon V was an unpowered air-to-surface missile, developed by the Glenn L. Martin Company during the early 1950s for use by the United States Navy as a chemical weapon delivery vehicle...
, was to be an unpowered chemical weapons dispenser.