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Doug_Kibbey

"This is one of two Cavalier Mustangs delivered to the US Army for use as chase-planes in the AH-56 "Cheyenne" attack helicopter project. The serial is 68-15796. (After conversion from that role) After the AH-56A project had been dropped, the Army Cavaliers were looking for a new job and soon were sent to NAS China Lake, where they were used in 106 mm recoilless rifle tests. Seen here with this weapon attached at the wing-tips is 68-15796, photographed 20th June 1974 (Official US Navy photograph)."

See the whole site for more on interesting conversions.

www.swissmustangs.ch/32128.html

Roy_A_Lingle

Hi Doug! Hi Folks!

I wonder what they were testing? Air to ground, tank buster or air to air intercepter?
I loved the Cavalier rebuilds, would love to have been able to buy one.

Very odd.
Sgt, Scouts Out!

bsmart

Well China Lake is primarily a Naval weapons test site and the photo is credited to a Navy petty officer.

I wonder how the forward airspeed would affect the Venturi effect that makes teh RR 'recoilless'? Since the gas being vented out the back relies on the resistence of the still air behind the gun to provide the counterforce for the fired projectile the forward movement of the gun (creating a lower pressure are behind the breech) may affect the general operation of the weapon. Maybe this was just a test rig to some basic testing

For example if you used a RR at very high altitudes as an 'anti satellite weapon' what affect would the low atmospheric pressure on operation?

Just thinking at the edge of the box

Neil_Baumgardner

Ahem...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...pacecraft)

www.astronautix.com/cr...aeptor.htm
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...105#Uragan

Neil

bsmart

But think of the time frame. This is a little earlier. I remember the first 'Antisatelite' that was deployed with the 48 FIS at Langley. The idea was to launch an F-15 that would make a zoom climb as high as possible then (just as it is running out of momemtum and air to hold it up) launch a rocket propelled vehicle that would continue to climb up and hit the satelite. Everything had to be timed just perfect. I could see a program using some type of ballistic weapon being explored to act as an alternative to the laser systems (Which were somehat speculative at the time). This could be a testbed that could gather data at specified speeds and altitudes to allow extrapolation to further extremes

Neil_Baumgardner

I was just pointing out that recoilless weapons have previously been used/considered for such applications - I guess that was already your train of reasoning...

Neil

SHAWN · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 31, 2006 Posts: 484

yes, but think, there is the poor airman who has the task of in-flight reloading....

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