AIM-47 Falcon
| AIM-47 Falcon | |
|---|---|
An AIM-47A waiting to be loaded aboard a YF-12. | |
| Type | Air-to-air missile |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| Used by | United States Air Force (testing) |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Hughes Aircraft |
| Designed | 1957-1966 |
| Specifications (XAIM-47A) | |
| Mass | 371 kg (818 lb) |
| Length | 3.82 m (12 ft 6.5 in) |
| Diameter | 343 mm (13.5 in) |
| Wingspan | 838 mm (33 in) |
| Warhead | 100 lb (45 kg) |
Detonation mechanism | Proximity fuse |
| Engine | Lockheed XSR13-LP-1 |
| Propellant | Solid fuel rocket |
Operational range | 100 mi (87 nmi; 160 km) |
| Maximum speed | Mach 4 |
Guidance system | Semi-active radar homing, terminal infrared homing |
Launch platform | Lockheed YF-12, North American XF-108 Rapier |
The Hughes AIM-47 Falcon, originally GAR-9, was a very long-range high-performance air-to-air missile that shared the basic design of the earlier AIM-4 Falcon. It was developed in 1958 along with the new Hughes AN/ASG-18 radar fire-control system intended to arm the Mach 3 XF-108 Rapier interceptor aircraft and, after that jet's cancellation, the YF-12A (whose production was itself cancelled after only 3 vehicles). It was never used operationally, but was a direct predecessor of the AIM-54 Phoenix used on the Grumman F-14 Tomcat.