The blue streak weapon1 british rockets and satellite. The range contains groundbased electronics warfare equipment to act as a simulated threat to training aircrews. A catalogue record for this book is available from the british library. Britains medium range ballistic missile fonthill media. The seaslug mark 2 was based on the aborted blue slug programme to develop an antiship missile using the seaslug missile and guidance system. Weldon owen, a division of bonnier publishing usa, will launch a new gift book imprint, blue streak books, this spring, with former running press vp and publisher chris navratil at the helm as. The blue streak was never designed to get to the moon, but in the previous book they had put some fuel tanks in orbit, and refueling from these just about gave the rocket the range. The rear cover features a color photo of the first test flight of a europa1 first stage from woomera on june 5, 1964. It had improved low altitude performance and a limited anti. The blue streak missile was a british medium range ballistic missile projected that was intended to maintain an independent british nuclear deterrent, replacing the v bomber fleet which would become obsolete by 1965. Blue streak rocket program heritage listed abc kimberley. Blue streak was a british designed medium range nuclear missile.
As a stopgap measure, us defense chiefs hoped to assist britain with the development of. Stand for paper model of blue streak missile internet archive. Blue streak missile project gutenberg selfpublishing. Blue streak britains medium range ballistic missile naval. Longrange ballistic missile blue streak hansard, 27 april 1960. Britains medium range ballistic missile traces the rise and fall of both missile systems. Britains blue streak, developed in the second half of the 1950s was potentially thors successor had the project not been cancelled but nonetheless is an obvious followon volume. This single stage silobased missile was intended to have a range of 2,500 miles. When the photo was taken is in question, but it is clearly the blue streak missile, and has been confirmed as the woomera facility. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. It is also known as starstreak hvm high velocity missile. The raf took it over in 1976 and it became europes first electronic warfare tactics range in 1977. Blue streak missile wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. Learn more before you buy, or discover other cool products in aircraft.
The missiles used liquid oxygen and kerosene propellants. Blue streak blue streak was a british medium range ballistic missile mrbm, and later the first stage of the europa satellite launch vehicle. As a stopgap measure, us military chiefs hoped to assist britain with the development of its own intermediaterange missile. The link is that the blue streak missile was assembled at raf spadeadam base, which is about 2530 miles from solway firth. This is a quite reasonable explanation given that these were some of the first icbm experiments, and this was the first test of the blue streak. Perhaps it is a fondness for the brightlycolored 1950s plastic kits of then stateoftheart missiles, complete with realistic launch pads. Tell us what you like and well recommend books youll love.
Jun 20, 2019 his first two books on the thor ballistic missile attracted wide interest. Despite concerns of limited resources, the air ministry proceeded with the missile, called blue streak, to fill the role, giving britain an independent deterrent until the early 1970s. The definitive, behindthescenes story of the most innovative airline. Oct 10, 20 books and journals stumpf, d k, titan ii. I know i was fascinated by my fathers description of the german v1 cruise missile of world war two. Specialised books for the serious student of conflict. Fonthill media book is a hard cover that includes 224 pages of text and drawings along with16 glossy pages of captioned photographs. In 1959, a year before the cancellation of the blue streak as a missile, the government requested that the rae and saundersroe design a carrier rocket based on blue streak and black knight. In the early 1950s the united states wished to concentrate its defense resources on the development of a 4,000 mile range intercontinental ballistic missile. Following the agreement, the blue streak program was formally canceled in april 1960 and in may 1960 an agreement for an initial order of 100 skybolts was concluded. Avro was made an associate contractor to manage the skybolt program for the united kingdom and four different schemes were submitted to find a platform for the missile. Despite us concerns that british resources were limited the air ministry nonetheless proceeded with the missile, called blue streak, to fulfil the operational requirement which would give britain an independent deterrent which should remain invulnerable until the early 1970s. Blue streak rocket program heritage listed abc kimberley wa.
Blue streak britains medium range ballistic missile. The project was cancelled in favour of the green cheese missile but other project developments were incorporated into what became the mark 2. The reasons for the projects cancellation are considered and blue streak s subsequent role as the first stage of the eldo civilian satellite launcher. May 23, 2014 perhaps the strangest turn of events was a link to the planned launch of a blue streak missile in woomera, south australia. Get free shipping on blue streak by john boyes, from. The two figures in the photograph are more of the same aliens that showed up in the solway firth photograph.
In 1955 the intermediate range ballistic missile test centre was built for the blue streak missile project. The project was intended to maintain an independent british nuclear deterrent, replacing the v bomber fleet which would become obsolete by 1965. The bristol bloodhound is a british surfacetoair missile developed during the 1950s as the uks main air defence weapon, and was in largescale service with the royal air force raf and the forces of four other countries designed to provide a last line of defence for the v bomber bases to destroy any soviet bombers that got past the defending lightning interceptor force operating over the. This design used blue streak as a first stage and a 54inch 7 centimetre second stage based on the black knight. Britains medium range ballistic missile 9781781557006. The blue streak did not use storable fuels, and that meant, that a refuelling would take about five minutes.
Blue streak britains medium range ballistic missile the. The project was intended to maintain an independent british nuclear deterrent. Hannah baker is the collections officer at the national space centre. The reasons for the projects cancellation are considered and blue streak s subsequent role as the first stage of the eldo civilian satellite launcher is noted. In the middle of a barren moorland, the remnants of a lost british space age stand like a 20thcentury stonehenge. Only internal pressurisation prevented blue streak missiles from collapsing. Britains medium range ballistic missile traces the path from the political decision to issue the contracts through the early development and testing both in the uk and in australia. Cherokee country club was packed last wednesday for a sellout dinner to celebrate the launch of the book. Perhaps the strangest turn of events was a link to the planned launch of a blue streak missile in woomera, south australia. Blue streak missile woomera alien photograph first, let me say thank you to the thousands of people who have read this blog, and to those who have commented, whether you agreed with me or not. Streak missiles are a type of guided munition used by the unsc navy for longranged antifighter duties.
Shop amongst our popular books, including 18, grandmothers journal, sisters journal and more from blue streak. Skybolt would have been carried by the rafs vbombers, but skybolt itself became the subject of reassessment by the incoming kennedy administration. Media in category blue streak missiles the following 12 files are in this category, out of 12 total. Jan 14, 20 one of the places to be newly included on a heritage list is talgarno, the blue streak rocket site in the kimberley. Jan 26, 2014 in 1955, britain began developing a longrange liquidfuelled missile, the blue streak programme. From the abc kimberley archives, heres an insight into why a local cattle.
Britains medium range ballistic missile kindle edition by john boyes. Just days after mr templeton had taken his photograph, that missile test. His first two books on the thor ballistic missile attracted wide interest. Jul 26, 2019 his first two books on the thor ballistic missile attracted wide interest. A requirement of the project was the need to base the missiles in underground launchers to protect them from attack. Blue streak missile news newspapers books scholar jstor february 2019 learn. Duration 14min 50sec release date 1964 sponsor central office of information for foreign office and commonwealth relations office text version of this film in 1955, britain began developing a longrange liquidfuelled missile, the blue streak programme. British mission to the moon using blue streak rocket. After launch, the missile accelerates to more than mach 4, making it the fastest shortrange surfacetoair missile in the world. Bloodhound missile project gutenberg selfpublishing. The blue streak rocket launches in australia 1964 youtube.
To our knowledge blue streak has not been visited by any beings from outer space since being on display at the national space centre. Blue streak models are few and far between, but niels paper models offers a 196 paper model for download. A history of a cold war missile programme, 2000 flight in blue streak helps titan, vol. In 1955, britain began developing a longrange liquidfuelled missile, the blue streak programme. Starstreak is a british short range manportable airdefence system manpads manufactured by thales air defence formerly shorts missile systems, in belfast. Blue streak by john boyes overdrive rakuten overdrive. Weldon owen to launch gift imprint, blue streak books. It is held that these aliens on the launch pad caused the missile test to be aborted. Its role was to support the development of the intermediate range ballistic missile irbm blue streak. Work on the project started in 1955 but the system was cancelled in 1960 in favour of the american air launched ballistic missile skybolt.
Blue streak was designed to deliver a twoton nuclear payload over a range of 4,500 kilometers a capability similar to that of the american atlas. As a stopgap measure, us defence chiefs hoped to assist britain with the development of its own intermediate range missile. That was one of the reasons that blue streak newer went into active service as a missile. This post is a continuation of the solway firth spaceman controversy, as many have attempted to tie this photo, taken a few days after the solway. In the early 1950s, the united states wished to concentrate its efforts on the development of a 4,000milerange intercontinental ballistic missile.
Blue streak missile guidance bay nosecone on loan courtesy of national museums. Britains medium range ballistic missile 1 by john boyes isbn. Blue streak was cancelled without entering full production. Spadeadam rocket test site gilsland, england atlas obscura. It had always been intended that blue streak was to be launched from an underground site what is now called a silo, altho the word wasnt in use in british circles at the time. Blue streak was a british launch vehicle of the 1950s that started out as an intercontinental ballistic missile icbm and became an ancestor of todays ariane. The cover black and white photograph depicts the blue streak on the engine test stand at spadeadam. It reads more like a novel than a memoir, and i highly recommend you grab a copy. Longrange ballistic missile blue streak hansard, 27. Dec, 20 the missile was launched on june 5, only to fail due to uncontrollable oscillations during final phase of burn due to fuel sloshing in tanks. The blue streak rocket was originally a british ballistic missile designed in 1955. Books like rings of supersonic steel and blazing skies are very interesting reading for me. Woomera blue streak incident the unexplained vault. The united states and the united kingdom in partnership, but my order for both is on its way.
Blue streak rocket program heritage listed by vanessa mills one of the places to be newly included on a heritage list is talgarno, the blue streak rocket site in the kimberley. The silos are described in the book on cold war archaeology by. A rescue mission is sent up from woomera using a juryrigged blue streak rocket with the schoolboy and a veteran astronaut who i think was called jock. Debunked blue streak missile woomera alien photograph. Due to its large file size, this book may take longer to download. It also became very obvious that these silos were going to be horrendously expensive. Except perhaps the odd storm trooper about the author. The underground launcher that would have to be used for blue streak. A history of a cold war missile program, categorically states that blue streak was the free worlds first insilo launch weapon system concept.
Stand for paper model of british blue streak missile. Blue streak missile wikimili, the free encyclopedia wikimili, the fre. Designed to deliver nuclear weapons, as part of britains i. The spadeadam area was remote and largely uninhabited and known as spadeadam waste, until 1955 when the intermediate range ballistic missile test centre was built for the blue streak missile project. Designed to deliver nuclear weapons, as part of britains independent nuclear capability, work focused on producing an intermediate range missile. It was to be a liquid fuelled missile tipped with a nuclear warhead with a range of around 1,500 nautical miles 2,4km, sufficient to reach moscow from the united kingdom. The spadeadam blue streak underground launcher facility u1. Designed to be based underground, blue streak presented a technological challenge and when a more advanced american missile called skybolt was offered to britain, blue streak was cancelled. Just days after mr templeton had taken his photograph, that missile. A vertical empire provides a description of the british rocketry and space programme from the 1950s to 1970s, detailing the medium range ballistic missile blue streak and its conversion to a satellite launcher as part of the european launcher development organisation eldo. Discover spadeadam rocket test site in gilsland, england. This document details the air ministrys thoughts on the subject as early as 1958.