AAM-N-5 Meteor | |
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Type | Air-to-air missile |
Place of origin | United States |
Service history | |
In service | 1948-1953 |
Used by | United States Navy |
Production history | |
Designer | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Designed | 1945-1946 |
Manufacturer | Bell Aircraft |
Specifications | |
Mass | 580 pounds (260 kg) |
Length | 13 feet 11.25 inches (4.25 m) |
length | 9 feet 6 inches (2.90 m) w/out booster |
Diameter | 8.9 inches (230 mm) |
Wingspan | 3 ft 2.8 in (0.986 m) |
Warhead | High explosive |
Warhead weight | 25 pounds (11 kg) |
Engine | Liquid-fuel rocket Booster: Solid-fuel rocket |
Operational range | 25 miles (40 km) |
Flight altitude | Max at launch, 10 miles (16 km) |
Maximum speed | Mach 2+ |
Guidance system | Semi-active radar homing |
The AAM-N-5 Meteor was an early American air-to-air missile, developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Bell Aircraft for the United States Navy. Initially, both air-launched and ship-launched versions were considered. Versions designed for launch from carrier-based aircraft proceeded to the flight testing stage before the project was cancelled.
In 1950, the Royal Navy expressed some interest in adapting Meteor as a short-range missile to defend ships against glide bombs and similar weapons. They had been studying this concept under their Popsy project and called the adapted Meteor "Mopsy". When the US Navy abandoned their interest in a ship-launched version, Mopsy went no further.