Name

Year

Notes

B-1 POD

1973

The four-man escape pod of the B-1 bomber is separated from the aircraft by solid motors, then recovered under three parachutes derived from the APOLLO command module. An air-drop of the Pod took place in 1973 from the pylon of a B-52 bomber and a low-speed ejection took place on the rocket-sled at Holloman AFB, also in 1973. A high speed ejection was made in September 1974 at Holloman AFB, when the carrier sled was travelling at 355mph.

B-58 POD

1957

Convair’s B-58 “Hustler” supersonic bomber, when in early development was proposed to carry a large weapons pod under the fuselage. A number of proposals included it being a large stand-off weapon, about 28 feet long with rear surfaces and fore-planes and using the Bell rocket engine later used in the AGENA upper stage of satellite launchers. These ideas were later dropped and the pod became an external tank for the long-range bomber.

B-70 RBSS

1960

The B-70 Recoverable Booster Space System was a proposal to use the planned B-70 bomber as a platform acting as the first stage of a satellite launcher. It was proposed to launch the vehicle from the aircraft when it was travelling at about 2,000 mph and at a height of 70,000 feet. Payloads of up to 6,800 kg could be orbited from the 250,000 kg aircraft it was thought.

B-70 POD

1961

Individual escape pods were to equip the huge B-70 bomber aircraft, and these were ejected from the aircraft by rockets. The pod closed around the crewman just before firing, and after exiting the slip-stream, two poles with fins deployed to stabilise the pod before drogue and main parachute deployment for the descent.

BA-1 & 2

1998

Beal Aerospace satellite launcher proposals.

See BEAL AEROSPACE.

BABY-VIPER

1980s

Rocket-propelled, explosive-filled hose to be projected across a mine field, then detonated to clear a path for vehicles to pass.

BALL AEROSPACE

1970s

Boulder, Colorado based Ball Aerospace is a spacecraft and space systems specialist, with experience in satellite sub-contracting and instrument construction. It has provided satellite communication antennae for aircraft-satellite links, and latterly become involved with space-based remote sensing.

BAMBI

1961

General Dynamics, Space Technology Labs and Hughes were awarded study contracts for the BAllistic Missile Boost Intercept project in 1961. It was intended that BAMBI would intercept and destroy enemy ICBMs during the boost phase, from orbit, using between 800 and 3,600 satellites in low earth orbit to provide global coverage. DoD estimates of the overall cost were later put at $50bn per year but the contractors suggested spending $40m on experimental hardware for feasibility studies. The project was cancelled in June 1963.

BANTAM

1997

This NASA project is for the development of a satellite launcher able to place 180 kg in to low Earth orbit for $1.5m or less. The four proposals which made it to “Cycle-1” of the NASA contract to gain $2m each in 1997 included a recoverable scaled-down model of the Space Shuttle and an expendable solid booster using three stages fuelled with an ammonium-nitrate based propellant.

BARRETT, Stan

1979

Hal Needham’s rocket-car, the “Budweiser-Rocket” was driven by Stan Barrett in a series of speed runs in December 1979. Barrett was best known for being a stunt-man in Hollywood movies, and was chosen to drive the machine because of his quick reflexes. The main rocket power came from a hybrid unit running on Hydrogen Peroxide and polybutadiene, and with that combination reached 623 mph on 3rd December 1979 at Bonneville, Utah. The final run at Edwards AFB on 17th December was augmented by a SIDEWINDER solid motor fired to take velocity to 739.666 mph in conditions where the speed of sound was 731.9 mph. He became the first man to travel faster than Mach 1 on the ground but did not make the return run to officially take the record. Chuck Yeager was there to congratulate him after the run.

BAT

1944

This anti-ship missile was air launched from under the wings of Navy PB4Y-2 Privateer aircraft. BAT development emerged from the cancelled PELICAN project, and carried a 1,000-lb (454 kg) general purpose bomb in a winged airframe with a tail unit to steer the unpowered missile into target ships. Overall length was 11’11” (3.63m) and span over the wings was 10 ft (3.05m). Launch weight was 853 kg and it was also called ASM-2 for air to surface missile. The key to this missile’s success was the Western Electric pulsed-radar homing head, and when introduced in April 1945 sank a Japanese destroyer off Borneo at 20 miles (32 km) range. With modified radar equipment, BATs later successfully hit bridges being used by the Japanese in Burma and in other areas.

BAT

1991

Northrop was awarded a $344m development contract for the Brilliant Anti-armour Technology round in June 1991. It is a submunition, 0.915m(3 ft) long, 0.14m (5.5”) in diameter and weighing about 20 kg. Span of the flip-out wings is about 0.9m (3 ft) and at the rear are four flip out curved fins. The intended carrier platforms for BAT were to be the TSSAM, ATACMS and MLRS. The first test flight was on 25th June 1993 when it was dropped by a small aircraft over WSPG. Acoustic and IR homing was to be augmented by millimetre-wave and IIR under a $9m contract in October 1994. More flight testing came in December 1994, while in July 1995 arrangements were made for 13 BATs to be carried in the ATACMS missile. Video camera guidance was proposed in 1996 for the sub-munition, while initial production contracts were issued in early 2000 for low-rate manufacture of 609 BATs for use in ATACMS. In 2002 the BAT was to be also used on the HUNTER Israeli-UAV.

BATTLE-KING

1970

US Army study project for a deep-strike weapon system. Several methodologies were studied, but the preferred option became the deployment of sub-munitions from a rocket propelled carrier vehicle. By 1978 these ideas led to the ASSAULT-BREAKER programme.

BAZOOKA

1942

Although the word Bazooka is still used to describe tube-launched anti-tank weapons, the original was designed by Leslie A. Skinner of the US Army, who had to devise a way of projecting a 2.36”(59mm) hollow-charge mortar grenade against tank targets. The rocket motor used five 3/8 inch x 5 inch long sticks of cordite which burned out while the rocket was still in the 4 ft 6 in (1.35m) long launch tube. The projectile itself, including fins was about 21” (0.5m) long and could penetrate 3” (76mm) of armour. The whole system was manufactured by General Electric and the first 5000 units were taken to North Africa for the Tunisian campaign in 1943. Both Russia and Germany copied the idea after donations and capture respectively. The BAZOOKA was also called M1 in its original form.

BDM

1956

The Bomber Defense Missile was an idea to use HAWK missiles fired from the rear gun turret of B-52 bombers. General Electric, Hughes, Bell and Raytheon were involved, and test launches were made from the rocket sled at Holloman AFB, but the idea seems to have been dropped by 1958. By 1969 another proposed Bomber Defense Missile plan was receiving attention, for use on the B-1 bomber. The studies through to 1973 did not focus on any particular missile solution, but by then air-to-air armament was sufficient to cover such a specific need.

BDM-INTERNATIONAL

1980s

Systems integration house with major defence interests, BDM was briefly owned by Ford Aerospace, before the Carlyle Group took over in 1990. It went public in 1994 and was instrumental in buying Russian S-300 (SA-10/12) missiles for US evaluation when Frank Carlucci was chairman. TRW bought 74% of the company in 1997.

BEAL AEROSPACE

1997

Dallas, Texas-based Beal Aerospace was started by millionaire Andrew Beal to enter the satellite launch market with Hydrogen Peroxide/Kerosene fuelled expendable boosters, called BA-1 and BA-2. The BA-1 was to orbit a payload of 7,710 kg to low Earth orbit at substantially lower prices than other launchers on the market. It was to be three staged and be 51.5m (169 ft) long, with a diameter of 5m (16’5”) and weigh almost 500 tonnes at lift off. By mid-1998 the BA-1 had been abandoned and work concentrated on the BA-2, 65m (215 ft) long and 6.2m (20’4”) in diameter and able to place 5,000 kg into GTO. The first stage engine had a thrust planned to be 1451 tonnes, while the third stage engine of 20 tonnes was successfully tested in mid-1998. Plans for launch sites moved from Cape Canaveral to St Croix, Virgin Islands, then Sombrero Island, Anguilla, then to British Guyana. By 2000 the first stage engine had been tested on 4th March, and called the BA-810 generating 810,000-lb (367,400 kgf) thrust. On 23rd October 2000 Andrew Beal closed down the operation, citing NASA’s subsidised development of competing systems for earth orbit being developed by other companies.

BECKMAN INSTRUMENTS

1955

California-based Beckman Instruments Inc supplied missile test instrumentation to the armed services during the development of missiles and rockets. Electromechanical systems were also supplied for aircraft projects in their control systems. By 1956 their sales were over $29m.

BECKMAN & WHITLEY

1956

Based in San Carlos, California, this company supplied destruct systems and any components that were explosively operated, for use in many rockets and missiles. Projects supplied with their components included AEROBEE, ATLAS, BOMARC, CORPORAL, HAWK, HERMES, JUPITER, LOON, NAVAHO, RASCAL, REDSTONE, TERRIER, TITAN, VIKING & V-2.

BEECHCRAFT

1955

Multi-disciplinary aviation supplier of components and complete systems, one of the major areas of manufacture has been target drones. Based at Wichita, Kansas, by the mid-1970s over 5000 aerial targets had been supplied for weapons trials. In the 1970s Beech were making specialised propellant tanks for the Space Shuttle Orbiter, and by the 1980s the Beech Aircraft Corporation was part of the Raytheon Company.

BELL AIRCRAFT

1935

Set up in the recently vacated Consolidated Aircraft factory in Buffalo, New York, and headed by Larry D. Bell, the company went into helicopters and aviation engineering. Design, development and production of liquid propellant rocket engines began in 1946 after studying German designs, and linking up with Reaction Motors Inc. At the same time Bell began manufacturing the seven X-1 rocket-planes which flew through the 1940s and 1950s. The RASCAL missile developed from the X-1 for its development program. Liquid engines produced by Bell enabled the AGENA upper stage to be one of the most used pieces of space hardware, with its main engine and reaction control system of small engines. Similar small engines enabled Bell to secure the post-boost velocity package contract on the MINUTEMAN-3. Reaction control engines by Bell were also used on the X-15 and the CENTAUR upper stage. Jet Back-Packs appeared in the 1960s, also powered by similar small thrusters. Bell have always diversified, typified by their aircraft-carrier landing systems for the Navy, gyroscopes, pressure vessels and much ancillary equipment.

BENDIX

1946

At the peak of activity with missile and space research, Bendix Aviation had 29 divisions in the early 1960s focusing on many different areas of supply to contractors including telemetry systems, field testing equipment, radar beacons and missile guidance systems. Electronic and hydraulic systems were employed in the ATLAS, TITAN, THOR, POLARIS, NIKE-HERCULES, TERRIER and TARTAR missiles, while both MIDAS and SAMOS satellites used Bendix stable guidance platforms. More satellite control systems followed, as well as the STARS Navy missile-impact seismic detector and many other products. In 1982 there were power and ownership struggles with both Martin Marietta and United Technologies Corp, but by the mid-1980s Allied Signal bought Bendix out. The name only survived on specific products.

BETATRONIX INC

1987

Electronics and defence company, specialising in fire-control systems and jamming equipment etc, came to international notice after export and security problems in summer 1987.

BETSY

1950s

Another name for the LULU nuclear depth charge weapon.

BETTY

1950s

The Mk-90 BETTY nuclear depth charge was a growth version of the LULU weapon, but could be fired from ships, as well as dropped from aircraft as with the original system.

BG SERIES

1942

US Navy and USAAF air to surface “Bomb Glider” projects reached the testing stage in the latter part of World War 2. The Navy types were the LBE, LNB and LBT, while the Air Force tested the XBG-1, -2 and -3 types. Typically the concept was to tow a bomb-laden glider behind a larger aircraft for release at a safe distance from the target. These ideas were superseded by the GB (Guided Bomb) projects by 1944.

BIGEYE

1983

This binary-chemical air to surface weapon used two separate reservoirs of safe chemicals, which when combined, in flight, produced a nerve agent, a process described as “off-station mixing”. Despite technical problems during 1983-1986, the Reagan administration approved production for 1990, in a 1988 defence statement, but chemical weapons treaties and a changing world meant that BIGEYE was cancelled in October 1990.

BIG-STICK

1960

The possibilities of using a nuclear-powered ramjet from the late 1950s onward resulted in a proposal to use that propulsion in a missile similar to the BOLO concept. General Dynamics, Astronautics Div had the study contract, but it went no further.

BIMBO

1961

This project name referred to the use by the USAF of some of the huge solid propellant motors then in development and static test as boosters for military space projects. Aerojet and Grand Central Rocket Co were given study contracts to enable vehicles such as DYNA-SOAR and others to make the first 60 miles of altitude using solid first stages with thrusts of from 3-5 million pounds (1360-2268 tonnes) from 1963 onwards. Development did not follow.

BIRD-DOG

1950s

This Douglas air-to-air nuclear-warhead missile was re-named GENIE.

BLACK-HORSE

1995

Low-cost space access proposal by AF Major Mitchell Burnside Clapp whereby a redundant US fighter plane was to be fitted with Russian rocket engines. The propellants were to be Kerosene and LOX because Kerosene and Hydrogen Peroxide “..had not been used anywhere in the world yet.” BLACK-HORSE was to take off horizontally and rise to 35,000 feet where it would meet a huge tanker aircraft, where it would re-fuel. After that it would shoot off to orbit reaching 17,500 mph in twenty minutes with half a tonne of payload. Major Clapp needed $150m to carry out the project.

BLAZER

1987

The Blazer is a special tank turret by General Electric and Boeing, which has a centrally-mounted Gatling gun and four-round STINGER pack, and on out-riggers mountings for two double canisters with Swedish RBS-70 surface to air missiles. BLAZER is a picket air-defence system.

BLUE-EYE

1968

First test fired late in 1968, the BLUE-EYE was given the designation AGM-79A even before it was certain that the air-to-surface missile would be ordered. It consisted of an improved version of the BULLPUP missile and used the same pre-packaged liquid rocket unit. The differences included a more automated guidance system using area correlation logic from a basic video camera in the nose. Once in the general target location, the warhead was detonated by radio-altimeter, and this was probably the weakness in an otherwise novel approach to ground targeting.

BLUE-FLAME

1970

This rocket-car was, like others of the era, effectively a rocket on wheels. The propellants used were Hydrogen Peroxide and natural gas, which sent the car to a maximum speed of 622.407 mph on the Bonneville salt flats in Utah on 23rd October 1970. The driver was Gary Gabelich (1940-26 Jan 1984) whose record stood for thirteen years until Richard Noble made his run in Thrust-2.

BLUE-GOOSE

1957

The GOOSE cruise missile technology project was also called BLUE-GOOSE and BULL-GOOSE, during the development phase.

BLUE-SCOUT

1961

BLUE-SCOUT-Jr was a sounding rocket, detailed elsewhere, as was the BLUE-SCOUT-1 which launched Air Force probes. In 1961 North American Aviation proposed dropping a BLUE-SCOUT-1 from an X-15, so it could place a small satellite into orbit, but an additional first stage proved cheaper. The three stages were ALGOL/CASTOR/ANTARES solid motors. BLUE-SCOUT-2 was the Air Force version of the ordinary SCOUT launcher - ie ALGOL/CASTOR/ANTARES/ALTAIR motors.

BMD

1960s

For the last forty years the US has been conducting Ballistic Missile Defence experiments, and it is ironic that the proponents of the early series of experiments are the sceptics of current ideas on the subject. Typical early tests involved using HAWK missiles to intercept CORPORAL rockets, NIKE-HERCULES to intercept other NIKE-HERCULES, NIKE-ZEUS to intercept ATLAS and TITAN ICBMs, and ARIES rockets to intercept MINUTEMAN missiles. Funding by 1970 was about $140m, and $340m by 1982. On 23rd March 1983 President Reagan made his speech which initiated SDI and gave a massive acceleration to these ideas.

BMDO

1980s

The Ballistic Missile Defence Organisation was a direct consequence of Reagan’s speech of 23rd March 1983, and brought together many existing ideas on the subject with new proposals such as directed energy and laser beams. In the 1990s the effort split into two main areas, intercepting long range ballistic missiles, and battle-theatre systems to deal with shorter-range threats. Existing hardware is used extensively in both these types of missiles - the top two stages of decommissioned MINUTEMAN ICBMs forms the basis of the NMD (National Missile Defense) rocket, since re-named GMD (Ground-based Midcourse Defense). The shorter range rocket defence is based on the PATRIOT and STANDARD missiles for Army and Navy respectively. Even UAV-equipped missile platforms are under consideration by the BMDO into the 21st century.

BMTS

1960s

NIKE-Dummy, NIKE-APACHE and NIKE-CAJUN sounding rockets were modified for the Ballistic Missile Target System by Raytheon and fired - usually at low angles - to simulate re-entering ballistic missiles. Hundreds were fired and they usually carried electronic payloads with telemetry and countermeasures systems to simulate conditions of attack.

BOAR

1958

Variously described as a free-fall nuclear bomb, and a rocket boosted nuclear bomb, the BOAR was certainly a large weapon for an “over the shoulder, toss-bomb” with no guidance. It was made by Royal Industries Corp and carried by Navy attack planes. It was over 12 feet (3.7m) long and operational by 1958.

BOEING CO.

1959

Boeing has been, and is, one of the largest aerospace companies in the world. Boeing goes back to before the Second World War, but in 1959 it opened its Aerospace Division, which played a major part in the space programmes of the 1960s onwards. Early on it gained responsibility for the MINUTEMAN programme and the BOMARC long-range SAM, took DYNA-SOAR through to inevitable cancellation, and secured the first stage of the SATURN-V moon rocket. Work on spacecraft is typified by the LUNAR-ORBITER and the APOLLO Lunar Roving Vehicle. In 1997 Boeing merged with McDonnell-Douglas and maintained its position at the top of the league of revenue earners in the Aviation and Defence industry. After the 3000+ deaths on 11 Sept 2001, Boeing layed-off 30,000 personnel in the immediate decline in airliner manufacturing. During 2002 Boeing’s profits dropped by 43%. In 2002, Boeing’s Space and Defence divisions were merged.

BOLD-ORION

1958

The Air Force’s Air-Launched Ballistic Missile WS-199 programme resulted in several rocket programmes, and BOLD-ORION was by the Martin Company. It consisted of carrying test vehicles to altitude under a B-47 bomber and firing them to see if the concept was viable. Eight single stage firings were made, using Thiokol’s new TX-33 CASTOR solid motor. Another four launches with an upper stage resulted in six successes and six failures. The launches took place between 26 May 1958 and 13 October 1959.

BOLO

1960

This Air Force project was the result of a proposal from North American Aviation to use a nuclear-powered ramjet as propulsion for a missile. It took almost five years before it was clear that the technical problems were enormous.

BOLT

1950s

The BOLT was a name given to the M-55 anti-tank rocket.

BOMARC

1952

BOMARC is a contraction of BOeing and Michigan Aeronautical Research Center, and was the name of a large surface to air missile able to protect the United States out to a distance of 240 and later 450 miles from bomber attack. The 46’9” (14.25m) long missile had an Aerojet liquid booster in the rear of the fuselage to take the missile up to a speed where two huge RJ43-3 ramjets took over propulsion at supersonic speeds. The first nine launches between 1952 and 1955 used just the booster and gave varying results, but the tenth launch on 24 February 1955 used live ramjets. This “A” model was only used for testing which lasted until 1959, when the “B” model was introduced for testing. Many successes were achieved in the test programme including interceptions of high altitude, high speed targets. The later version used a Thiokol solid booster unit in what was to become the operational variant from 1961 until 1972. Both BOMARC-A and –B missiles were used as targets for other weapons systems until 1982. The operational bases were on both the East and West coasts, and also in Canada under an agreement where the Canadians made the wings and ailerons for the missile in an off-set agreement. 700 of both types were manufactured.

BOMBARDMENT

1961

This North American Aviation air-to-air missile project was intended for long-range bombers such as the B-52, but was replaced as an idea by other weapons.

BOMI

1952

The BOmber MIssile was a proposal by Dornberger and Ehricke at Bell Aircraft for a winged two-stage sub-orbital and orbital rocket ship. A presentation was made to the USAF at Wright Air Development Centre on 17 Apr 1952, and on 1 April 1954 Bell received a contract to study a 363 tonne vehicle for near-orbital reconnaissance purposes, and now called MX-2276. The altitude would have been about 50 miles and speed 15,000 mph with a range of 12,200 miles. By 1955 the requirement had dropped to a height of 19 miles and a range of 3,300 miles and for the craft to be piloted for a first flight in 1959. Within a year the payload had been established as being 11 tonnes and the project was being merged into the ROBO project. In 1955, BOMI was officially cancelled, but the ideas continued in the HYWARDS proposals which eventually resulted in the unmanned reconnaissance satellites starting in 1959 under project CORONA.

BOOJAM

1946

Northrop provided a response to a USAAF request for a long-range bombardment missile under MX-775B in March 1946 to carry a 2.5 tonne war-load a distance of 5,000 miles. It was cancelled in December 1946 in favour of the SNARK, which began as MX-775A. A scale model of BOOJAM was flown on a DEACON rocket on 8 May 1950.

BOSSART, Karl

1941

Karl J. Bossart began work at Convair in 1941 working on aeronautical engineering until the ATLAS requirements were made more clear. Bossart (1904-1975) came up with the revolutionary ideas embraced in the MX-774 ballistic test rocket, with its combined airframe-tankage construction. The ATLAS missile used the same thin tankage which von Braun criticised until he ordered an ABMA technician to throw a mallet at it, which bounced back without denting it and almost brained the technician.

BOSS-WEDGE

1959

Bomb Orbital Strategic System was the name of a Boeing proposal to study the value of manned against unmanned reconnaissance systems to over-fly Russia. The WEDGE system was the previous Boeing-funded proposal for such a system.

BOXOFFICE

1993

Raytheon’s proposed replacement for the AIM-9 SIDEWINDER, the missile used a helmet-mounted slewing system to increase the off-bore-sight capability of the air-to-air missile. In November 1993 the technology was first demonstrated, and on 11 February 1994 an MQM‑107 target was destroyed with the missile, in the AIM-9X programme. By 1996 the limited range of the 5” airframe resulted in an increased diameter requirement called BOXOFFICE-3 in the Raytheon family of test missiles.

BPDMS

1960s

Naval system became the SEA-SPARROW surface to air missile.

BRASS-BELL

1955

USAF proposals for a manned reconnaissance system to over-fly Russia resulted in several ideas, and this one from Bell Aircraft was connected to BOMI and later ROBO. By late 1956 BRASS-BELL was a glide vehicle, rocket boosted and able to fly at 32 miles altitude with a range of 6,000 miles using LR-79 type engines then being prepared for the THOR and ATLAS missiles. By 1957, BRASS-BELL and other projects had been abandoned in favour of orbital reconnaissance systems.

BRAZO

1972

This SPARROW-type air to air missile test programme used a broad band passive radiation seeker from the US Naval Electronics Center, as a measure to deal with the recently-revealed Russian “Foxbat” fighter aircraft. Flight testing began on 16 April 1974 when a BQM-34 was destroyed. BRAZO was integrated in the USAF’s PAVE-ARM programme and officially disappeared by 1978.

BREEDLOVE

1963

Craig Breedlove first broke the land speed record in 1963 in “Spirit of America”. Several more record-breaking runs were made up until November 1965 when he reached 613.995 mph in a jet-powered car.

BRILLIANT-EYES

1992

Not a missile in itself, BRILLIANT-EYES is the staring, longwave IR detection system, which is part of the National Missile Defence anti-ballistic missile interception system.

BRILLIANT-PEBBLES

1990

Early in 1991, Hughes were awarded $50m to integrate and flight test an early version of BRILLIANT-PEBBLES which consisted of many 1m-long missiles in Earth orbit to attack any ballistic missile launches aimed at the US. The complete concept would have envisaged thousands of rockets in earth orbit to intercept boost-phase launched missiles.

BRIMROSE-TECHNOLOGIES

1986

Baltimore, Maryland-based BRIMROSE-TECHNOLOGIES INC imported Polish technology to evade infra-red flare technology in IR guided missiles. The data had been found in a 1975 paper by the University of Warsaw and this information was the company’s main asset in mid-1986.

BRUNSWICK

1960

Aerospace and defence company, specialising in ammunition and sounding rockets in the 1960s. By the 1980s BRUNSWICK were concentrating on decoys and flare dispensers, but in 1993 it sold its defence business to concentrate on its marine and leisure business activities.

BRUSH-INSTRUMENTS

1957

Originally called BRUSH ELECTRONICS Co., of Cleveland, Ohio, manufactured electronic industrial and research instruments used by the aerospace industries. By 1959 the company was known as BRUSH INSTRUMENTS and it was providing recording instruments to most of the launch centres around the USA.

BULLDOG

1972

The BULLDOG programme was devised to provide an up-date to the BULLPUP air-to-surface missile giving it a laser designated target illumination capability. Pilot production began in 1973 by the Naval Weapons Center, and it was given the designation AGM-83A. By 1975 it was clear that the laser-guided MAVERICK would win the competition for the requirement.

BULL-GOOSE

1957

The GOOSE cruise missile technology project was also called BLUE-GOOSE and BULL-GOOSE, during the development programme.

BULLPUP

1954

The Martin BULLPUP was chosen from 14 offerings for a Naval air-to-surface missile, and it reached operational status on 5 April 1959 in the “A” version. It was 10’6” (3.2m) long and 12” (0.305m) in diameter, and had a range of 7 miles (11 km). The propulsion was by a storable liquid Thiokol LR-58-RM4 acid/amine engine with a thrust of 5443 kgf which gave it a speed of Mach 1.8 to 2.4. The 113 kg warhead could sink most ships that the missile hit. The “B” version, of which 4,600 were delivered, came into operation several years later and used an LR-62-RM2 engine of 14,969 kgf thrust to give a 10 mile (16 km) range. The “C” variant was produced for the Air Force who took 840 rounds with personnel fragmentation warheads. A special TRAINER version became available in about 1961 so that pilots could practice for use of the real thing. It used a 5” (0.127m) solid motor called HVAR which simulated the launch characteristics of the BULLPUP.

BULOVA Co

1963

Woodside, New York-based BULOVA Watch Co Inc., long-time maker of time pieces entered the space programme in 1963 to provide central processor timing systems for spacecraft.

BUMBLEBEE

1944

At the height of the war in the Pacific, the Bureau of Ordnance contracted the Johns Hopkins University at Baltimore, Maryland to commence studies of surface to air missile technology. By early 1945 it was decided not to produce a simple solution to the then pressing problem of Kamikaze attacks, but to proceed with a technological solution to a longer term requirement. In April 1945 the first test vehicle was launched, called COBRA, using ramjet propulsion and Aerojet boosters. By June 1945 a COBRA reached supersonic speed. In 1946 an 18” diameter ramjet was tested and proposed for the TRITON missile, and by 1948 techniques evolved which led to the TERRIER project, and later that year the XPM (eXperimental Prototype Missile) established principles which became the TALOS naval surface to air missile. Generally Convair and McDonnell provided the airframes and Bendix the ramjet tubes, while various rocket manufacturers supplied boosters, typically Aerojet made a 15” (0.38m) diameter solid rocket to boost the ramjets up to operational speeds. A 15” ramjet weighing just 68 kg could produce 1200 kgf thrust when flying at Mach 2. The BUMBLEBEE project laid the basis for American surface to air missile techniques and systems in the 1940s and early 1950s.

BURNER

1961

Upper stage which was used on the THOR and ATLAS missiles to place small military satellites into orbit. The BURNER-1 was an ALTAIR solid motor and was used on the THOR rocket. The BURNER-2 used the Thiokol TE-M-364-2 solid motor, and was originally planned for use on the TITAN-3B. The coordinating contractor was Boeing. The BURNER-2 was first used on a THOR on 16 September 1966 to orbit a secret military satellite. It had a 100% success record in operation as a second stage. The BURNER-2A stage used a Thiokol TE-M-364-2 motor and, in tandem, a Thiokol TE-M-442-1 solid motor to place military satellites in Sun-synchronous orbits.

BVR

1970s

The US Beyond Visual Range studies resulted in development of the AMRAAM (Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile).