LBD-1 Gargoyle
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| LBD-1 Gargoyle | |
|---|---|
 Gargoyle on display at NASM in target colors. |
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| Type | anti-ship missile / guided bomb |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | never used operationally |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Produced | 1945 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 1650 lb (750 kg) |
| Length | 9 ft 10 in (3 m) |
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| Warhead | amatol |
| Warhead weight | 1000 pounds (454 kg) |
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| Engine | 8AS1000 JATO bottle 990 lbf (4,400 N) static thrust |
| Operational range |
4 nm (8 km) |
| Speed | 600 mph (960 km/h) |
| Guidance system |
radio command |
The McDonnell LBD-1 Gargoyle (later KBD-1) was an American air-to-surface missile developed during World War Two. It was one of the precursors of modern anti-ship missiles.
Following German success with the Hs-293 and Fritz-X, the U.S. began work on a series of similar weapons. These included Bat, Felix, GB-8, and Gargoyle.
Garboyle had a 1000 pound (450 kg) warhead (M65 general purpose {GP} or M59 semi–armor piercing {SAP}), intended to be launched from carrier-borne aircraft in conditions of good visibility, against maneuvering targets. Launched from 15,000 feet (4,500 m), it had a range of almost four miles (eight kilometers), and could be controlled at up to 24 miles (45 kilometers).
A launch speed of at least 200 mph (320 km/h) was necessary, so its low wings would not stall; a 990 pound-force (4,400 N) static thrust 8AS1000 jet-assisted takeoff (JATO) bottle in the tail boosted it to a maximum speed of 600 mph (960 km/h).
Operated by radio command guidance, Gargoyle was tracked visually by means of flares in the tail, much as Fritz-X was; this limited its maximum range to how far the flares could be seen. Gargoyle relied on simultaneous or separate operation of the elevators and rudder on the weapon's butterfly tail; it was capable of 4g (40 m/s²), for a turning circle of 2,550 ft (780 m).
Production by McDonnell Aircraft began in 1944, but the war ended before it entered operational service.
[edit] Sources
- Fitzsimons, Bernard, editor. "Gargoyle", in The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weapons and Warfare, Volume 10, p.1090. London: Phoebus Publishing, 1978.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Allied & German guided weapons of WW2
- The Dawn of the Smart Bomb
- Guided weapons of WW2
- GB series weapons
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